Poker Den

You can [could have] follow[ed] the live action from the 36 hour marathon Party Poker Poker Den from the Matchroom site. The event is underway now in London, with a huge line up of professionals in town for the WSOPE. The format is a $10,000 buy-in with $50/$100 blinds and eight seats at the table. Players may come or go as they like with an interesting group ready to take any empty seats.

Still playing at the end of hour 36 of 36:

Juha Helppi
Phil Laak
Bodo Sbrzesny (second session)
Chris "Smitty" Smithy
Josh Ladines
Andrew Feldman (big winner 58K)
Roland de Wolfe (third session)
Chris Parker

Also played:
Neil Channing (played 33 hours)
Ilios Kamatakis (busted)
David Williams (busted)
Ian Frazier (out)
Jennifer Tilly (left game a winner!)
Robert Williamson III (out)
Barny Boatman (out)
Richard Wheatley (out)
Roberto Romanello (out)
Sammy “any two” George (out after 15 hours)
Chris Parker (out)

There is a $1,000 added "Party Pot" once an hour, which seems to stimulate a lot of action. The first Party Pot got up to $17,000.

Some people call it the toughest cash game in the world. Others say it is the most fun. Whatever it is, great poker television comes out of the Party Poker-Poker Den. The Den involves handful of the most-seasoned professional poker players fighting it out in a marathon high-stakes cash game in front of television cameras. Poker TV doesn’t get any better than this.

The poker pros set to make an appearance are some of the most colorful personalities in the game. Scheduled to play are Phil Hellmuth, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot, Tony G, Jamie Gold, Brian Townsend, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Jennifer Tilly, Andrew Feldman, Sammy “Any Two” George, Robert Williamson III, Phil Laak, and Antonio Esfandiari.

This year the Den is going to be even more interesting for the players and the audience. While the first two Den Games were 24 hour events, this year, the Big Game will run for 36 hours straight.

Eddie Hearn, head of online gaming at Matchroom Sport said:

“The Poker Den has come a long way since we started back in the summer of 2005, the Big Game has been such a huge success, and the two series so far have attracted the best players in the world.”

Players will sit down with a minimum of $10,000 but no more than $20,000 and play with $25-$50 blinds. As usual, there will be a lot of straddling, guaranteeing a lot of action. Players are free to leave the table at any time; up, down or busted.

The show will be filmed September 30 and October 1; and will be shown on Channel 5 in the U.K. next year. Commenter Jesse May will be present during the entire duration of the event. To learn more about the cash game, go to Match Room Poker.

The Poker Den is back for a second season. Perhaps the most entertaining live cash poker game on television will try it again next week.

PartyPoker announced that ‘PartyPoker Poker Den: The Big Game II’ is set to take place on Friday 14th September and will be broadcast on television around the world next year. The format is simple; it is a 24 hour continuous cash game where each player will buy-in for a minimum of $10,000.

The first Poker Den was UK television last year was dominated by a performance by Phil Hellmuth which was described by commentator Padraig Parkinson as “half murder, half suicide.” Phil is expected to return and join a line-up that includes Dave “The Devilfish” Ulliott, Tony G, Roland De Wolfe, Brian Townsend, Liz Lieu, Ian Frazer, Dan Carter, Roy Brindley, Nikolaus Jedlicka, Ian Woodley, Anthony Hardy, Neil Channing, Dave Gregory and Phil Curtis. Names are still being added to the line-up.

Clips from PartyPoker Poker Den: The Big Game I programmes broadcast on Five in the UK earlier this year have become cult viewing on the internet, including:

Tony G and Phil Hellmuth
Tony G and Phil Curtis
Juha Helppi & Phil
More Tony & Phil

A PartyPoker spokesman said:

“Last time there were fireworks and we don’t expect anything different this time around. We are just worried that we’ll find a room big enough to accommodate their egos. Wembley Stadium wasn’t available so we had to settle for something smaller.”

Here is a very good promo clip from last year's Big Game