World Poker Tour

The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a series of international poker tournaments featuring most of the world's professional players. It was started in the United States. In 2008, the WPT started offering bracelets to its event champions. Players, who won a title prior to the release of the bracelet, were given one. World Poker Tour has also found its way on television.The WPT is well known for its televised WPT final table winner toast.

It is now in its sixth season of broadcast, it still remains among one of the highest rated television programs on television (cable).  At the beginning of the 2008 World Poker Tour Season the host Mike Sexton no longer toasts the winner of the Tournament with an "official beer of the World Poker Tour" (sponsored in years past by Anheuser-Busch). They now provide champagne glasses for their salute. This makes telling the latest events much easier from the older when they are televised.

On the note of hosts the show’s hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten give the impression to viewers that all of their commentary is recorded live as the tournament happens. They have gone as far as occasionally interacting with the players during the game. However, their comments about hole cards are recorded after the tournament takes place because gaming regulations prohibit them from observing a live feed of the "hole card cameras" while on the set. Consequently, the broadcast audio is a mix of the live recording, and commentary recorded in post-production.

The WPT is organized on similar lines as the WSOP (World Series Of Poker). Anyone who can pay the "buy-in" for the World Poker Tour (an amount ranging from $2,500 to $25,000) or win a "satellite" tournament is able to compete against the top professional players. In January 2008, the WPT announced a set of tournaments for women, known as WPT Ladies. The first season will have five events, with buy-ins ranging from $300 to $1,500.

Being a “tour”; points are awarded for all open events. At the end of each season the points are calculated and a player of the year is decided. Points are given / awarded throughout the tour as follows:

· Winner - 1000 points

· Runner-up - 700 points

· 3rd place - 600 points

· 4th place - 500 points

· 5th place - 400 points

· 6th place - 300 points

· 7th place (TV bubble) - 200 points

Of recent times the World Poker Tour has been given further hype with the movie Deal (2008). A fictional WPT championship match is the setting for the 2008 film. Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten play themselves and a number of other poker professionals and poker-playing celebrities are in the cast.