One of poker’s rising content creators will join “Boston Rob” Mariano in a battle for big bucks this spring on NBC’s Deal or No Deal Island. The show will premiere on February 26 on NBC, but you can catch a 30-minute preview on Saturday, January 13 after the NFL playoff game.
Brantzen Wong, also known as Los Angeles-based poker vlogger Brantzen Poker, has built a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers since it launched in May of 2021.
He will join Mariano and 11 others in a twist on the popular game show.
According to Wong’s channel, he has played poker for most of his life — with family as a child and among friends throughout high school before he was old enough to play at casinos in college. The channel is less serious than most, and it uses a mix of strategy and poker lifestyle to appeal to a wide audience.
He can also be seen on Hustler Casino Live, where he caught the scene’s attention in April with his HCL meetup vlog and subsequent invitation to sit down for the show.
Mariano, a five-time contestant on Survivor, has been a regular on the poker scene over the last couple of years as a frequent guest of mid-major tours like the RunGood Poker Series, in addition to his appearances on PokerGO and at major series like the PokerStars Players Championship and WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas.
According to previews, players will live on an island with over 100 briefcases that contain prizes that amount to $200 million. They will compete in challenges every episode for briefcases to use in a game of Deal or No Deal, where the biggest deals win immunity and the power to eliminate the other players.
Deal or No Deal’s original ringmaster Howie Mandel will produce the show but he will sit out the hosting duties in favor of Magic Mike’s Joe Manganiello.
Deal or No Deal Island will air on Monday nights after its premiere date and it will stream on Peacock the next day.
Lead photo courtesy of Patrick Ecclesine/NBC.
Live Reporting Executive
Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL
