One of the things that has been lacking since early in this decade is the amount of poker programming. Whereas there used to be several “made for television” poker programs or streaming efforts, today that number has fallen dramatically. Thus, when new programming is announced, it is received by a very hungry audience.
For the past four years, Poker Night in America has been one of the top poker programs in the industry. Shown on the CBS Sports Network, Poker Night in America has traipsed across the country showing the best cash games and tournament action that you can find (outside of the World Poker Tour or the World Series of Poker). Now, there will be a celebrity version of the program, called Poker Night LIVE! that will begin on March 20.
“We’ve been re-imagining TV poker for the past four years, making it more fan friendly with famous faces and a fun atmosphere,” Todd Anderson, the President of Rush Street Productions, said during the announcement of the new program. “This is the latest exciting step as we continue to revolutionize how fans can watch poker. Anything can happen on live TV and probably will with a table filled with celebrities! The viewers will be able to see and hear everything that’s happening, just as if they are another player sitting at the table.”
Shot on location at the Gardens Casino, the stakes will be a bit lower than with the typical PNiA games but, with the celebrities, there will be more opportunities for the viewers to see them interact. The mixture of poker professionals in with the celebrities -14-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth has already signed up for the first broadcast – will give the game a bit of credibility also. Other celebrities who will be a part of the program will be announced soon.
“This will be unlike any poker show currently on TV,” said Anderson. “Poker Night LIVE! will be more like a Hollywood home game brought directly into viewers homes with lots of interesting guests, lots of laughs and lots of live action.” It debuts at 10PM (Eastern time) on March 20 and will air every Tuesday for 13 weeks.
Not to be left out of the mix, the streaming outlet PokerGO is also adding to its lineup of programming. Their newest program is Super High Roller Club, which is an inside look at those players who make up that elite sphere of players who play in the highest dollar games in the poker world. Poker Central, the ownership behind PokerGO, has teamed with Believe Entertainment Group for this program.
“This series will give viewers a glimpse inside the lives of poker’s most notable high stakes players as they pursue their greatest non-poker passions,” said Sam Simmons, vice president of content at Poker Central. “Fans will have the opportunity to watch the world’s most interesting poker personalities experience the finest pursuits that Vegas has to offer – from sports, fashion to fine dining.”
Hosted by veteran poker broadcaster Ali Nejad, the players who make up the “cast” of Super High Roller Club reads like a Who’s Who of the poker world. Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Nick Schulman and Brandon Adams are all featured during the run of the program. This wide-ranging type of personalities ensures that anyone in the poker community would find someone interesting in the group.
This series began on February 26 but, due to the streaming nature of PokerGO, it should be available for binge watching quite soon. But there’s one of the problems that PokerGO faces that PNiA, on a cable broadcast network in the CBS Sports Network, doesn’t have to worry about. Only subscribers to PokerGO can see Super High Roller Club, while anyone with a cable connection and the CBS Sports Network can see Poker Night LIVE!
During the “boom days” of poker in the Aughts, there was poker programming on virtually every channel. From Celebrity Poker Showdown to Hollywood Hold’em to Face the Ace, poker was a staple of cable programming (along with the WPT, WSOP and other minor events). After “Black Friday” in 2011, however, this programming basically dried up as online sites couldn’t advertise anymore. It has taken several years for poker programming to slowly work its way back into people’s minds for watching on television and, with the advent of streaming, more programming is necessary for some networks. Poker makes for an economical way to fill that programming gap.
Both programs have something to offer poker fans and should be successful. Whether you choose the newest effort from Poker Night in America and watch celebrities play or choose Super High Roller Club and watch how poker’s elite live, it should be entertaining either way.
