With the release of Studio 52, we’re redefining what a live poker show can be, and BetRivers is thrilled to bring this new twist on poker entertainment to both players and fans alike.
Poker Night in America, the popular series that airs nationally and is owned by Rush Street Interactive (RSI), announced that it would launch a new show in mid-May that promises to feature a wide variety of poker and other content.
Studio 52 will debut on Monday, May 15, and is being billed as the first-of-its-kind “poker residency.” It will air from a studio set up inside a 10,000-square-foot private, gated mansion in Las Vegas — the home of Poker Night founder Todd Anderson, who will host invitation-only parties at the property.
The launch comes as RSI prepares to launch an online poker product in the near future. In March, poker industry guru and Run it Once Poker founder Phil Galfond hinted that RSI would roll out a US relaunch of the Run It Once Poker app, Powered by BetRivers, RSI’s flagship iGaming brand.
Galfond will be a guest on the show, Poker Night confirmed.
“With the release of Studio 52, we’re redefining what a live poker show can be, and BetRivers is thrilled to bring this new twist on poker entertainment to both players and fans alike,” said Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI.
RSI acquired Galfond’s Run It Once Poker (RIO) platform in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $5.8 million in March 2022. Two months later, during an earnings call to discuss Q2 2022, Schwartz confirmed that RSI would “eventually launch online poker” in the US.
That same month, Chicago-based RSI snapped up Poker Night for $4.9 million. Poker Night features cash games and Sit & Go action and airs on the CBS Sports Network.
“Poker Night in America’s new Vegas home, like BetRivers, is the ultimate hangout for players who enjoy the rush of betting and having fun,” Schwartz said on May 8. “These poker purists and poker enthusiasts are also passionate about online casino and sportsbook betting, so this is another step in our strategy of creating high quality and unique experiences for our current and prospective players.”
Studio 52 will be live-streamed on Twitch and YouTube, beginning at 8 pm ET on May 15. BetRivers, RSI’s flagship online casino gaming and sports betting brand, will present the show. Poker Night content is available through its YouTube channel and the BetRivers Network.
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Show’s Guest List a “Who’s Who” in Poker
We’re breaking the mold for TV poker and doing things we couldn’t do in a casino setting.
Anderson said setting up Studio 52 was a long-time dream of his and that his nearly 20-year tenure in the poker business allowed him to assemble a “who’s who” guest list that promises to excite viewers.
“You never know who’s going to show up at Studio 52, but you’re sure to see some recognizable faces in a whole new light,” Anderson said. “We’re breaking the mold for TV poker and doing things we couldn’t do in a casino setting.”
Lon McEachern, the ESPN on-air talent called “the voice of poker” for his more than 20 years of hand-by-hand commentary of the World Series of Poker, will participate on the show, as well as poker pros Lily Kiletto and Joey Ingram.
Comedians Caitlin Comeskey and Nikki Limo, the duo who created the Aceholes poker podcast, will also be guests, as will Run It Up Studios CEO Jason Somerville and poker coach Lexy Gavin-Mather. Robbi Jade Lew, one of the players involved in the infamous cheating scandal on a September 2022 episode of Hustler Casino Live, will also be a guest.
Poker Night also promised “a roster of world-class chefs, mixologists, and entertainers” on the new show. The set reportedly includes a kitchen, a luxury suite for commentators, a backyard wine cave, and an outdoor game pavilion, among other amenities.
“We are rolling out the red carpet at our Vegas mansion for these stars to give players and fans at home the feeling that they, too, are attending the exclusive parties,” Anderson said.
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