San Antonio Express-News

The WORLD POKER TOUR's(TM) (WPT) annual star-studded WPT Invitational today at the Commerce Casino brought out Hollywood's new crop of poker aficionados including such personalities as Ray Romano, Camryn Manheim, Jon Favreau, the Masterson Brothers Danny and Chris, Brad Garrett, Dean Cain, Mimi Rogers, Mena Suvari, Ed Asner, Norm MacDonald, Lou Diamond Phillips, Stephen Collins and 30 others. While the last celebrity "survivor" will take home a $5,000 donation for charity, there is plenty more at stake for the 236 total players in the tournament that concludes tomorrow -- a $200,000 prize pool and a seat at the WPT World Championship in April. The winner will also receive the elegant and prestigious Argentium(TM) Silver trophy, designed especially for the WPT Invitational.

While the fans along the rail ogled the celebrities, the celebrities were in awe of their favorite poker stars...many of whom have made their names on WPT telecasts. Seated alongside the stars were such poker luminaries at Doyle Brunson, Layne Flack, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, Annie Duke, Scotty Nguyen, Phil Laak, Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, T.J. Cloutier, Gus Hansen and numerous other champions.

Said Lou Diamond Phillips: "I think the THE WORLD POKER TOUR was the fuse that helped poker just blow up. I know a lot of kitchen and home game players who now see the strategy and yell out the answers. It's like watching Jeopardy on TV."

The first celebrities to exit the tournament and tell their bad beat stories were former Los Angeles Ram superstar Deacon Jones, followed by Rossi Morreale (Junkyard Mega Wars), Erik Palladino (ER), Dean Cain (Superman), James Woods, Ed Asner, Ty Treadway (SoapNet), Chris Rich (Reba), Sarah Gilbert (ER) and Macauley (MAC) Culkin.

Other celebrities in the chips were Jennifer Tilly, Laura Prepon (That '70s Show), Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: Next Generation), Adrian Young (No Doubt), David Sutcliffe (The Gilmore Girls), Gabe Kaplan (Welcome Back Kotter), Hill Harper (CSI:NY), Jeremy London (7th Heaven), comedian Kathy Griffin, Kelly Packard (Baywatch, Ripley's Believe It or Not), supermodel Natalia Vodianova, Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Tanya Roberts (That '70s Show), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do), Traci Bingham, (Baywatch) and Willie Garson (Sex and the City).

The WPT Invitational's Final Table will be taped for the WPT's much-anticipated Third Season of high-drama, high-stakes poker play on the Travel Channel. The new season will air every Wednesday night beginning March 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The show that reinvented poker as a televised spectator sport, WORLD POKER TOUR has made stars of the poker players who have captured million-dollar purses on the Tour. Since their WPT Final Table appearances, they are frequently spotted in airports and restaurants, and pressed for autographs by fans, just like their celebrity counterparts. In Season Three, the WPT is averaging a "millionaire a month" with its record-breaking prize pool of approximately $70 million.

"The WPT Invitational has become a hot Hollywood ticket," says Steve Lipscomb, founder and President of WPT Enterprises (Nasdaq:WPTE). "It's a fan favorite, too... one of the WPT's highest rated shows each year. We embrace and share the stars' love of poker. It's great fun to see many of them hang around after they have lost their chips to watch and learn from the pros."

Fans may view the Final Table on Feb. 24, with seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The tournament will begin at 3:00 p.m., but it is suggested that fans arrive by 2 p.m. to ensure a spot. The Commerce Casino, the country's largest poker room, is located at 6131 East Telegraph Road in Commerce, just five minutes from downtown Los Angeles off the Washington exit of the 5 Freeway.

About WPTE

WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour(R), a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and more than 50 markets globally. WPT Enterprises currently licenses its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games, and giftware. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. The company is also engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq:LACO). Photos and media information can be found online at: www.worldpokertour.com/media.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by WPT Enterprises, Inc.) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the expansion of WPT's brand licensing, the development of new television and film projects, the development of WPT corporate sponsors and other business development activities, as well as statements regarding other capital spending, financing sources and the effects of competition. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of WPT. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, WPT's significant dependence on the Travel Channel as a source of revenue; the potential that our television programming will fail to maintain a sufficient audience; the risk that competitors with greater financial resources or marketplace presence might develop television programming that would directly compete with WPT's television programming; the risk that WPT may not be able to protect its entertainment concepts, current and future brands and other intellectual property rights; risks associated with future expansion into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment of WPT's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and WPT's dependence on its senior management team. For more information, review WPT's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(WPTEG)