This week’s episode of NBC’s Poker After Dark features 6 players who have also served as “talking heads” on various televised poker-related programming.  This episode is called “Commentators Week,” and features Mark Gregorich, Chad Brown, Robert Williamson III, Phil Gordon, Howard Lederer, and PAD’s own Ali Nejad, who will each put up $20,000 and compete for the $120,000 winner-take-all prize.  A variation of this theme entitled “Poker Analysts Week” was held during PAD’s first season in Match 6, with Lederer emerging as the victor.

In keeping with Poker After Dark’s tradition of introducing new players to the show, this week will mark the debut of both Gregorich and Williamson.  Mark is a well-known player in Las Vegas, and has played professionally for many years.  He is also affiliated with Card Player magazine.  Robert is perhaps best known as an Omaha player, but certainly has had success playing NLHE also.   He is a character for sure, as viewers will witness over the course of this match.

Chad Brown returns for his second appearance on PAD and Phil Gordon for his third.  Neither has won a PAD title, so you know they will be anxious to get into the win column.  Howard Lederer is the only member of this group who can lay claim to a previous victory on the show, and in fact he has two, so he will be gunning to join Johnny Chan as the only other 3-time winner over the first three seasons.

But perhaps no one wants this one more than Poker After Dark’s own Ali Nejad.  Ali is still stinging from a 6th place finish in Match 13, where he made a very early departure after flopping a set of 4s, only to lose all of his chips to Gabe Kaplan who flopped a set of 10s.  You can be sure that Ali wants to improve on his only previous appearance as a player on PAD and expect him to not only be his usual witty self but also very focused.

Brief profiles of all six players follow.  The match will begin airing on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 a.m., June 23, 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, June 28, at 1:00 a.m., right after Saturday Night Live.  This show will feature Marianela with a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews.  Viewers can also watch the match at www.nbcsports/msnbc.com/poker, which has recently undergone an upgrade that visitors are sure to enjoy.  Be sure to bookmark this link and check back often for the latest updates on the players, including those scheduled to play next season which are now posted with pictures.

A very interesting prop bet that takes place during this match between Phil Gordon and Howard Lederer, resulting in Gordon receiving a new nickname.  Robert Williamson gets involved in the bet also, adding to the strangeness, but it’s great fun and definitely provides a humorous twist to this week’s action.

Gregorich, Mark:  (Seat 1)
· Longtime Las Vegas professional player, and served as a commentator on the original Poker Superstars I
· Contributed to Doyle Brunson’s book Super System II
· Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $1.01 million
· Also works as a columnist and editor for Card Player magazine
· Wife is Mary Gregorich, one of the dealers on Poker After Dark, and together they have 3 children

Brown, Chad:  (Seat 2)
· Nicknamed “Downtown,” he was raised in the Bronx, where he began playing poker in Italian cafes
· Runner-up to Paul Wasicka in the 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and cashed an impressive 8 times in the 2007 WSOP, tied for 1st
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $2.33 million
· Recipient of Bluff magazine’s 2006 Player of the Year, and is engaged to professional poker player Vanessa Rousso
· Served as the commentator for the syndicated Ultimate Poker Challenge, and is the author of the book Act to Win, which will be released in 2008

Nejad, Oliver:  (Seat 3)
· Nickname is “Ali” and was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area
· Worked as the host of his own television show when he was still a high school student
· Studied at Cal-Berkeley to expand his career in broadcasting
· Began playing poker in 1996, and has been a low-limit player, prop player, dealer, online player, and high-limit player
· Has served as commentator on several televised poker shows, including Poker After Dark, Poker Superstars 2, and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Williamson III, Robert:  (Seat 4)
· Nicknamed “Mr. Omaha,” he served as color commentator on GSN’s Poker Royale series
· Winner of one WSOP bracelet
· Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $1.94 million
· Received the inaugural 2003 Brian Saltus award for poker citizenship, dignity, and class
· Claims he’s “half the man he used to be” after undergoing successful gastric bypass surgery a few years ago, reducing his weight from 400 lb to 200 lb.

Gordon, Phil:  (Seat 5)
· Was the lead software engineer and first employee of Netsys Technologies, Inc., a company bought out by Cisco Systems three years later for $95 million
· Owner of one WPT title
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $1.80 million
· Has raised more than $3 million for the Cancer Research Foundation of America, and his leadership in this regard was recognized by Congress in the fall of 2007
· Has provided expert commentary for several televised poker events, and is the author of several books and instructional CDs on poker

Lederer, Howard:  (Seat 6)
· Nicknamed “The Professor,” and one of the most respected of all players among his peers
· Has won two WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles
· Lifetime tournament winning in excess of $4.86 million, and ranks 36th on the all-time money list
· Won the $100,000 buy-in event at the 2008 Aussie Millions, good for nearly $1.1 million
· Highly regarded as a television poker commentator and analyst

Dennis Oehring serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for the firm POKER PROductions.  Statistical information courtesy of the Hendon Mob database.  Photo courtesy of NBC’s Paul Drinkwater.