Jeff Haney runs down the main events of the National Poker League, which has just gained a base at the Venetian

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.

The National Poker League, which despite its name is actually pound-for-pound the most international of the major poker circuits, has found a new home base at the Venetian.

The Venetian poker room will host two of the league's five events this year including its world championship event, a three-day, $15,000 buy-in no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament scheduled for Dec. 3-5.

Just before the championship tournament, the Venetian will host the 2007 Vegas Open from Nov. 24 to Dec. 2. The Vegas Open includes four preliminary no-limit hold 'em tournaments with $2,500 buy-ins and culminates with a $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold 'em tournament.

The other events on the league's 2007 schedule are the U.K. Open at the Loose Cannon Club in London (final table this Saturday), the Asia Open at the Manila Hyatt in the Philippines (Oct. 10-14) and the Australia Open at the Crown Hotel in Melbourne (Oct. 26-29).

A Vegas Open tournament took place last year at Caesars Palace, but that was before the league hammered out its new partnership with the Venetian, which includes international TV coverage with commentary from the Venetian poker room for all events.

Hosting the National Poker League gives the Venetian a hook into the realm of major televised poker circuits. Elsewhere in Las Vegas, MGM Mirage properties such as the Bellagio, the Mirage and Mandalay Bay have long been aligned with the World Poker Tour, the Rio hosts the World Series of Poker and other Harrah's casinos conduct World Series circuit tournaments.

"We have been looking for an affiliation for quite a while," said Kathy Raymond, director of poker room operations at the Venetian. "The National Poker League, having events around the world, fits in very well with the environment we have at the Venetian. The NPL is first class all the way."

Although the $15,000 price tag on the world championship event indicates it's geared toward professional players, the rest of us can try to qualify through a series of satellite tournaments.

"Supersatellites," or play-in tournaments, with entry fees of $1,000 will be conducted Dec. 1 and 2 at the Venetian, allowing players to compete for seats in the championship event. Another supersatellite with a $500 entry fee will take place Nov. 29, with seats in the $5,000 Vegas Open featured event at stake.

The Venetian will also offer supersatellites for the Vegas Open $2,500 events at 8 p.m. each Saturday in October.

The number of starting chips and the length of each level in the tournament blind structure varies according to each event's entry fee. The $15,000 event features $30,000 in tournament chips to start and 1 1/2-hour blind levels.

"I'm sure it will bring to the table many professional players, as well as amateurs who will be able to qualify" via satellites, Raymond said.

The revamped National Poker League has launched with TV coverage secured. First-run tournaments will air on Mojo HD, the high-definition channel aimed at male viewers 18 to 45, according to Sam Riddle, president of television for the league. Coverage then moves to national syndication, with 95 percent of the country, or 150 million homes, covered, Riddle said. CBS affiliates in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and other cities are on board, along with cable's WGN, he added.

"That is from the very beginning, as opposed to having the TV show and trying to find a home, which many tournaments do," Riddle said. "They have a tournament and they're looking for TV. We have both from the start."

Even for the far-flung tournaments, the Venetian will serve as "NPL Central," Riddle said. Lead commentators Kirk Morrison, a successful tournament pro, and Las Vegas radio personality Dave Farra (KXTE 107.5-FM) will provide narration and analysis from the Venetian via video hookup.

"The Venetian will be on every single show as our anchor host," Riddle said. "Instead of a set with just a backdrop, as many TV shows have, with just the two hosts standing in front of it, they're actually going to be in the poker room, with the monitors (showing poker action) from all over the world, with the casino and everything, so you have to know it's coming from the Venetian."

Farra said of his broadcast partnership with Morrison, "It's kind of like the makeup of a lot of poker tables: I think I'm good at poker. Kirk is actually good at poker."