Filming Complete for First Nationally Televised Canadian Poker Tour Event

The Canadian Poker Tour (CPT) and Rogers Sportsnet took one step closer to Canadian poker history in Edmonton, Alberta, over the weekend, as they wrapped filming of the first nationally televised event of the CPT. Yellowhead Casino was the venue for the Western Canadian Poker Classic, held May 11-15.

Focusing on the No-Limit and Fixed-Limit $500 buy-in events, the filming of both final tables was done back-to-back on May 15. The champion of the 247 entrant No-Limit field took home $34,180, while the last player standing of the 167 who entered the Fixed-Limit event won $23,820.

The Corral Room was virtually transformed into a television studio, and with all the lights, cables, cameras, and crew, it was sometimes hard to tell what was drawing a bigger crowd – the poker or the production. The mere presence of Jim Van Horne delivering his monologue outside the casino entrance brought passing traffic to a stand-still.

While it will remain to be seen whether or not the bright lights and close-up cameras affected the play of the mix of professional and amateur rounders, it did, at times, at least affect their demeanors. Some concentrated even harder on their cards, doing what they could to shut out the distractions, while others made the most of the opportunity and hammed it up. For Edmonton local and No-Limit top seven finisher, Dave Klassen, the cameras created a different sort of anxiety. “The interview was the most nervous part,” Klassen admitted.

It must have been a new feeling for most of the players, who, upon retiring to the Spurs lounge after getting knocked out, were greeted by a huge crowd of cheering spectators. Even the amateurs were treated like celebrities, receiving both kudos and consolation from the fans, who were able to follow the competition on monitors setup in the lounge.

Dave “Digger” Switzer, who came in all the way from Stratford, Ontario, was impressed with the event, stating, “I’ll support this all the way.”

Readers will need to tune in to the telecast (date TBA) to see how the action unfolded, as no spoilers will be presented here, but suffice it to say that the events were loaded with twists and turns, unexpected moves, and terrific finishes. Coordinated by Tournament Director, Joanne Jost, Master of Ceremonies, Terry Dennis, and Casino Manager, Peter Wong, the Western Canadian Poker Classic could not have gone smoother.

The next CPT event to be filmed is the Cash Casino Calgary Classic, June 23-26.

Originally published May 19, 2005