If you're following PokerGO's coverage of the PGT PLO Series, you may have noticed the new feature table space. The PokerGO Studio underwent renovations recently, primarily to add a new studio space complete with a brand new, state-of-the-art RFID feature table. Additionally, upgrades to the lounge area and overhead lighting in the main room provide a more comfortable experience for guests.
The new RFID table operates under the same safeguards in place within the main room and comes outfitted with digital inner and outer rails. The space draws support from a full control room and has plenty of fully customizable monitors and outer walls. The televised table offers robust camera coverage as well, including player, overhead, and glamour shots.
The key aspect of the expansion? The new space offers versatility and flexibility to the team at PokerGO, allowing them to operate more events without fear of inconvenience or hassle to their players.
PokerOrg spoke with Donnie Peters, PokerGO's Director of Brand Marketing & Communications, to get a better understanding for the purpose of the expansion and what to expect from the new space in the future.
What was the driving factor in expanding the studio?
Donnie Peters: The secondary studio room allows PokerGO enhanced versatility as a production house, while also giving the company much-needed flexibility with live events. The secondary studio room requires less heavy lifting and is more of a turnkey production offering. We're also able to run select final tables in the new studio room while keeping additional tables running in the main room, such as we are currently doing for the PGT PLO Series. This gives us the added table space needed to grow PGT events without risking a greater inconvenience of long registration lines and alternates.
Are there outer tables in the new space or just the televised feature table?
DP: Right now, the new studio room is running select final tables, but that's not to say we won't expand the offering down the road. It's not out of the realm of possibility that we have a main feature table broadcast from the main room and a secondary feature table broadcast from the new room. It's this type of flexibility that can open up a lot of doors for what we can do within the PokerGO Studio.
What's the proximity to the original space?
DP: The new studio room is adjacent to the bar in the main entryway, just across the hallway from the main room. We're talking about 30 feet between the doors of the two rooms, so it's right there.
Are there any further plans for expansion?
DP: In addition to building the new studio room, we upgraded the lounge area to give players and guests a more comfortable space, and we redesigned the main room's overhead lighting fixtures to both open up the space visually and remove the limitations on where can put poker tables. That was all part of the recent renovations. Now that we have the new studio room up and running, our focus has shifted to creating poker content from that room. That's not to say the PokerGO Studio won't undergo further upgrades and expansion later on, but right now we'll be spending a lot of time fine-tuning the content we're producing from the new room in an effort to make it the best product we can.
What have the responses from players been like thus far?
DP: The feedback we've received so far has been positive. When we ran the first PGT PLO Series, we became aware that the attendance had some drawbacks if we wanted to stream the series, which we did have aspirations to do. If we streamed from the main room, that set requires additional space due to the table, lighting, cameras, and staff, and it takes away from the additional table space we're able to offer. Having the new studio built across the hall gives us a place to stream final tables while allowing us the additional real estate we need in the main room to add more tables. We know the players enjoy it when our events are streamed, and now we're able to do more of it.
Is the new space multi-purpose like the original space?
DP: Yes, it is. The old version of that room was limited to break desk content and filming of player interviews. We're still able to do both of those things from the new room but, of course, we've added the increased functionality of an RFID poker table so we can film and broadcast poker-playing content from there.
Will there be a mix of live events and episodic shows? Or will the space be reserved for mixed-game events only?
DP: While the plan is to keep our staple shows such as High Stakes Poker and No Gamble, No Future running out of the main room, that's not to say we won't explore a new offering that is catered more to the new room. You're probably sensing a common theme here, and that theme is versatility. Even though no plans have currently been made, we're well aware we have more options available to us now, and that's a great thing.
Are there plans to utilize both of the RFID feature tables in future events?
DP: This is a possibility we'll explore on an event-by-event basis.
The PGT PLO Series continues this week into next, with final tables livestreams available on PokerGO.
All Images Courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego
