Phil Tufnell fronts ITV4’s Great British Poker Tour in association with Gala Casinos (press release)

 

01st October 2007, London - Former England Test cricketer and ‘King of the Jungle’ Phil Tufnell is to front The Great British Poker Tour (GBPT) airing on ITV4 from October 4th.

The Tour, which has so far covered legs in Edinburgh, Teesside, Nottingham, Bournemouth and Leeds, showcases the abundance of poker talent across Britain to form a series of 12 one hour shows, hosted by presenter Alex Jones, right through to the Bristol final in early November. Tufnell and poker pro Simon ‘Aces’ Trumper form a brotherly double-act to provide expert - and at times very witty - commentary on each of the tournaments.

Each show will feature in-depth coverage of play from the final table of each Festival (using under-table cameras to give a player’s-eye view of the cards and the game) to reveal how each regional winner achieved their Festival victory and won their seat at the £500,000 Grand Final. Amateur players from across the country pit themselves against seasoned pros, whilst a number of well-known celebrity players are also among those testing their skills on air. To date, Michelle Heaton of Liberty-X, Doug Henshall of ITV1’s Primeval, Norman Pace from comedy duo Hale & Pace and an array of well known sports stars have all taken part in the GBPT.

Tufnell, a keen poker player, commented: “I am really excited to be involved with the GBPT. I’ve really got into poker recently and I try and play as much as I can. Poker really is a game that anyone can learn. I’ve entered several tournaments in the past and not done too badly. I even released a DVD last year to teach people how to play so hopefully I can bring my knowledge and experience of the game to the viewers.”

Seasoned poker pro, Simon Trumper added: "Viewers will be amazed at the standard of play. There's some very dramatic hands which make for great television."

ITV4 Channel Controller, David Fewings, said: “This is our first poker tournament for ITV4 and we are really looking forward to working with Phil. The popularity of poker is growing every day and I’m sure this will be a fantastic contest with some big named pro’s and celebrities taking part”.

The Great British Poker Tour is calling on all poker players - novice and pro – to take their seat in the GBPT Grand Final taking place at the Gala Casino Harbourside, Bristol from November 5th – 11th, and  play for a share of a mammoth £650,000 prize pool, as well as the coveted title of “Great British Poker Champion, 2007”.

 

Budding champions can qualify for the Grand Final Main Event through a ‘satellite’ tournament in selected Gala Casinos around the country or via an on-line satellite at www.galapoker.co.uk (Gala Casinos’ online poker website).  

Comprehensive information about the GBPT – events, players, qualification and TV schedules, can be found on the dedicated website, www.gbpokertour.com.

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