Players can earn themselves a card that allows them to enter any of the Epic Poker League Main Events for a period of two, three or five years based on a number of criteria which we have set out below. Please note this is the member qualification but it is very similar to the first season.

Five-Year Exemption

In order for a player to awarded a five-year card they must have Adjusted Lifetime Earnings of at least $4,000,000, have won no less than three major titles, cashed in no fewer than nine events since 1/1/2009 and have won at least $800,000 since 1/1/2009. Their largest cash will be capped at $2,000,000 when taking into account adjusted earnings.

Three-Year Exemption

Players who have between $2,500,000 and $3,999,999 in lifetime adjusted winnings, one major title and nine cashes worth $800,000 since 1/1/2009 are all eligible for a three-year card. Their largest cash is capped at $1,250,000.

Two-Year Exemption

To earn a two-year card players must have won between $1,500,000 and $2,499,999 in lifetime adjusted earnings, they do not need to have won a major title but they must have cashed in nine events for at least $700,000 since 1/1/2009. Their largest cash is capped at $900,000.

Please note that anyone who was given a two, three, or five year card at the start of the first season of the Epic Poker League will not have to meet the above criteria until their current card expires.

The Epic Poker League uses this system, especially with the number of cashes and earnings sin the past three years to ensure that only the very best players are able to participate and potential one-hit wonders are not common place. For example, Jamie Gold is fifth in the all-time money listings but that is purely because he won $12,000,000, the largest-ever amount in a single tournament, when he took down the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event. Whilst we do not want to pour cold water on Gold’s achievement, his one amazing result does not mean he is one of the best in the world but when you look at someone like Jason Mercier has 55 cashes since 1/1/2009 and more than $4,000,000 then you start to get the picture. Gold is not eligible for any card whilst Mercier is already in possession of a five year one.

As you can see this system leads to only the very best players in the world to be able to participate in the $20,000 Main Events and why the Poker Channel Europe is delighted to be bringing the action to a TV screen near you from Sunday 15th January 2012!

The feed can also be viewed on our Facebook page

The PokerStrategy.com TV World Championships started with online qualifiers via partner site, PokerHeaven.com, back in August this year, with three months of online qualifying events leading to 42 players from around the world arriving in London in November to battle it in seven, six seater single table tournaments. The winner of each heat progressed through to today’s final, where they will be joined on the final table, by PokerStrategy.com CEO & Founder, Dominik Kofert.

The Poker Channel website will offer viewers the opportunity to watch the final live online with the streaming set to start at 1600 CET.

The eight players will be battling it out for a total prize pool of $42,000, with the winner walking away with $20,000 and the coveted prize of the first ever PokerStrategy.com TV World Champion.

Chris White, Commercial Director, Poker Channel said “We are delighted to offer live streaming of the first ever TV event that has involved the Poker Strategy online community, the biggest online poker community in the world, and we are excited to see how the event will unfold and if one of the qualifiers can outwit and outplay Dominik to be crowned a deserved winner.”

The channel can be enjoyed at the following times:
11.30pm- 4am Monday- Friday
11pm- 4am Saturday & Sunday

The fallout of the recent FBI indictment against PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and the two sites on the Cereus Network, UB.com and Absolute Poker continues to reach out further than just the American citizens who used to be able to play on those sites, as a number of poker-related television shows have been axed or left with uncertain futures.

It was announced that both the “Million Dollar Challenge” and “The Big Game” were being dropped with immediate effect by Fox as both of these particular programmes were sponsored by PokerStars. “The Big Game” had become extremely popular and was very well received but because PokerStars have now pulled out of the US market the show just did not have the backing to maintain production plus a number of advertising slots, bought by PokerStars, have been rendered useless.

One channel and website that reportedly received up to eight-figure sums from the three sites decimated by FBI and Department of Justice’s indictment is the sports giant ESPN but they too seem to have pulled the plug on tournaments linked to PokerStars, namely the North American Poker Tour. In fact they have removed all poker advertisements from the channel and its website. They have however announced, through their lead blogger Andrew Feldman, that they will continue to cover the upcoming World Series of Poker, simply because they believe the brand is big enough to attract advertisers without the need for online poker companies.

All the uncertainty has left a number of other shows up in the as they are heavily linked to online poker sites. The ever-popular “High Stakes Poker,” shown on GSN was, up this this season, completely free of sponsors but now it comes under the umbrella of PokerStars and could be axed as a result. Also, “Poker After Dark,” which is heavily linked with Full Tilt Poker (though not directly sponsored by them) could also become a victim of the so-called Black Friday. That said, the second episode of the Pot Limit Omaha edition of Poker After Dark did air on Tuesday as expected.

