Phil Hellmuth Makes Debut as New Raw Deal Host
Twitter: @WPTDeepStacks
Facebook: facebook.com/WorldPokerTour
Instagram: @WPTDeepStacks
Website: www.WPT.com
Los Angeles, CA (April 18, 2018) – On Sunday, April 29, 2018, the historic Season XVI of the World Poker Tour® premieres on FOX Sports Regional Networks throughout the U.S. The highly anticipated season kicks off with WPT® Choctaw from Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, and Tony Dunst joins Vince Van Patten in the commentary booth on a full-time basis.
Season XVI of the WPT will once again see 27 original episodes of poker programming captured at nine of the top poker destinations in the world, including The Bicycle Hotel & Casino for the awarding of the WPT’s one-billionth prize dollar, Bellagio for the record-setting WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Spielbank Berlin for the first-ever WPT European Championship, and ARIA Resort & Casino for the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions. Throughout the season, players compete for the prestigious WPT Champions Cup, tens of millions of dollars in prize money, and the coveted Hublot WPT Player of the Year title. Every televised winner on Season XVI of the WPT Main Tour earns a luxurious Hublot Big Bang Steel watch and the Hublot WPT Player of the Year winner will walk away with a custom Hublot timepiece.
For Season XVI broadcasts, Tony Dunst is elevated to the WPT commentary booth on a full-time basis. Dunst, a WPT champion and former host of the Raw Deal segment, joins 16-year commentator Vince Van Patten. Lynn Gilmartin once again anchors the show. Season XVI marks the fifth year for Gilmartin as WPT Anchor.
“The WPT is thrilled to premiere a brand new season of world-class poker and entertainment for the 16th consecutive year,” Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour said. “The WPT is the number one regularly scheduled program on FOX Sports Regional Networks and one of the longest-running shows of all time. In Season XVI, we welcome Tony Dunst to the commentary booth, award our one-billionth prize dollar, return a televised event to Europe for the first time since Season XII, and introduce Phil Hellmuth as the WPT’s new Raw Deal host. All of this and more makes the television debut of Season XVI of the World Poker Tour a truly can’t-miss event.”
“As the World Poker Tour celebrates an incredible 16th season as the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment, it is my honor to join the WPT commentary booth full time starting with WPT Choctaw,” Tony Dunst said. “Alongside Vince Van Patten, Lynn Gilmartin, and Phil Hellmuth, and backed by the entire WPT family, I look forward to carrying on the WPT’s tremendous legacy as we crown new WPT champions and poker-made millionaires worldwide.”
New episodes of the WPT season premiere each Sunday on FOX Sports Regional Networks at 8/11 p.m. local time, and each episode will re-air throughout the subsequent week. Be sure to check your local listings for more information.
Visit WPT.com for more information.
WPT Media Contact
Donnie Peters – [email protected]
About World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour (WPT) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 16th season, which airs on FOX Sports Regional Networks in the United States. Season XVI of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com and PlayWPT.com. ClubWPT.com is a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States. PlayWPT.com is a social gaming platform offering free-to-play poker and slots with innovative features and state-of-the-art creative elements inspired by WPT’s 16 years of experience in gaming entertainment. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. WPT Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of Ourgame International Holdings, Ltd. For more information, go to WPT.com.
© 2018 WPT Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
WPT, World Poker Tour and Spade Card Design are registered trademarks of WPT Enterprises, Inc.