The first televised max-volume poker tournament in Maryland is happening right now. Poker Night in America has decided to film the $1 Million Maryland Live Poker Classic with its conclusion on March 25 with the final table. The event is $3,500 buy-in and will feature some big names including, Greg Merson who won the 2012 World Series of Poker, Gavin Smith, the Canadian pro, Darvin Moon, who made the ridiculous World Series of Poker in 2009, and Christian Harder, who has played at Maryland Live on multiple occasions. An article from the Washington Post mentions that Darvin Moon still views poker as a hobby and he arrived from his job working in the woods just before the even started, making cash games a rarity for him.
Maryland Live is typically one of the busiest poker rooms year round and often all fifty-two tables are filled with a wait list of 100 more people out the door. The poker room has only been open for six months and with the current business it is getting isn’t important for the show to bring in more business so much as demonstrate “our coming out party” as Maryland Live’s director of poker operations Mike Smith mentioned.
Televised cash games will have a minimum buy-in of $5,000 with a maximum of $20,000. The producers of Poker Night in America have cast a variety of people that will be sure to entertain. The games are more social than the typical productions and will allow the players to be more animated and social because they will not be playing for as much money that they often play for. Christian Harder expects the entire production to be “a bit different” with its unique cast of characters. This is the first time poker has ever been filmed for TV in Maryland and you can look for it starting in April.
