2008 National Heads Up Noon Today on NBC
While much of the poker industry is scrambling to stop the negative trends from two years of UIEGA, television network giant NBC continues to add viewers for its 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Played at Caesars Palace Poker Room in Las Vegas earlier this year the tournament is televised every Sunday at Noon EDT in a miniseries of two hour poker shows.
Sunday noon is the perfect time slot for the poker miniseries and it says a lot for TV poker considering this same time slot is often filled by the 800 hundred pound gorilla of TV sports, the NFL. So, how come this NBC produced poker tournament has the appeal to show viewer growth while other big time poker shows are scrambling for solutions to their rapidly declining audience?
NBC makes it look easy, but remember, they've been producing sports entertainment for decades and have vast experience in packaging successful TV shows. First, NBC assured an all star cast. They invited the most talented poker stars, mixed in a few stars that play poker, added an Internet champion, and even provided satellites so a couple of players from the street could get an invite. Another important factor is the tournament format. Styled after the well known 64 team single elimination college basketball championships makes it easy for viewers to follow the action.
Flip over to NBC today at Noon EDT and settle in to enjoy two hours of entertaining high stakes poker from Caesars Palace Las Vegas. Will Orel Hershiser finally strike out? Will the WSOP Champion Huck Seed continue to flourish? Can MIT phenom, Andy Bloch, solve the equations for a win? Is this the year for Jesus to finally triump? We're down to eight; but, four must go home today. The surviving four will return next Sunday, May 18 at Noon EDT, for the three hour finale and champion of the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
