TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

The final of a three-day poker tournament featuring $1 million in cash prizes will be televised live from the Oneida Indian Nation's casino in Verona by Fox Sports Net, a series of regional channels reaching more than 70 million households.

The competition is being organized by Matt Savage, tournament director of the World Series of Poker, who is billing this as the first Texas Holdem poker tournament final that will be shown live on a national TV network.

Showing the action live is likely to prove that other networks were wrong thinking the only way to show poker on TV is to record it ahead of time and edit out the slow parts, said Jason DiBenedetto, poker room manager at the casino.

"There are some dull moments in Texas Holdem poker, but I think we're going to keep this lively," DiBenedetto said. "I have faith in Fox Sports they're going to work this out."

He said Fox Sports Net may run some recorded coverage of earlier tournament action to fill in slower spots.

The New York regional version of Fox Sports Net is available on Channel 54 on Time Warner Cable systems in Syracuse, suburban Onondaga County and Oswego, Channel 45 in Oneida, Channel 78 in Cortland and Channel 24 in Ithaca.

As many as 108 Texas Holdem players can pay a $10,000 "buy-in" fee to compete in the No Limit Hold'em tournament, which begins at noon July 12. The field narrows to 36 contestants on the second day and to six for the final at 6 p.m. July 14.

The winner will receive a $500,000 prize, with smaller amounts going to runners-up.

Turning Stone has already begun holding lower-stakes poker games offering players the chance to win payment of the buy-in fee, DiBenedetto said. Players can also register by making a $10,000 payment with a certified check.