Gathering to view the 2004 World Series of Poker On ESPN.

PokerStars 2004 WSOP Viewing Party

PokerStars and Cigar Aficionado welcomed editors and friends for a viewing party of the 2004 WSOP Finale on ESPN and the unveiling of the October cover of Cigar Aficionado, featuring Greg Raymer. The event took place at The Muse Hotel in midtown Manhattan.

The objective of the event was to build awareness among select media for Greg Raymer's 2004 WSOP championship and cover appearance on Cigar Aficonado, all made possible by his qualifying on PokerStars.com.

Camera crews from the Platinum Television Group and ESPN captured footage, and photographers from the Associated Press Wide World News service and Cigar Aficionado also attended. These images will be used at a later date for pitching involving PokerStars and Greg Raymer. The presence of the cameras and lighting lent an excitement to the cover unveiling and viewing party.

Also in attendance were editors from InStyle, Maxim, Men's Health, PC Magazine, Cigar Aficionado and the Hackensack Record. All the editors are very interested in the current poker trend, and although no stories are specifically slated as an outcome of the event, all expressed interest in writing a story in which PokerStars is featured sometime in the future.

Nearly 60 people were on hand for the speaking portion of the viewing party, which began with a few words and introductions from Nolan Dalla. Lee Jones of PokerStars then said a few words, and he was followed by Chris Moneymaker, who thanked PokerStars for their support over the past year. Cigar Aficonado and Wine Spectator Publisher Marvin Shanken then presented Greg Raymer, and the two revealed the cover image for the October issue of Cigar Aficionado.

Greg Raymer and Nolan then began the tape of the 2004 WSOP finale. During the broadcast, a 40-player Texas Hold 'Em tournament was also conducted in which the top 8 players had the chance to play at the final table with Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer. The tournament, a last minute addition to the schedule, turned out to be a great way to keep editors and other attendees engaged and involved in the event while capturing the excitement of poker and PokerStars.

Overall, the event was a great success, and the footage and images of Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker, as well as the Cigar Aficionado cover, will prove to be of great use in future pitching of the PokerStars and the continued emergence of poker as mainstream entertainment. All of the VIP press on hand expressed interest in writing about PokerStars in the future, and agree that the PokerStars, having produced the last two WSOP champions, has a story that they would love to help tell.

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