Early this year, we asked our readers at CardPlayer.com what their favorite poker television show is and why.
Overwhelmingly, we heard back that
High Stakes Poker (
HSP), on
GSN, was their choice.
HSP is the only show where players sit down with their own cash, more than $100,000 each, and the stacks of bills and sharp play have attracted both casual and hard-core poker fans.
To celebrate the launch of the fourth season of the show,
Card Player caught up with the players who make this game happen.
High Stakes Poker began airing its new season on Monday, Aug. 27, at 9 p.m. on the
Game Show Network. This season's 17 episodes will feature even higher stakes. At one point, each player brings more than $500,000 to the table. With more than $5 million in play, it surely will make for exciting TV. Read all about what makes this show tick on Page 64.
So, what has made
HSP so popular? Here are some of the platitudes from the CardPlayer.com forum regarding the show:
• It's refreshing to watch the great reads, smart bets, and high-class moves without hearing the words "all in" muttered every 13 seconds on every other tournament show.
• The non-escalating blinds allows us to see "more" poker, such as post-flop play and decision-making based on reads and cards rather than chip stacks.
• The show displays hands that would never be shown on any other show. You get to see some of the crazy moves these guys make to get where they are.
• This show gives us a glimpse into the life of a high-limit cash-game player. The swings in high-stakes no-limit hold'em are unbelievable to watch!
• Every bet has real value to it. It's a lot easier to fire a third bullet in a tournament, where you know you have a set loss limit, whereas in a cash game, you have no set loss limit.
Poker on television has seen many renditions. It was revolutionized back in 1997 when the UK series
Late Night Poker began using the holecard cam for televised tournaments. Since that time, we've seen the
World Poker Tour put together six seasons and the
World Series of Poker continues to roll. Plus, the
Heartland Poker Tour, featuring smaller buy-in events that allow amateur players to bag six-figure televised scores, and
Poker After Dark, which recently entered its second season, round out the current TV offerings.
Some shows that you've grown to love (or not) will not be back. The
World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit will no longer be televised, nor will the
United States Poker Championship. Also, the
Professional Poker Tour's short-lived television career is over, as is that of
Poker Superstars and the
Poker Dome Challenge.
I read an interesting comment that Norman Chad relayed to a reporter covering the 2007
WSOP: "It's part reality show, part sitcom, part docudrama," he said. While this might be the case, the main reason I think people watch poker on TV - well, at least those who are familiar with the game - is to become better poker players. And I think this is the main reason why
Card Player readers overwhelmingly chose
High Stakes Poker as their favorite show, because dramatics and lack of post-flop play don't get in the way of insightful lessons from the game's best. If you haven't tuned in, enjoy the fourth season. If you have, be prepared for more incredible poker.
