NEW YORK-BASED FATTY’S POKER CLUB HAS BIG PLANS


6/27/10 – Capitalising on the media buzz around the 41st World Series of Poker currently unfolding in Las Vegas, the New York-based Fatty’s Poker Club is sending 10 players to get into the Main Event action next month.
 
The lucky ten Fatty’s players include five contest winners, as well as characters from the new reality television show “Fatty’s: Where Poker Gets Real”, which is being pitched to major network studios this season.
 
Fatty’s Club owner and show co-creator Mike Castaldo says that most of the club’s players are amateurs, but have the right stuff to compete in the World Series of Poker’s major event.
 
“A lot of things have to fall our way, but our Fattys are fans of the game and fantastic poker players in their own right,” said Castaldo this week.  He should know – he cashed in last year’s Main Event, finishing in the top 3 percent of players who entered.
 
The club’s most experienced player is “Big Al” Riccobono, a poker pro who has cashed twice in the Main Event and other WSOP competitions, and is one of the players chosen to represent the club.
 
“There is no reason why the representative Fatty’s players won’t make a splash. I expect big things from this oversized crew,” he said.
 
The proposed television show at the heart of the club’s plans is a winner, claims show creator Scott Einiger, adding:  “The players are larger than life, and my hope is the world is ready for these guys. The folks in Vegas won’t know what hit them!”
 
The innovative plot for the show follows Castaldo, professional poker players and a cast of regular local players who will interact with pros and celebrities throughout the year, both on and away from the tables.
 
Celebrity fans of the Fatty’s club include poker star, international model and television host Lacey Jones, who will be among those who go “all in” with the Fatty’s players as they prepare for star-studded cash games and compete for seats at the World Series of Poker and other major events throughout the year.
 
All the while, these largely enthusiastic amateurs try to balance their everyday lives with their passion for poker. With five tables going and a room full of egos, the game itself is only half the drama.
 
Future plans include involving the show’s viewers online in a fantasy WSOP game by Fantazzle launching this summer on the Fatty’s Poker website