Poker Shows On Television
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For over 30 years, poker players and fans alike have been tuning in to Poker TV to see the strategy and thrill of a live poker game. Since that time, the way that people watch television has revolutionized, and Poker TV has evolved with it, and what started with a single televised poker event has become a whole world of poker, right at your fingertips.
The original Poker TV began in the United States back in the 1970s and consisted exclusively of television broadcasts of live poker tournaments, namely the main event of the World Series of Poker. Although these games offered viewers their only glimpse into the life and events of big name players in poker and the way that they executed their strategy, a lot was missing. Technology at the time meant that spectators could only see the game from an outsider’s perspective, which had its limitations because those watching at home could only truly understand the players’ strategy in retrospect or by using video playback, which was too expensive to be practical until the 1980s, and, even then, was horribly inconvenient. Likewise, commentators also had to guess what was happening, which made for dialogue that wasn’t overwhelmingly engaging for the viewer at home.
It would be two decades before a breakthrough transformed Poker TV, making it far more entertaining for the at-home spectator as well as amateur and professional players who were trying to examine strategy. In Europe, the “hole cam” was born– a device that sat under the table and showed what cards a player had, giving the audience the perspective of each player. Unfortunately, this groundbreaking innovation came at an awkward moment in Poker TV history, as Poker TV in Europe was grinding to a halt, and the US was only televising a one-hour synopsis of the World Series of Poker tournaments.
The Best Poker TV Shows
Poker in the United States can be found on ESPN, Bravo, GSN, and several other major networks, such as CBS, NBS, and CNBS, when the shows have been syndicated. In Great Britain, television stations which broadcast poker shows include Channel 4, Challenge, and Five, while Italy shows Pokermania on Italia 1. In Europe at large, Poker TV can be found on Sky Sports as well as The Poker Channel and Pokerzone, two free-to-air channels that were created during the big poker boom in the mid-2000s.
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark offers viewers a look into the evolution of a single poker table over the course of a week and has minimal commentary so that spectators can hear and assess table talk between the players. One of the most popular programs in Poker TV since its inception in 2007, Poker After Dark is a unique show that has had seven seasons as of mid-2011.
Late Night Poker
This show, originally broadcast in the UK, is one of the best known Poker TV programs, in part because they were responsible for the introduction of the special cameras that revolutionized the Poker TV world. While the show was originally created between 1999 and 2002, it lead to the creation of several other programs, including Late Night Poker Ace, Late Night Poker Masters, and Celebrity Poker Club.
Million Dollar Cash Game
This show is touted as being “Europe’s biggest ever televised cash game,” with a $100,000 minimum buy-in and no maximum amount that players can put down. Sponsored by Full Tilt Poker (who also sponsors Poker After Dark), Million Dollar Cash Game broke records and put itself on the Poker TV map in 2009 when it had a pot of over 1.1 million dollars– the largest in television history at the time.
High Stakes Poker
Like Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker is designed to follow a single game, rather than a tournament. Cash games followed by High Stakes Poker have buy-ins that range from $100,000 to $500,000 dollars, with some players opting to buy-in for a hefty million dollars. Like in other cash games, the players play for real money, and if they lose the amount that they’ve bought in for (or bought back in for), their cash is gone, making for some very intense action.
Poker TV has seen the creation of a great many other excellent poker shows, such as Poker Royale, Celebrity Poker Showdown, and Ultimate Poker Challenge, all of which air in the United States, La Notte del Poker and Pokermania, both native to Italy, and Poker Million, and Celebrity Poker Club, both created by United Kindom poker aficionados.
Nowadays when everyone talks about poker, it is only with regards to the stuff that is available online.
Thanks to the rather huge world of the internet and handheld devices, poker is available to almost everyone and games can be played almost everywhere as well.
There was a time when people would have to read books, the actual physical ones to gain some knowledge about poker and then came the invention of the television which changed the dynamic of education as well.
Sure many people call it the idiot box but that is dependent on what you end up seeing, you could also see something that is informative and teaches your something.
Poker also was hit and is still hit by the television bug and has a lot of great shows for those who still enjoy some time in front of the tube.
We list out the best poker related television shows over the years.
These were the ones that changed the landscape of poker, at least on the television and took it to greater heights.
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The World Series of Poker
One of my personal favorites, this show had almost everything that makes for great reality television.
It had real stars taking on each other to win the huge prize money on offer at the Main Event.
Multi-million dollar wins were the norm in this television show and it still is going strong.
The World Series of Poker isn’t just a television show; it is a lifestyle for a lot of people and has quite a following even without the television broadcasts.
Tilt
A fictional show, Tilt was created by the minds in ESPN to create a drama where a poker player would trap the fish or suckers into his trap.
It is still an enjoyable show to watch and you should keep an eye out for some of the guest appearances from real life poker players in this amazing show for all.
E! Hollywood Hold’em
One for the celebrity followers out there, you often hear about some special games being played behind the closed doors of celebrity homes.
Well, this show helped people get an insight of what these games really are like.
The premise of the show was pretty good but the show lasted only for one season.
Ultimate Poker Challenge
Another show based on the popular game format, this started way back in 2005 and the premise of this was to hold a competition at the Plaza, Las Vegas for 26 straight weeks.
The game being played here was no-limit Texas Hold’em in tournament mode and is a great watch for those who want a fix of competitive poker on the tube.
The World Poker Tour
One of the most popular shows ever, this started way back in 2003 but it is still one of the best shows made in the history of poker.
The World Poker Tour was one of the highest rated shows on television at one point of time, and it followed these events at casinos and had a few more titbits with behind the scenes footage.
This show is still shown on a lot of other channels, so keep your eyes peeled for this show.
World Series Of Poker TV Listings, TV Schedule And Episode ...
High Stakes Poker
This show started in 2006 and had a very different premise compared to most poker shows on television.
This did feature some of the biggest names in poker who played the game using their own money!
The buy-ins were huge as well and the poker variations were different too, certainly leading to interesting viewing compared to some of the other poker shows on television.
Celebrity Poker Showdown
This show was another reason why poker became extremely popular on television.
This had many celebrities coming onto the show and having a go in the game of poker.
This might not have had the best style of poker or best poker games but it was one of the most fun shows to watch and there is a lot of humour involved as well.
Something a little different to what we normally see in other more serious poker related titles.
Poker Royale
This has two groups of players having a go at each other.
Every time new groups play against each other to find out who is better.
Boys vs. Girls is one such example of the battles and you could even get to see some celebrities take on professional poker players, which always provides some great and fun viewing.
Poker Superstars
Yet another poker tournament or competition where you have the pros taking on each other.
The game is fast and brilliant and the action is relentless.
The 12 Best Poker TV Shows - How To Watch Online (Dec 2020)
In fact the game has such a great speed that many people think this is similar to actually playing the game online!
These are just some of the shows which have taken poker to a new height.
Of course most of these shows are not broadcast anymore but they can be found almost anywhere, thanks to the internet.
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There are many new shows available as well which makes for great viewing but the plight of the television might be on a slow growth curve.
Everyone now can watch whatever they want on the handheld device and there are a ton of apps and videos available online for people to enjoy.
The television might have lost its importance in the entertainment rank for people but poker continues to have a great place for most people and more shows are being created and broadcast to keep everyone hooked onto this wonderful game called poker.