Written by Tim Lavalli
Is John-Robert Bellande a poker professional or a reality TV star?

The hit CBS reality TV show Survivor is about to enter its fifteenth season, and this upcoming season will be the first time a pro poker player has joined the ranks of contestants. This is the first time the show will be filmed somewhere other than a tropical island, this year the cast and crew head for China. The player, Jean-Robert Bellande, first came to poker prominence during the 2005 World Series of Poker Circuit event, where he placed 3rd behind Jennifer Harman. Jean-Robert is betting on his poker skills to help him live up the show’s goal to "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" the other players.

Jean-Robert was also a participant in the “House of Cards” filmed during the 2006 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. In that reality adventure, seven professional poker players lived together in a mansion and where followed for the entire 2006 WSOP. A film made of that show is scheduled to be released this fall.