Buzztime Launches Texas Hold'em for TV

30 March 2005

CARLSBAD, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Buzztime Entertainment, Inc., the Play-Along TV(R) community and a subsidiary of NTN Communications, Inc. (Amex: NTN), announces the debut of multiplayer Texas Hold'em for digital cable television. Buzztime(R) Texas Hold'em invites players within the home, across town and across the country(TM) to join in live poker games from the comfort of their couch using only their remote control and digital cable set-top box to play along. Buzztime will demonstrate the game in their booth (#40, GameNET Pavilion) at the National Cable Television Association Show (NCTA) April 3-5 in San Francisco.

Buzztime Texas Hold'em is currently available in over 1,000 locations of the NTN iTV Network where Phil Gordon, world-class poker player and co-host of Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown", provides players with on-screen tips throughout each game. The NTN iTV Network reaches over 3,600 restaurants and sports bars in North America.

The availability of Buzztime Texas Hold'em marks the first time Buzztime has introduced virtual game table technology into its Play-Along TV(R) multiplayer game platform. This new feature automatically places new players into one of up to ten open seats at virtual game tables and creates new game tables after each table is filled with players. The enhanced Play-Along TV Technology is also designed to support future Buzztime multiplayer games. This initial offering of Buzztime Texas Hold'em is built for Scientific-Atlanta's PowerTV(R) platform with plans to port to other iTV platforms.

"Buzztime Texas Hold'em and our new virtual game table technology are great examples of how we will build game communities around the TV," said Tyrone Lam, president and COO, Buzztime Entertainment. "We recognize that the majority of casual game play on the internet is multiplayer, and Buzztime is pushing the frontier to bring the most valuable two-way games to digital cable TV for the 'couch gamers'."

Buzztime intends for this to be their first fee-based product offering on cable where the operator and Buzztime share in the consumer subscription revenue. Buzztime will support the game's marketing launch through cross-promotion to its millions of players on the NTN iTV Network already familiar with and actively enjoying Buzztime Texas Hold'em.

Created for advanced and beginner poker players alike, Buzztime Texas Hold'em follows the same rules as the popular No-Limit Texas Hold'em. Players receive two pocket cards and use five community cards to form the best five-card poker hand. Blinds are set at 10 points and 20 points. Buzztime Texas Hold'em gives each new player the virtual amount of 2000 points when they join a table. Individual participation continues until a player's points run out. The player may then enter into another table, again receiving a 2000 point credit, and start game play anew. Credits do not transfer from table to table or game to game.

Buzztime Texas Hold'em games on digital cable have no set time limit; game play continues as long as players have credits and remain at the table. Players are seated at a virtual table, which appears -- along with their pocket cards, the community cards, and point totals -- on their television screen at all times.

Players use their digital cable remote control to play along. Onscreen menus list all game functions and play options, for which Buzztime has installed Texas Hold'em key shortcuts to make game navigation easy and quick. Additionally, each player's turn is timed to maintain the game's pace.

Continuing Buzztime's tradition of player recognition onscreen, point leaders and round winners are displayed after every hand. No prizing or awards are offered for this product to comply with individual state gaming regulations.