Watch WPT Episodes Online

Poker fans who enjoy a bit of nostalgia can scratch their “good ‘ole days” itch at the World Poker tour’s website, which is now streaming WPT Season I in its entirety.   

These are the same episodes which were originally broadcast on the Travel Channel, with commercials (except those for the WPT) cut out.  These episodes are no longer being aired on television.  All of the other seasons of the WPT are still being broadcast, though.  Seasons II through V are still being shown on the Travel Channel, while the current season, Season VI, is on the Game Show Network. 

The final table of the 2002 Five Diamond World Poker Classic is the match featured in this inaugural WPT episode.  The competitors are a “who’s who” of poker: Freddy Deeb, (who is referred to as Kassem, his given name) John Juanda (who is referred to as John “Yooanda” in the telecast), Gus Hansen, Chris Bigler, Scotty Nguyen, and John Hennigan.   

As poker was still new to the vast majority of television viewers, announcers Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten were very deliberate in their explanation of no-limit hold’em mechanics and even expressed their amazement at the hole card cams.  And, of course, this episode introduced the ever-popular Shana Hiatt to poker fans.