Monday, Dec. 25, 2006

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'Poker After Dark' to feature pros, paper, pin-up

By Christopher Hunt

NBC knows what people want to see go bump in the night: A star-studded cast of professional poker players, piles of cash and mens magazine centerfold Shana Hiatt. So they've put them together for the late-night show "Poker After Dark," which begins airing Jan. 2.

The series features the world's best players putting up $20,000 each and playing six-handed freeze-outs with a winner-take-all first prize of $120,000.

Each match will air over five one-hour shows Monday to Friday at 2:00 a.m., with a special one-hour "Director's Cut" with outtakes and bloopers to air right after Saturday Night Live on the weekends.

Besides a power-packed player line-up and the popular hostess Hiatt, NBC says the show offers a few stand-out features that separate it from others.

For one, of the $20,000 each player puts up, viewers will see half of that money on the table in tournament chips and the other half in cash.

For another, because of the five weekly one-hour shows, viewers will get to see the majority of hands played instead of just the all-in clashes more time-restricted shows need to stick to.

And lastly, there are no poker commentators or analysts. All viewers will hear is the interaction among the players, the amount of the bets and raises, and brief interviews with Hiatt during stoppages of play or once a player has been eliminated.

To add to the intrigue, players were also put at final tables with an occasional theme designed to stir the pot. One of the examples is an all-World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ table, with Chris Moneymaker, Jamie Gold, Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Doyle Brunson and Carlos Mortensen.

Another is a loudmouth-laden table with Sam Farha, Tony G., Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and Andy Bloch.

In all, ten matches have been filmed and are set to air, with another ten planned for filming in 2007.

The first show will air Jan. 2.

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