PokerStars Announces New High-Stakes TV Show The Big Game

PokerStars is set to launch an exciting new TV show called The Big Game, which will feature high-stakes cash games. The show will air on the FOX channel and will follow a format similar to Poker After Dark, which is supported by Full Tilt and airs on NBC.

The Big Game will feature several top poker players competing in no-limit Texas hold'em with blinds at $200/$400 and a buy-in of $100,000. Each episode will include one amateur player who will be a winner of a qualifying freeroll series. The freeroll series started on March 26, 2010, and will run until June 25, 2010. The top 200 players from the final round of the freeroll series will submit a video explaining why they deserve to play with the stars. The most convincing and charismatic player will win a trip to Las Vegas, a seat at the table, and $100,000 to play with.

PokerStars has high hopes for the show's popularity, citing the success of High Stakes Poker on GSN. The ratings for the sixth season of High Stakes Poker have increased by 27% among viewers aged 18 to 49, and by more than 29% among men aged 25 to 54. David Schiff, GSN's vice president of development, attributes the show's success to the exciting gameplay and the charismatic players.