Pool, poker & pain

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Blair's concept of bringing pool, poker and MMA into a single reality show just moved one step closer to reality. Blair now was two Emmy-award-winning producers on his team, working feverishly to make this show a reality. Based on the format, it makes you wonder if a super strong pool player with OK poker and OK fighting skills will win, or if an OK pool player (who is a card wizard) with moderate fighting skills will win--- or will a moderate pool player slop in a few 9's, suck-out in a few hands and then MOW OVER their out-of-shape opponents in the ring?

In a world full of Storage Wars, American Pickers, and Ice Road Truckers one thing is for sure: PPP is a breath of fresh air when it comes to excitement and getting pool on television for once.

Before the uber-conservative traditionalists start chirping about how this is the worst thing ever to associate pool with two billion-dollar industries such as poker and MMA, let me tell you this: pool hasn't been on TV for decades. Pool has no chance of EVER getting on TV and there's no relief in sight otherwise. I think a few of us might come around after seeing some loud mouth short-stop get his teeth knocked so far down his throat they have to pick them out of his liver.

In a sport polluted with fat-ass APA-7s who can't walk around a table without huffing and puffing, PPP is sure to raise the excitement bar in terms of running out, managing your chips and putting-up or shutting-up.

I, for one, hope this evolves beyond a reality show into a funded pro tour of a gambling triathlon of pool, fighting and poker --- only the strongest survive. So you can run out? What about surviving a table or surviving a ring too?

Here's the press release...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Emmy Award Winning Host Jay Adams Joins the Cast of Pool, Poker and Pain

Tampa, FL – August 14, 2012 – Blair Thein, a veteran pool player, has brought together three of the hottest sports around — Pool, Poker and MMA — and is developing a reality TV show around it called Pool, Poker & Pain (PPP). Thein announced today that Emmy Award winning Jordan “Jay” Adams will join the cast of PPP. Adams has been appointed as Host and Executive Producer of the MMA portion of the show.

Adams has over 25 years of hosting and production experience and currently hosts two popular combat sports television shows, United Fight Alliance and Jay’s Brawl Call. He is a passionate television pro who has received two Emmy Nominations and an Emmy win. Throughout his career Adam’s has worked with some of the top companies in the world, including FOX Sports Network, ABC-Miami, Disney, and CNBC.

“This is a very exciting opportunity,” stated Adams. “Blair has clearly worked very hard to bring Pool, Poker and Pain to where it is today. With the right push in a few key areas, PPP will be a huge success in a short amount of time.”

According to Thein, “Jay Adams was the missing link to Pool, Poker & Pain. We are thrilled to have him on the team leading the MMA portion of the show. PPP is a very unique reality show concept and we have stellar team in place to make it a reality. PPP is going to make sports and entertainment history.”

While Thein has been working for nearly a decade to make the show a reality, he recently made inroads within the various industries “I have been working on PPP for eight years. In addition to bringing Adams on board, I also recently partnered with two-time Emmy award winner Doug Stanley from Deadliest Catch,” Thein stated. The concept of PPP is simple: contestants will compete in all three sports, but to be crowned the winner they will have to thrive in each discipline. Sixteen contestants will travel from Florida to Las Vegas while competing in games of high-stakes poker and pool, and going head-to-head in the MMA ring. Along the way, coaches from each discipline will tutor the contestants. Take a bad beat in a poker hand? No problem, just take them on in the “Circle of Truth” — a 32-foot fighting cage. PPP contestants will be trained by world-class pool, poker, and MMA coaches to bring credibility to the show.

It has been a long and arduous development process for PPP, and there is still a long way to go, but according to Thein he is getting close. "We all see the market for an exciting, gambling reality show given TV has no real gambling shows except for poker. I do believe I am very close to having PPP in a media explosion and my goal is to drive a network, sponsors, and investors to this show.”

For more on Pool, Poker & Pain, be sure to visit their website (http://www.poolpokerandpain.com). You can also like them on Facebook.

About UFA and Brawl Call

United Fight Alliance, a one hour MMA television program, is an affiliation of MMA promotions working together to bring you the best MMA from around the world and to build awareness for the sport. UFA is an integrated sports, media and entertainment company. Watch as some of the biggest names in MMA fight toe to toe in the cage and you’ll see exclusive footage, interviews and fighter profiles. United Fight Alliance features top ranked fighters, women’s fights, intense action and more.

Brawl Call is a half hour MMA talk show and entertainment program. Join host Jay Adams as he breaks down all the action in the world of MMA. Brawl Call features exclusive interviews, news, highlights, and everything else MMA. Brawl Call is the first ever total cross-promotion, Combat Sports Television Show where you can get the inside track on fighters and go behind the scenes with the best athletes and promotions from around the world.

Jay Adams is an Emmy award winning TV host and producer. He has worked in TV in the Combat Sports industry for over seven years. As a business owner, executive, syndicator, distributor, producer and host he brings decades of TV experience to every project he undertakes. For more information on Jay Adams, please click on the following link to view his demo reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afi9xxxG9eA

Brawl Call and UFA are now broadcast to over 88 million homes, airing on ROOT SPORTS (10 million), Comcast Sports Net – Chicago (8.5 million) Tuff TV (30 million) and nationally (39 million) on DIRECTV, Dish Network and ATT U-Verse. You can also find us at your favorite sports bars throughout the nation. Check your local listings for ROOT SPORTS and TUFF TV. Tune in on DIRECTV to channel 658, 683 or 687, on Dish Network to channel 414, 426 or 428 and on ATT U-Verse to channel 1730, 1760 or 1764.

