This past Friday, All In Entertainment LLC held a casting event for a new poker-based reality show centered around Fatty’s Poker Club, located in New York City. The program, “Fatty’s: Where Poker Gets REAL,” will follow the club’s owner, Mike “The Nose” Castaldo, and his band of regulars as they live their lives and play in cash games at the club.
Lacey Jones, who Wicked Chops dubbed the “Hottest Woman in Poker,” was on hand to evaluate those who auditioned for a spot at the Fatty’s tables and will also appear in episodes along with some of her celebrity friends. In a press release, Castaldo praised Jones, saying, “We are all thrilled to have Lacey Jones involved in this project. She is a highly regarded poker player with a great personality and will be a perfect fit with the unique characters that play at our members-only club. Lacey has a flair for bridging the gap between amateur poker players and the top pros of the world.”
Many readers may recognize the name “Fatty’s” from the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP). A group of ten players representing the club, four other “characters” who will be in the television show, and five contest winners all played in the Main Event wearing a team uniform of sorts. While the main purpose of the trip to Las Vegas was to publicize the show, they were still there to play. Each of the ten Fatty’s players made it out of Day 1, with one, Kenny Hofmann, eventually making the money, placing 278th for $41,967. The other big highlight of Fatty’s team at the 2010 WSOP Main Event was when Scott “Mayhem” Einiger eliminated Phil Ivey on Day 2.
Einiger is also a Senior Partner with the New York law firm Abrams Fensterman, which represents All In Entertainment LLC.
In an added twist to typical reality programming, Fatty’s Poker has teamed up with Fantazzle Fantasy Sports Games to give viewers a chance to sweat the players on the show. Details of the fantasy contest have not been released, but it will likely be similar to games that Fantazzle has run in which contestants select a “team” of poker players in an effort to pick the ones that will have the most combined success in a given tournament. Fatty’s and Fantazzle plan to award seats at the club’s tables and the 2011 WSOP.
“Fatty’s: Where Poker Gets REAL” is currently in production, but has yet to be picked up by a network. Target networks include Starz, HBO, FX, ESPN, and SPIKE. Those interested in appearing on the program will have another chance to audition sometime in the near future at a yet-to-be-revealed Atlantic City casino.
