• by Michael Shields , December 13, 2004

Hoping to capitalize on the surging interest in poker on TV and online, the debut issue of poker-enthusiast magazine All In will land on newsstands on December 21th featuring former World Series of Poker Champion and regular contributor Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.

All In, which launches with a rate base of 150,000, will be published bimonthly and be distributed by Time Distribution Services, a division of Time Warner.

Along with Ferguson poker celebrities Howard Lederer and Phil Gordon (host of "Celebrity Poker Showdown") will also regularly contribute to the magazine. Content will be geared toward serious poker players seeking to improve their game. The first issue featuring a 25-page spread on the art of bluffing, and each edition will include similar instructional sections authored by top players.

In addition to instruction, All In will also report on the world of high-stakes poker tournaments as well as featuring interviews with celebrity poker players; the first issue includes a piece on New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady's charity poker tournament.

All In's initial list of advertisers includes ESPN, Belvedere Vodka, Bellagio, Oakley, Crown Royal, Mirage, and the Travel Channel. Plans are to increase the book's rate base to 500,000 by the end of 2006.