iSeries LIVE
03/20/2012 : ONLINE POKER AND LIVE BETTING COMBINE IN NEW ENTERPRISE (Update)
iSeries LIVE boasts a slew of top international players
A growing number of international poker aces are signing up for an interesting new venture that will combine interactive poker action and live betting.
Branded iSeries LIVE, the Dublin-based initiative is being supported by stars of the calibre of Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth, with a planned launch date of April 5 2012.
The iSeries LIVE format will feature live hole cards and let real-time viewers bet on a number of scenarios including odds to win, winner of the next hand, last-longers, next elimination, and red/black flops.
On top of the winner-take-all top prize for the 10-person, Euro 10,000 buy-in inaugural tournament in Dublin, players will also receive a percentage of the live betting for and against them.
This first event will see Hellmuth and Negreanu joining a competitive table that includes Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Carlos Mortensen, Maria Ho, Tobias Reinkemeier, Marvin Rettenmaier, James Dempsey, Eoghan O'Dea and Faraz Jaka.
To prevent collusion, all players will be sequestered with no access to mobile devices or outside influences, and online viewers can only place bets through official partner Paddy Power Poker.
Poker Royalty entrepreneur Brian Balsbaugh is the man behind the concept, and says that iSeriesLIVE is just the beginning of new revenue streams for his professional players.
“After Black Friday, we were determined to find a way to add new revenue streams for our world class roster of talent," Balsbaugh said this week. “We are fronting the expenses, then sharing the wagering profits with the participating players.
“There are countless additional ways for us to monetize this model and we look forward to rolling them out over the course of the next year.
“Our end goal is to pay players for playing iSeriesLIVE events.”
According to Balsbaugh, future events will include 36-person, six-max NLHE tournaments, and heads-up competitions.
