Maria Ho to Host Twitch Show for Poker Central

September 23rd, 2015 | by Kaycee James

Maria Ho is slated to host a Twitch series for Poker Central. (Image: Talent Monthly)

Poker Central is set to hit the airwaves in October, making it the first television network devoted 24/7 to the game of poker. But the network doesn’t plan to limit itself to TV, and their latest announcement shows how they plan to integrate other media platforms as well.

The network announced on Monday that professional poker player Maria Ho will be hosting a show known as “Poker Central Live with Maria Ho,” a program that will appear exclusively on Poker Central’s Twitch.tv channel. The show will be a live, interactive stream, allowing Ho to talk to fans as she plays poker and conducts interviews.

“I’m so thrilled to be a part of Poker Central’s vision to drive and broadcast innovative programming through various platforms,” Ho said in a statement. “I can’t wait to interact via Twitch with poker fans from all over the world and bring a glimpse of the poker world and its culture into their homes.”

Show Will Mix Celebrities, Poker Play

Fans will get a glimpse through a show that, like many Twitch streams focused on the game, will center around Ho playing online poker. However, she’ll also be talking to celebrities while broadcasting, including big names from both inside and outside the poker world.

The show will also be used to drive traffic to the Poker Central television network. It is expected to feature clips of content from other Poker Central productions.

“From day one, Poker Central will be available internationally, through multiple platforms, and will include interactive, fun programs like Maria’s new show,” said Poker Central CEO Clint Stinchcomb.

“Poker Central Live with Maria Ho is just one example of how Poker Central plans to use social media to promote the network and our distribution partnerships.”

The new show appears to offer a little different than what is currently available for poker fans on Twitch. While Jason Somerville and other streamers have attracted large audiences thanks to their poker play and ability to interact with fans, the idea of mixing that with talk show style programming is new.

Ho’s show is expected to stream for several hours a few times each week on the Poker Central Twitch channel. The series will debut in late September, just before the launch of the television network.

Poker Central Television Network Launching in October

Poker Central is expected to offer a wide range of poker-related programming when it begins airing next month, ranging from traditional cash game and tournament coverage to movies and other poker-related content. The network has also announced that it has been working on two original series: Inside Poker, which will be hosted by tournament director Matt Savage, and Pokerography, a series that will profile the lives and careers of a number of different poker pros.

The network has also landed several high profile partnerships with players like Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth.

While Ho may not be quite as well-known as that trio, it is still easy to see why Poker Central would want her as a part of their team. One of the most successful women in the world of tournament poker, Ho has earned more than $1.7 million in her career, which include 32 World Series of Poker wins.