PokerWorks

The success of Poker After Dark has led the late-night poker television show on NBC to its fifth season, and the announcement has been made that it will be filmed at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas this fall.

Season 4 of Poker After Dark concluded production in mid-April of 2008, and new shows have been airing intermittently amidst the summer TV schedule and the Olympics. But as autumn rolls around, it is time for the fifth season to set up, film the shows, and prepare for the broadcast of new poker games.

The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, specifically the new events center called The Grand, will host the 2009 season of Poker After Dark when it films from October 26th through November 5th. A total of 60 one-hour episodes will be taped, all hosted by the returning Leeann Tweeden, who also hosts the NBC National Heads-Up Championship.

Golden Nugget COO Brett Kellerman stated, “The Golden Nugget is thrilled to host the fifth season of NBC’s exciting, late-night poker program, Poker After Dark. The Golden Nugget has been home to several big poker productions, as well as hosted many poker tournaments and events, so bringing a top-rated program like Poker After Dark to the property just seemed like a natural fit.”

While an exact line-up of games and themes has yet to be announced, the press released noted that there will be the typical 6-handed freezeout tables that have proven so popular over the show’s four past seasons. In addition, the introduction of high-stakes cash games into Season 4 was well-liked by fans and will be returning in an expanded fashion to include more shows and more cash on the line.

Players have not yet been announced for any of the shows, though some of the names said to be on the roster are Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Jennifer Harman, Gus Hansen, and Phil Hellmuth.

Season 5 of Poker After Dark will not take long to ready the shows for NBC broadcast, as airing is scheduled to begin on December 29th. As in past seasons, the shows will air at 2:05am ET/PT Mondays through Fridays, with a director’s cut at 1:00am on Saturdays following Saturday Night Live.