Alex Dreyfus’ Global Poker League has published the schedule for its first international season, which begins on April 4, outlining the route that the 12 international teams comprising top global players will take to ultimate victory in a grand finale to be held at London’s Wembley Arena November 22 and 23 this year.
Our readers will recall that the format includes the construction of a 40- foot Cube made of one-way, soundproof glass to isolate the players as the event is steamed and televised live.
Dreyfus’ Mediarex company is organising the schedule and said in a weekend statement that London was chosen for the final due to the UK’s liberal gaming policy and the city’s cosmopolitan nature.
“London, gives us the opportunity to build a fully immersive, interactive experience for the GPL Finals thanks to its regulated online sports betting environment. We are going to connect fans with one another as well as the GPL players at a leading entertainment venue,” the company said.
The Mediarex schedule details the first heats starting April 4 and running through September 26, with three match days every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – deliberately chosen to coincide with major sporting events.
The games comprise online six-handed S&Gs, with heads-up contests live-streamed on Global Poker League TV and Twitch.
These heats will be followed by a Summer Series planned for June 6 to July 8 and consisting of live heads up competitions taped at the Global Poker League studios in Las Vegas. The Summer Series will deliver live play-offs involving eight survivors who will compete to decide the four finalists for the London spectacular on November 22 and 23.
“Inspired by initiatives developed by the likes of the NBA, eSports and the UFC, the GPL is attempting to bring together a fragmented audience of 100 million worldwide poker fans via 400+ hours of live-streamed content throughout the regular GPL season,” the Mediarex statement explains.
“The GPL aims to shake up poker, with an innovative new approach to the game. There are no buy-ins, with the players paid to play, the live matches feature players on their feet in The Cube … with the focus on fast-paced play and fan entertainment.”