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The Professional Poker Tour (PPT) was a series of televised poker tournaments, spinning off from the World Poker Tour (WPT) television series. It billed itself as the first professional poker league, and was limited to players who have established themselves on the World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, or major participation on the poker circuit.
Matt Corboy was the lead commentator, with poker pro Mark Seif as color commentator and Kaye Han as floor reporter. The first season, taped in 2004-2005, began airing regularly on Travel Channel on July 5, 2006 and left the air in 2007.
Events were telecast across five shows each. The first four shows were labeled as quarters, from 1st Quarter to 4th Quarter, reflecting early-round play in the event. The final six-player table was the fifth show of the cycle.
These tournaments were invitation-only freerolls (no entry fee, but only certain players were invited).
The PPT was canceled after one season. [1] Events that comprised the PPT in 2005 were integrated into the WPT schedule in 2007-08.
Event | Winner | Prize | Other Finalists |
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World Poker Finals | John Juanda | $225,000 |
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LA Poker Classic | Erick Lindgren | $225,000 |
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Bay 101 | Tom McEvoy | $225,000 |
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3rd Annual Five Star World Poker Classic | Lee Markholt | $225,000 |
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Mirage Poker Showdown | Ted Forrest | $225,000 |
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Phillip Jerome Hellmuth Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won a record seventeen World Series of Poker bracelets, the majority in no-limit hold'em. He is the winner of the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), and he is a 2007 inductee of the WSOP's Poker Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as the greatest tournament player of all time.
Doyle Frank Brunson was an American poker player who played professionally for over 60 years. He was a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.
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Dan Harrington is a professional poker player, best known for winning the Main Event at the 1995 World Series of Poker. He has earned one World Poker Tour title, two WSOP bracelets, and over six million dollars in tournament cashes in his poker career. He is also a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.
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Can Kim "CK" Hua is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a three-time final tablist at both the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and on the World Poker Tour (WPT) with over $2.7 million in earnings.
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