The Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino is starting 'The Real Deal', an audience participation poker show, in an attempt to build on the popularity of poker in Las Vegas.
The show will begin on Oct. 14th, and will mix game show elements with comedy, celebrities, and Texas Hold'em Poker. The show will offer prizes, with audience members having a chance - although it is slim- to win $1 million.
‘The Real Deal!’ is unique because it allows everyone in the audience to get the feeling of playing with the stars. As part of the show, players can watch a 90 minute poker tournament with some of the biggest names in poker taking part. Around 10 professional poker players have signed up for the show, including Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth JR and Daniel Negreanu. The members of the audience can play along using a wireless touch screen device.
Daniel Negreanu said "People who come to Vegas want to play poker, but obviously they can't play in a big game with the likes of Doyle or Phil Hellmuth. But, in this show, they actually can."
Six audience members will be chosen at random to sit with the pros on the poker table on stage. The other members of the audience then become the virtual 'ninth player', and they are dealt a hand on the handheld device. The on stage action is displayed on large monitors around the stage, to help everyone keep track of the action.
Audience members start with 100,000 points, and their goal is to increase their total. An electronic leader board keeps track of the points for each audience member. Near the end of the show, the surviving professional player and the final amateur from the six that started to play on stage will be joined by the audience member with the most points.
Merv Adelson, one of the creators of the show, was quick to stress that "You don't have to be a poker player to enjoy the show" - there are several ways that audience members can attempt to increase their points stack, such as guessing the suit of the next card, or betting on whether one of the poker pros can correctly guess whether or not someone in a certain row is from a particular state.
The show will be running six days a week. Prizes such as merchandise, jewellery and electronic goods will be awarded at random based on playing performance. There is also a $1 million jackpot which will be up for grabs if selected audience members are dealt a royal flush.
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