Monday, March 24, 2008

• Email
• Print

PartyPoker.com Premier League back tomorrow

Will Alexander Kravchenko crush the Premier League?

By Arthur Crowson

Arguably the U.K.'s most exciting poker show is returning tomorrow.

The PartyPoker Premier League, a groundbreaking poker event that was developed by Matchroom sport, will kick off another 15-week run with an episode airing on Channel 4 at 12:10 a.m. on Tuesday/Wednesday. The format features 12 of the world's elite poker players fighting for a piece of the $1 million prize pool.

Nine players from last season's event returned along with several new faces this year, including Alexander Kravchenko, Annie Duke and Marcel Luske.

All 12 players played six times in the preliminary stages, with the leading four players qualifying for a seat at the final table while the next four battled it out in heads-up matches for the final two seats. Each player brought $60,000 of their own money, and PartyPoker.com added an extra $280,000 to make the pool $1 million. Quite an increase considering last year the prize pool was $500,000.

Finnish poker sensation Juha Helppi outlasted 12 stellar players last year and a final table that included Phil Hellmuth. Helppi beat German pro Eddy Scharf in heads-up play to win $125,000. This season the first-place finisher will be awarded $250,000.

Television commentary will be provided by Jesse May and Rolande de Wolfe.

The stakes are higher than ever before and with a table that includes Phil Hellmuth, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Tony G, Juha Helppi, Annie Duke and Marcel Luske, the first episode is sure to be a blockbuster.

Related Articles:

• PartyPoker opens European Challenge qualifiers
• PartyPoker Players Can Turn $1 into a Trip to the WSOP
• PartyPoker Putting Up $10k Super Bowl Party
• Local Wins PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship

More News

• Two more take Pokerstars' Million Dollar Challenge
• The Best Damn Poker Show crosses the Atlantic
• New Fox show gains NFL, MMA, Playboy stars
• Ivey, durrrr play largest pot in TV history
• CBS to air Ante Up For Africa Monte Carlo
• Dates set, Barry calling for fish on HSP 6
• PokerStars show planned for FOX this fall
• Poker heats up in Hollywood