Poker After Dark: Another New Episode Airs on 11/05

The producers of NBC's Poker After Dark take pride in introducing players to the show that previously have not been seen or that fans may not be as familiar with as other top name pros. Two newcomers in Paul Wasicka and long-time Las Vegas poker player and gambler Alan "Boston" Dvorkis take center stage this week on PAD to illustrate just these points. Joining them and competing for the $120,000 winner-take-all prize are Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, 2006 World Champion Jamie Gold, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, and veteran poker player and commentator Mike Sexton in a match that promises to be anything but quiet.

Matusow, Gold, Esfandiari, and Sexton have all appeared previously on PAD, but none can lay claim to a victory. Matusow thus far is 0-4, Esfandiari and Gold 0-2, and Sexton 0-1, so one can be certain that they will all be looking to get into the winner's column, especially Matusow, who with another loss would tie Phil Hellmuth for the worst record on PAD thus far at 0-5.

Standing in their way will be one of the hottest players on the tournament circuit since the 2006 World Series in Paul Wasicka. Since winning $6 million for finishing 2nd to Jamie Gold in the 2006 Championship Event, Paul has gone on to finish 4th in the 2007 L.A. Poker Classic and win NBC's 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship just a few days later. This will mark the first time Gold and Wasicka have faced one another since Gold's victory in a tournament setting, although the two did clash during High Stakes Poker's third season.

Rounding out the table is Alan Dvorkis, who is more commonly known as Alan Boston. A prolific talker at the tables, the veteran Boston could provide stiff competition for Matusow in the trash-talking department. Alan is indeed an interesting character and viewers will not want to miss seeing him in action, as his presence at the table is anything but conventional.

Brief profiles of all six players follow. The match will begin airing on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 AM, November 5, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the "Director's Cut" will air late night Saturday, November 10, at 1:00 AM, right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews.

Each of the match's six segments can also be viewed daily at www.nbcsports.com/poker. More detailed information on the players is also available there and at www.pokerafterdark.com.

Alan Boston: (Seat 1)

? Nicknamed "Boston" as that is where he was born and raised

? Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $258,000

? Has been playing poker in Las Vegas for 25 years, and is a chatterbox at the table

Antonio Esfandiari: (Seat 2)

? Nicknamed "The Magician" and the winner of one WSOP bracelet and one WPT event

? Career tournament winnings in excess of $2.79 million

? Co-stars with Phil Laak on the television show I Bet You, which is going into its second season on the MOJO network

Mike Sexton: (Seat 3)

? A journeyman poker player and owner of one WSOP bracelet

? Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $3.24 million

? One of television's most recognizable and respected poker commentators, and perhaps the game's greatest ambassador

Mike Matusow: (Seat 4)

? Known as "The Mouth" for trash talking at the tables, and the winner of two WSOP bracelets

? Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $5.95 million, and ranks 20th on the all-time money list

? Self-proclaimed unluckiest player in the game when he's running bad

Jamie Gold: (Seat 5)

? Former Hollywood talent agent turned television producer

? 2006 World Series of Poker Champion, winning $12 million for his victory by outlasting 8772 players

? First person in history to eclipse $10 million in tournament winnings

Paul Wasicka: (Seat 6)

? Nicknamed "KwickFish" and winner of the 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship

? Career tournament winnings in excess of $7.50 million, and ranks 12th on the all-time money list

? Estimates he played thousands of hands a day online for two years while honing his skills

This press release was written by Dennis Oehring, who is a freelance writer and poker consultant and works with the firm POKER-PROductions. Statistical information courtesy of The Hendon Mob player database. Photo courtesy of NBC's Dave Bjerke.