‘Live, from Las Vegas … ‘

Television viewers can now tune in “High Stakes Poker” and “Poker After Dark.” A reality television series is in the offing. This year, for the first time, there will be a European World Series of Poker tourney.

The poker craze that has gripped America is nothing short of phenomenal. Books have been written (specifically, James McManus’ sparkling “Positively Fifth Street”). And Las Vegas, naturally, claims the center spotlight.

The satellite “feeder” tournaments have pruned the field, and this year’s 38th World Series of Poker — now played at the Rio under the auspices of Harrah’s Entertainment — kicked off Friday evening. The action then picked up in the pre-dawn hours today with “Ladies Limit Hold ‘Em.”

It all began in 1970, when a handful of touring players gathered at Binion’s Horseshoe, downtown, to renew old acquaintances over a marathon game of stud.

This weekend, the World Series — the planet’s longest-running, most prestigious and richest poker and gaming competition — gets under way with what Jeffrey Pollack, series commissioner, terms “the best schedule and widest range of events” in the tournament’s history.

“Over the next 47 days, the global poker community will gather at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to compete for the richest prize pool in sports, showcase their talents and rub elbows with some of the biggest names in poker, sports and show business,” Mr. Pollack said.

Starting July 10 and continuing for two hours each Tuesday night through October 30 (except for July 24), ESPN will document play with 40 cameras, up from 26 last year, and its telecasts will include four additional hours’ coverage of the $10,000 buy-in Main Event and four additional hours of the $50,000 buy-in HORSE championship.

And for the legions of fans both attending live and tuning in via television worldwide, there will again be no doubt that the world capital of gaming and entertainment remains, “Live, from Las Vegas …”