Streaming on multiple platforms
The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Online Championships are underway and to try to bring an entertaining viewing experience to poker fans, the Tour is live-streaming the final tables of all 12 championship events. The first live final table is coming up Tuesday, July 21, with Event #1: $3,200 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship. As of this writing, there are just three short-handed tables remaining.
The proceedings on partypoker, the WPT’s online poker partner, will broadcast on partypoker.com, YouTube, Facebook, and partypoker’s Twitch channel, partypoker TV. ShareHand, the World Poker Tour’s production partner for its live events, will produce the live streams.
players that reach the final table will have their real names displayed
As is the case with other live poker events, the broadcast will be on a slight delay to protect the integrity of the game. Additionally, though players use screennames in online poker, the players that reach the final table will have their real names displayed on the virtual table.
Multiple languages
To try to make the streams even more like a regular telecast, the usual cast of characters will provide live commentary. Behind the mic will be Tony Dunst, Vince Van Patten, James Dempsey, and Joey Ingram. Also lending his voice will be Poker Hall of Famer and 15-year WPT veteran Mike Sexton, who stepped down from his WPT announcer role three years ago to become chairman of partypoker.
Legendary tournament director Matt Savage will be the lead commentator for all five WPT Champions Cup events. A number of side events will also be streamed two to four times per week on partypokerTV. James Dempsey and Henry Kilbane will be in the “booth” for these tournaments, which will use the partypoker replayer system to show the action.
$100m over nearly two months
The WPT World Online Championships began on Friday, July 17 and run through Tuesday, September 8. There is $100m in guaranteed prize money across the dozen events. Only one re-entry at most is permitted in each event and no tournament will have more than two starting flights.
Rake is 3-7% and since the tournaments are on partypoker, players can earn rakeback on their tournament buy-ins.
WPT World Championship Online Main Event is a four-day event with two starting flights
Of the 12 events, eight have three buy-in tiers, one has two-tiers, three have just one buy-in tier. For the ones that have multiple buy-in levels, the highest one is considered the championship event. The current Omaha Hi-Lo championship is a three-day event. It began over the weekend with its two starting flights and is now nearing the end of Day 2.
The $10,300 buy-in WPT World Championship Online Main Event is a four-day event with two starting flights, so five calendar days total. It begins on August 29 and has a $10m guaranteed prize pool.