Face the Ace

NBC is keeping the stakes high with news of their latest addition to the lineup. According to Variety, the network has just okayed a new reality show called Face the Ace.

The show, which will be hosted by Sopranos star Steve Schirripi, was feature contestants pitted in a showdown against professional poker players in Las Vegas.

The show will open with four pro poker players hidden behind doors, and a contestant has to pick one, and then play a no-limit Texas Hold Em’ game against the professional.

If the contestant wins his first match, he can take the winnings and leave. The other option is to risk the winnings and play against another pro for a bigger pot, having the same options as the first round. The third round, should the contestant opt to stay, is a chance at a million dollar pot.

Sounds exciting! And NBC seems pretty stoked on the show. Executive VP Jerry Petry says, “There’s nothing like it on the air right now. This will attract the core poker fans who watch it on our network but will also open it up to a new audience of people who like game shows and aren’t necessarily poker fans going in.”

Face the Ace starts August 1st at 9PM, and is then scheduled to run on Saturday afternoons on NBC.