Los Angeles, CA (April 25, 2018) — On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, the World Poker Tour® will award both Mr. Steve Lipscomb and Mr. Lyle Berman with the WPT® Honors Award, representing outstanding contributions to the WPT and the greater poker community.
Mr. Lipscomb and Mr. Berman are legendary visionaries of our game. Passionate advocates for televised poker and driving forces behind the birth, foundation, and success of the WPT, Mr. Lipscomb and Mr. Berman played incredibly instrumental roles in poker’s history and growth, contributing tremendously to the advancement of poker around the globe.
“The WPT is deeply proud to present two extraordinary icons of our industry with the WPT Honors Award,” Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour, said. “These Honorees represent the pioneering ingenuity and passionate leadership that has abundantly influenced poker. Mr. Steve Lipscomb and Mr. Lyle Berman brought poker to new heights with the creation of the World Poker Tour, and their passion and dedication have allowed the WPT to become what it is today.”
The ceremony to honor Mr. Lipscomb and Mr. Berman will take place during the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions festival in Las Vegas.
About Mr. Steve Lipscomb
Mr. Lipscomb took the poker industry by storm when he put into motion the grand idea of broadcasting a series of major poker tournaments held around the world with hole cards available to the audience. Today, Mr. Lipscomb’s idea is commonly known as the World Poker Tour and it has been going strong for 16 years with no end in sight.
Mr. Lipscomb’s first official title with the World Poker Tour was CEO, but he was much more. Mr. Lipscomb was first the founder, and then when the very first season of the World Poker Tour debuted in 2002 Mr. Lipscomb wrote, directed, and produced every episode. For the first eight seasons of the WPT, Mr. Lipscomb directed and produced hundreds of hours of industry-leading programming, taking the World Poker Tour to the forefront of the poker industry.
Under Mr. Lipscomb’s leadership, the World Poker Tour became the first internationally distributed franchise of televised poker. Within two years of its beginning, the WPT was being distributed to more than 130 markets worldwide.
At the inaugural American Poker Awards, Mr. Lipscomb was honored with the first-ever American Poker Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
About Mr. Lyle Berman
Mr. Berman played a pivotal role in the start of the World Poker Tour, taking the idea of Mr. Lipscomb and helping to turn it into a reality. That reality spawned televised poker as it is known today, showcasing the hole cards of each player so the viewer can play along with the action on the screen. The WPT and poker would not be where they are today if it was not for Mr. Berman’s persistent belief in this game-changing innovation.
Prior to his time with the WPT, Mr. Berman was a highly successful businessman. He turned his family’s leather business into a company worth more than $100 million that was later renamed Wilsons Leather. He ran eight casinos across four states through his Grand Casinos, Inc. venture and leveraged his success in the gaming world to become the initial financier and chairman of the board of the World Poker Tour.
On the felt, Mr. Berman has amassed more than $2.6 million in live tournament earnings, including three WSOP gold bracelets and one World Poker Tour final table. Mr. Berman regularly plays in the world’s largest cash games against the game’s top competition and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.
About the WPT Honors Award
The WPT Honors Award is the WPT’s highest honor, awarded to members of the poker industry in celebration and appreciation of exceptional contributions made to the World Poker Tour and the poker community as a whole. The WPT Honors Award is given in recognition of those who distinguish themselves by excellence and dedication beyond expectations. Recipients are nominated by the WPT Honors Award Advisory Council and agreed upon by Adam Pliska.
The WPT Honors Award was established in February 2017, with Ms. Linda Johnson as the award’s first recipient. Mr. Mike Sexton and Mr. Bruno Fitoussi were honored in July 2017 as the second and third honorees.
For more information, visit WPT.com.
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.
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