Playing Their Hand: WPT Inks Deal With Take-Two Interactive

The World Poker Tour (WPT) has inked a deal with Take-Two Interactive “to make PlayStation and Nintendo-styled video poker games under the World Poker brand,” according to Paul Tharp of the N.Y. POST. News of the agreement “pushed up the stock of” WPT Enterprises to $20.50 –- “its highest level since it went public last August at $8.” Take-Two said that the new poker games for consoles, handheld and PC formats “are under development at two studios for” the company’s new 2K Sports division. Take-Two “could meet stiff competition in poker video games from” EA Sports, which recently signed a 15-year licensing deal with ESPN for sports video games –- “including a possible poker video game in conjunction with that license” (N.Y. POST, 2/18).