Will people pay to watch other people play poker?

We’re going to find out.

Las Vegas, which for years has offered entertainment shows featuring singers, dancers, magicians, impressionists, ventriloquists, hypnotists, acrobats, animals and naked women, will now offer a show featuring poker players.

Yes, that’s right, a show featuring people sitting around playing poker.

And spectators are expected to pay to watch it!

Sure, you can visit any casino poker room in Vegas and watch, for free, people playing poker.

But it’s probably not going to be very entertaining for long and you’re probably not going to see any poker legends like Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson or Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth Jr. vying for an inside straight or going all-in.

That’s all about to change.

Some of the poobahs who provide entertainment to Las Vegas’ legions of visitors are betting that poker fans, nurtured on years of televised pro poker, will be willing to shell out big bucks just to watch their favorite poker pros compete.

Top poker pro Daniel Negreanu, who has been asked to be part of the new Las Vegas poker-themed live performances, has just revealed details of the new show on his blog at www.fullcontactpoker.com.

Negreanu writes: “I bet you never dreamed of the day that a poker show would hit mainstream Las Vegas on the Strip. Well, it has. The Venetian and entertainment industry icon Merv Adelson have put together a fun, fast-paced poker show set to debut this fall that includes myself, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Jennifer Harman, Scotty Nguyen, Eli Elezra, Todd Brunson and Gavin Smith.

“The show will have loads of audience participation, including a wireless hand-held console that will allow audience members to play along playing the ninth hand. All sorts of prizes are available including a shot at one million dollars for a royal flush. The audience member that has the top score during the show, playing along on his console, will join the top pro and top amateur seated at the final table for a three-handed finale.

“The show is set to air at the Venetian six days a week at 4 p.m. with a prime-time showing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The people involved in the production of this show are all top-notch. Merv Adelson was the co-founder of Lorimar Telepictures as well as being the vice-president at Time Warner. Executive producer Gary Smith is an eight-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director of esteemed live shows including the Tony Awards and the Emmy Awards. That represents just two key members of an established team…

“Personally, I think this show is going to be an absolute blast and I can’t wait to get started! It’s going to be fun poker with a unique twist that will force the action a little bit. Besides, unlike any other poker tournament you watch live, this event will allow you to either be a player at the table or give you a chance to make decisions from the audience. It’s a really cool concept and the mainstream attention it will attract will be good for poker as a whole.

“When you drive down the Strip you see all kinds of billboards and the like promoting shows and this show will be no different. There are some super-smart people involved with the show that feel we have a real winner and I think they are right. When people watch poker they want to be entertained, and it’s no coincidence that we’ve assembled some of the more colorful characters in poker to be a part of the show. Guys liks Scotty Nguyen captivate an audience like no other, and Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari are a freak show all on their own! Everyone is excited about the show and I’m glad we are finally able to talk about it.”

So will visitors to Vegas pay to watch pros play poker?

If they’ll pay to watch Beatles impersonators, acrobatic swimmers, gay magicians and snarling white tigers, they’ll likely pay to watch anything.

Or so the poobahs are betting.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)