See some highlights of our shows at http://www.youtube.com/BrawlCallTV. For more information, please email info@brawlcall.com or visit us on Facebook.
 
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It'll def be my fav show, that's for sure. I recall a few people on here thought MMA was barbaric; however I think watching two dead-pan pool players play 9ball is barbaric.

I think what makes poker exciting is ANYONE can win. Outside of pool, poker probably has the most characters. That said-- no other game/sport has the characters of pool. Even with MMA, no one can woof like a scrawny big-mouth run-out pool player. I just think the combination of the three is synergy.

I'd love to see someone like Scooter (as an example) match up with someone who isn't his speed in pool, but might be a better card player by far-- and then be forced to match up in the Circle of Truth.

It'd be SUPER funny if one contestant wins a pool set and loses the poker on purpose just to bash-in someone they don't like and talks smack about it the whole way there.....and then becomes the victim of a flash knockout by some V-grip karate chop to the throat.

GOD I CAN'T WAIT!
 
This sounds so awesome. Looking forward to watching it.

I wonder if Terrence Chan plays pool. He's a solid poker player who also does MMA.
 
This sounds so awesome. Looking forward to watching it.

I wonder if Terrence Chan plays pool. He's a solid poker player who also does MMA.

I think whoever is rock-solid at 2/3 will have a strong chance of winning everything. I doubt there's one guy that does all three at a pro level.

You should have him contact Blair. They're getting ready to do casting calls soon.
 
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CJ Wiley would own this competition!

Hall of Fame Cueist
Martial arts expert
Poker can be learned/mastered easier than the other two
 
there would be ZERO pool or poker players in this event, because they dont want their face bashed in.

This event would be ONLY MMA guys who happen to play "a little" pool and poker........:(
 
there would be ZERO pool or poker players in this event, because they dont want their face bashed in.

This event would be ONLY MMA guys who happen to play "a little" pool and poker........:(

Totally not true. I'm not allowed to say who is trying to get into the casting call, but there are a few "elite" pool players....it'll shock you when it's released.

Good speculation.... but totally wrong.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
I guess I'll be the first to say it. This show sounds like a terrible idea. I think sometimes people need to realize that while getting more attention on the game of pool is a good thing, there are BAD ways to get that attention. Whatching mediocre pool players fighting and playing cards (or even GREAT pool players fighting poorly) is just bad.

Hope I'm wrong. But doubt I will be.
 
I duno about the show, But its a great title. Pool and poker have plenty of pain without the fighting. The pain varies depending on where you poker:rolleyes:
 
Seems like Joe Rogan should be part of this. I thnk we all should wait until after a show or two before we judge. The fight part might be very funny. I can see it now. A pool player running away from a real fighter yelling, "Wait, wait, we can split this w/o any blood.":eek:. Johnnyt
 
I guess I'll be the first to say it. This show sounds like a terrible idea. I think sometimes people need to realize that while getting more attention on the game of pool is a good thing, there are BAD ways to get that attention. Whatching mediocre pool players fighting and playing cards (or even GREAT pool players fighting poorly) is just bad.

Hope I'm wrong. But doubt I will be.

I agree. I dont like this idea...

You guys are shouting out pro players names like they are going to want to go get in a fight and be good at it. Fighters get in fights. Pool players play pool.

I think we are going to end up with a bunch of bangers trying to beat the shit out of each other and play cards.
 
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Totally not true. I'm not allowed to say who is trying to get into the casting call, but there are a few "elite" pool players....it'll shock you when it's released.

Good speculation.... but totally wrong.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Getting into a casting call and getting casted are two different things. Kurt Russell tried out for Han Solo you know.
 
I'm stoked! I wonder if they will use some gloves and head gear for the Circle of Truth. That might get more "non-MMA" people interested.

I can see it now - Alex doing a flying roundhouse kick and knocking Hatch out! ;)


(BTW, I know there will be weight classes)
 
This show sounds like an easier way to make some money than actually working for it. The pool players will come running.
 
While I see the potential for entertainment, I'm afraid it would most often turn into a one sided affair, with a clear favorite regardless of which challenge was being tried. Lopsided MMA fights are usually tedious to watch (Bully Beat Down on MTV comes to mind), poker... well, it would be like watching poker (I'm admittedly biased here, because I happen to think that poker is boring x100), and pool becomes tedious to watch unless it's played at a moderately high level by both parties.

Above all, I'm concerned that the 10 minutes of content wouldn't be worth the 20 minutes of fake drama build-up and backstories I truly couldn't care less about.

I will still watch it.
 
While I see the potential for entertainment, I'm afraid it would most often turn into a one sided affair, with a clear favorite regardless of which challenge was being tried. Lopsided MMA fights are usually tedious to watch (Bully Beat Down on MTV comes to mind), poker... well, it would be like watching poker (I'm admittedly biased here, because I happen to think that poker is boring x100), and pool becomes tedious to watch unless it's played at a moderately high level by both parties.

Above all, I'm concerned that the 10 minutes of content wouldn't be worth the 20 minutes of fake drama build-up and backstories I truly couldn't care less about.

I will still watch it.

I am going to trust that Blair Thein has thought this through to best assure matches are as competitive and compelling as possible. I don't think the 2 major producers that are on board would be on board otherwise.

Not that I'm telling Blair anything he doesn't already know, but his contestant selection and match-up process must be as spot on as possible.
 
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