The largest brand after the WSOP is the World Poker Tour (WPT) but Fox Sports Net are yet to issue any statements about the future of its televised poker shows. The WPT has been struggling for the past couple of years, having seen attendances continue to fall and losing television coverage would see the number of entrants plummet. The fact that PartyGaming bought the rights to the WPT will not help its cause but in their defence PartyGaming did pull out of the US market immediately after the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act back in 2006 so that should go for it.

Many people will be wondering what effect this has on the rest of the poker world and why we should be bothered that the shows have been axed but there will be consequences for us all. These shows are heavily edited and glamorise the game we all love to play, which in turn attracts thousands upon thousands of new players to the virtual tables every month. We have contacted some of the shows producers to see if we can get some exclusive inside scoops and as soon as they have got back in touch with us we will let you know the fates of some of your favourite televised poker shows.

Console gaming show Gameshock TV has burst onto Poker Channel screens, and to celebrate, they’re giving away copies of Homefront and Marvel vs Capcom 3 in exclusive competitions. All you need to do is answer the ridiculously easy questions from the show and a copy could be winging its way to you. For your chance to win, click here for more information and to watch the show.

Chris Hewitt returns for a brand new episode of Gameshock TV. The show that brings the latest games to your screens and puts them to the test.
With the results from this years Gaming BAFTAs as well as features on THQ’s eagerly awaited Homefront and Marvel vs Capcom this show promises to keep you at the cutting edge of console gaming.
We also take a look at what you can look forward to in the next 12 months and we even look back at some of the games you may have missed that you REALLY need to play.
With Competitions galore Gameshock TV is definitely a show you wont want to miss.

It premiers on The Poker Channel this Thursday at 22.30 and you can catch online from then as well as watch the last episode here.

London, UK, 6th January: Episode four of the PokerPlayer Show hits the TV screens tonight.

A host of British poker celebrities, including Vickie Coren and recent bracelet winner Mike Ellis, look back on the last 12 months and debate the phenomenon of the ‘poker personality’. Anna Fowler covers the latest poker news, chats on the phone to double UKIPT success story, Canadian Nick Risk and is joined in the studio by recent World Heads Up Championship 2010 winner Nik Persaud. He answers viewer questions and offers strategy advice on the old poker adage- ‘play the player, not the cards’

Continental Europe broadcast times (times in CET)

Thursday 6th 2230
Friday 7th 2130
Monday 10th 2230
Tuesday 11th 2130
Tuesday 18th 1500
Thursday 20th 2200

UK & Eire broadcast times (times in GMT)

Thursday 6th 12am
Wednesday 12th 10.30pm
Thursday 13th 12am
Friday 14th 10.30pm
Wednesday 19th 12am

You can watch the latest episode of The PokerPlayer Show online tonight from 11pm. To watch previous episodes click here.

Starting this Sunday 7th November at 2200, The Poker Channel will give High Stakes Poker a permanent home in its prime time schedule, with one new episode airing every week. The Poker Channel will broadcast High Stakes Poker seasons 2, 3 and 4 in 30 European markets, including the UK, France and Germany, and will be the first TV channel to broadcast any High Stakes Poker series in Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Latvia.

Episodes will also be available to view on www.pokerchanneleurope.com/highstakes a day after the TV broadcast.

High Stakes Poker is considered one of the most popular poker series on TV, and features star players staking up to $1 million of their own cash in a game of no-limit texas hold’em. Pots regularly reach several hundred thousand dollars and players who lose their initial buy-in can re-buy as often as they wish.

Seasons 2-4 feature many of the all-time greats alongside some lucky amateurs: top names include Hall of Famer Doyle Brunson with the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, Mike Matusow, Erick Lindgren, John Juanda, Gus Hansen, Jamie Gold, Sammy Farha, Eli Elezra, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, and Patrik Antonius with money on the table at any one time rising to over $4.5 million. These three seasons are hosted by TV personalities Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza, and executive produced by Henry Orenstein of HSOR– whose innovation and in-table cameras paved the way for the explosion of poker’s popularity on TV–and Mori Eskandani of POKER PRODuctions.

The format is considered one of the best of its kind for teaching poker, featuring world-class strategy, bluffing and vast pots, and giving poker fans of all levels tips on how to improve their skills.

The deal with GSN—which was negotiated by Jon Helmrich of IBC (International Broadcast Communications)–coincides with further expansion of the Poker Channel, including new distribution to all TV subscribers of UPC Direct in Hungary, UPC Direct in Czech Republic, Focusat in Romania, and Vodafone in Portugal. The Poker Channel is now available 24/7 on over 60 major cable, satellite and IPTV platforms.

Chris White, MD, Poker Channel Europe, said “High Stakes Poker is arguably the most popular poker show of all – and deserves a permanent place in our prime time schedule in all 30 countries. We’re delighted to expand our distribution and reach this agreement with GSN so many more viewers can watch it on TV for the first time. The appetite to watch and learn poker continues to grow around the world and High Stakes Poker is at the heart of this.”