At a press conference held to kick off the Bellagio Cup, officials from the World Poker Tour (WPT) welcomed back Kimberly Lansing, who first appeared during Season 6. Lansing will return to her hostess role on-air and also film interviews with players during events. Lansing sat down with Poker News Daily from the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Poker News Daily: Thanks for joining us. Talk about what went into you rejoining the WPT.
Kimberly Lansing: The WPT wanted to revamp the whole show and change it up. They haven’t had the host position in a couple of years and I think they just wanted to add a different dynamic. It felt right because if you look at it, I managed to get to know a lot of poker players and establish friendships with them during Season 6. It was really the perfect fit bringing me back.
I’m still doing interviews like I did before and keeping people up to speed on Live Updates. I’ve also been shooting interviews throughout the event for broadcast. We’re trying to give viewers an idea of what happened in the days leading up to the final table.
The final hour of WPT’s coverage at the distinguished Five Diamond World Poker Classic is here with more than enough surprises in store to keep you at the edge of your seat. Kimberly Lansing hosts the action with poker experts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten as pundits in the breathtaking conclusion to this esteemed event. 18+ world poker tour kimberly lansing T&C Apply – To receive the welcome bonus a minimum deposit of £/€/$ 10 is required. The minimum deposit for other offers that require a deposit will be clearly communicated. Maximum bonus offered will be communicated in the details of each specific promo.
PND: The WPT has undergone an overhaul of sorts since Season 6 and is now under new management. Is there a noticeable difference?
Kimberly Lansing: It’s definitely a noticeable change. There are a lot of the same people here that I know well from traveling with them during Season 6. There have been changes here and there like ownership and who my boss is, but they’ve all been wonderful to work with. While it’s different, though, it has the same feel as before.
PND: Can you expand on what your role with the WPT will be?
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Kimberly Lansing: I’m the anchor of the show, so I have a separate area where I’ll be sitting. My back is going to be to the final table, so it’ll be playing out behind me. I think I’m also opening the show and talking about what’s going on in the tournament and what’s happened in the first few days. I’ll do interviews with fans and family in the audience and bust out interviews too.
PND: From watching Live Update videos you’ve done with players like Justin “Boosted J” Smith and Liv Boeree at the Bellagio Cup, you seem much more comfortable in front of the camera. Talk about your on-camera presence.
Kimberly Lansing: I worked a lot over the past two years writing and hosting my own show five days a week. I was reading off the prompter and I’m not trying to be anything else than what I am. That’s what’s important as an on-camera person – to be yourself and listen to who you’re interviewing. This is me – take it or leave it. I’m very comfortable in my own skin.
PND: What daily show did you host?
Kimberly Lansing: I’ve been hosting a show off AOL called “Moviefone Minute.” I was the first host that had ever written and presented the show. It was one-minute long gossip and entertainment show that I wrote every day. It was a great experience for me because it was daily. It kept me on my toes and kept my brain working.
I also contributed to the TV Guide Network. I did entertainment expert pieces and went to shows like “Hollywood 411” and reality chats. I just gave my opinion and my entertainment knowledge.
PND: What is your favorite poker moment to date, whether with the WPT or not?
World Poker Tour Kimberly Lansing 2018
Kimberly Lansing: Taking eighth in the WPT Celebrity Invitational. I was really bummed because I didn’t make the final table or the money, but it was such an amazing experience. All I did was get lucky and suck out. I hit my one-outers on the river and it was amazing. That tournament is like a Turbo, though, so you have to get lucky.
PND: What do you do away from poker?
Kimberly Lansing: I just moved in with my fiancé, Zach Hyman, who I met during the WPT, so I can thank the WPT for contributing to my personal life. Overall, I’m getting used to a new time in my life. I’m also traveling to Italy and France next week for WPT events and planning a wedding, which is next April in Santa Barbara right after our tournament in Indiana.
In an overhaul of sorts for Season 9, the World Poker Tour (WPT) has brought back Kimberly Lansing. Her role, you ask? According to a press statement released on Saturday, Lansing will “provide show opens, breaks, commentary, and perspective, including player interviews that will serve to bring out the human interest side of playing for high stakes.”
Sunday marks the first day of play in the Bellagio Cup VI, the kickoff U.S.-based event of Season 9 of the WPT. With buy-ins for several upcoming tournaments slashed to encourage more participation, Season 9 may mark a rebirth of sorts for the age-old series that first appeared on the Travel Channel back in 2003.
Lansing last appeared on WPT programming in Season 6. On why she will rejoin the tour’s ranks for the forthcoming cycle, WPT President Adam Pliska commented in the same press release, “We believe the WPT anchor represents a significant step forward in poker programming and Kimberly is a natural fit for the position. Her charisma, style, professionalism, and knowledge of the sport have earned her the respect and attention of players throughout the poker community.”
Party Gaming purchased the WPT late last year, leading some to believe that PartyPoker pro Kara Scott may make her way to the small screen. However, Lansing will become a mainstay at live tournaments located at casinos around the United States. Also receiving more exposure during Season 9 will be WPT hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, who will now attend the starting day of every U.S. event. Despite the Bellagio Cup starting on Sunday, Van Patten sits in 101st after Day 2A of the World Series of Poker Main Event holding a stack of 174,200.
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The WPT held a press conference on Saturday morning to announce the changes for Season 9 and also officially introduced Matt Savage as its Executive Tour Director. Savage, a co-founder of the Tournament Directors of America, will work hand in hand with players, casinos, and tournament staff to provide a seamless experience for WPT players. Savage added, “There are so many exciting changes at the World Poker Tour and I’m looking forward to having a big role in the WPT’s continued success. This is an amazing team and I’m proud to be working with them.”
Also debuting during Season 9 will be the Royal Flush Girls, who include 2007 Miss Kentucky USA Michelle Banzer, “FHM Singapore” cover girl Sunisa Kim, and Formula Drift car builder Melyssa Grace. All told, six Royal Flush Girls will film vignettes for WPT programming, including a behind-the-scenes tour at the host venue. The Royal Flush Girls will be on-hand this weekend at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip.
The WPT last held an event on U.S. soil in April, when newly signed PokerStars pro David Williams took down the $25,000 Championship event. Williams defeated UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin heads-up in a final table that also included Shawn Buchanan, David Benyamine, Billy Baxter, and John O’Shea. Attendance for the 2010 WPT Championship was down over 40% from 2009, when 338 players took to the felts in a tournament won by Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko.
The seventh and eighth seasons of the WPT appeared on Fox Sports Net. However, no official announcement has been given as to whether the ninth season will also air on the cable station, although a statement is expected in the near future. Seasons 1 through 5 of the WPT aired on the Travel Channel, followed by a brief hiatus to GSN for Season 6. GSN officials opted not to air Season 7, leading to WPT landing on Fox Sports Net.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT news.