High Stakes Poker...

[Talking Poker]

This sounds sweet. Can't wait til it airs...


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'HIGH STAKES POKER' Featuring a $100,000 Minimum Buy-in.
BY: CHARLIE

GSN is bringing viewers the first true cash game of poker on television with a $100,000 minimum buy-in. Unlike other poker shows where the most players can lose is their initial buy-in of up to $10,000, the stars on GSN's newest series, HIGH STAKES POKER, have millions of their own cash at stake and will win and lose several hundred thousand dollars. HIGH STAKES POKER premieres Monday, January 16 at 9 PM ET/PT.

"High Stakes Poker is groundbreaking in that it is the first-ever look into the biggest private no limit Hold'em cash games in town," said Rich Cronin, President and CEO of GSN. "This show is intense because players are winning and losing hundreds of thousands of their own dollars on single hands."

The new hour long series features players from diverse backgrounds from all over the world. From the legends, to cash game players, to the young superstars that have been featured on "The World Series of Poker," HIGH STAKES POKER is going to be the first ever cash game where viewers will see the 'true' game of poker.

Legends of the poker world are joined by elite poker playing businessmen in the 13-episode series recently taped at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The all-star line up features:

* Doyle Brunson -- considered by many the greatest poker player of all-time.

* Johnny Chan -- tied with Doyle for the most all-time World Series of Poker bracelets, 10.

* Barry Greenstein -- legendary cash game player.

* Phil Hellmuth -- one of the most recognized and successful players in the world.

* Daniel Negreanu -- 2004 Player of the Year.

* Dr. Jerry Buss -- Los Angeles Lakers owner.

* Jennifer Harman -- the only woman professional who competes in the highest cash games in the world on a daily basis.

* Ted Forrest -- five World Series of Poker bracelets.

* Bob Stupak -- one of the most legendary entrepreneurs in Las Vegas.

* Antonio Esfandiari -- A magician and the youngest ever to win over $1 million in a tournament.

* Eli Elezra -- cashed in 12 World Series of Poker events since 1999, owns several Las Vegas retail stores and partner in a construction company.

* Todd Brunson -- one of the top cash game players, son of Doyle.

* Sean Sheikhan -- "Sheiky" a high stakes cash game player and
businessman.

* Dr. Amir Nasiri -- successful Las Vegas physician.

* Freddy Deeb -- a career poker playing professional, recently won $1 million at a WPT tournament in Aruba.

* Daniel Alaei -- up and coming star, who's cashed in several tournaments and won the Heavenly Hold'em tournament at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.

* Mimi Tran -- ranks in the top 10 among women on the WSOP all-time leading money list.

* Fred Chamanara -- Chicago restaurant owner.

* Sam Farha -- professional who specializes in high stakes cash games and was the runner up to Chris Moneymaker in 2003 World Series of Poker.


The cash game has been called the true version of poker due to the fact that players are allowed to buy-in and continue playing with more money if they lose their initial buy-in of $100,000. The chips on the table represent actual dollars compared to chips in a tournament that don't equal the actual value of what is bet. The intensity is taken to a higher level when someone raises $50,000 or $100,000 which is more than the average American's yearly salary in one hand.

Henry Orenstein of HSOR, L.L.C. serves as the Executive Producer of HIGH STAKES POKER. Mr. Orenstein invented the in-table cameras that give the viewers at home the ability to see the player's hole cards. This innovation is credited for paving the way for the explosion of poker's popularity on television.

"For the first time ever in the history of poker on television, viewers will see players playing with very large amounts of their own money," said Orenstein. "This is what makes it exciting, the players can win huge pots that are worth nearly a half million dollars on a single card."

Calling the high stakes action at the tables are two newcomers to GSN, AJ Benza and Gabe Kaplan. Benza will host the series and Kaplan, the former star of "Welcome Back Kotter" and a world class poker player, provides the analysis. Benza has hosted a variety of television shows and has appeared in movies including "Ransom," "Conspiracy Theory," and "The Deli." He is best known as one of the most controversial New York columnists in the 1990's as well as an author who published his memoirs, "Fame, Ain't It a Bitch."

Kaplan has previously provided analysis for the "World Series of Poker" and the "National Heads-Up Poker Challenge." In addition to his hit television series, Kaplan is a successful stand up comedian and has starred in feature films, "Fast Break," "Tulips," and "Nobody's Perfect."

In addition to the play at the tables, HIGH STAKES POKER will also include a look at the players behind the scenes. It will include a look at Doyle Brunson's lifestyle, going with Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss to a game and traveling with Barry Greenstein to be a speaker at Michigan State about being a professional poker player. Each episode will also feature a behind the scenes look at one of the players away from the poker room.

[Hawt]

I read about this on Daniel Negreanu's blog. Apparently the minimum buy in was $100,000 but he bought in for a cool $1,000,000. I think he said both Brunson's did too.

[Robbie Robb]

It was either that or the Brunson's were the only one's other than him that didn't buy in for the minimum but they only dropped 500K or something.

I found his blog on it interesting. He was trying to tell us as much as he could within the limits of his NDA with the network/producers/whoever.

My take on it was that he did fairly well, but I don't think he won. I think he also mentioned that it would be LLOOOONNNNNGGGG time before it aired so it looks as though GSN may have bumped up the broadcast of it.

My only concern is that it is apparently an hour long series of 13 episodes. So, factoring in commercials, about 42 minutes per episode. According to Negreanu, the game was actually 8 hours of play a day for 3 days. That means that quite a bit of editing went into it. Not a surprise for televised poker, but certainly not the look at the game that the press release claims.

Hopefully GSN up here in Canada carries it. If not, I'll have to make sure Dish Network dish gets re-pointed so I can catch it on there...

[wdson01]

Bump---Starts tonight at 9pm eastern on GSN

[JDMcNugent7]

This will be awesome - I've been wanting to see cash game play on TV forever.

[HEwong]

SHIT idont have GSN. can anyone record it for me and send it to me?

[Favre[4]]

I could but i dont know how to put it on the computer and i would have to send it in the mail =P. I bet Bittorrent or w/e it is will have it soon anough.

[HEwong]

well if it show up on bit torrent can you give me the link to it please then if noone can record it for me and send it to me.

[Hawt]

I just tuned in towards the end about 15 minutes ago. It is pretty interesting so far, though the commentary leaves something to be desired.

[Talking Poker]

Hopefully someone will put up a torrent for this. I don't have GSN either.

[eejit101]

im in the UK, dont have GSN, whatever that is, and i probably wont get it for a while, we've only just finished coverage of the frigging WSOP.

We need ESPN or whatever your biggest channel is over there, im off right now to speak to cable to get it installed...

[Zybomb]

biggest pot/handof the night was when the ameteur Dr had 55 daniel negreanu had Jc10c and ted forrest had 22

Flop came 2 4 5

Checks around to Daniel who bets, Forrest calls, Dr. raises, daniel folds, forrest reraised, dr moves all in.... forrest lost well over 100,000 on that hand....rebaught for 50,000

[Robbie Robb]

My favourite hand of the night was when DN had AJ and BG had 66 and flop came A-x-6. DN casually checks the bet as does BG. Then the turn comes J and he checks again. I think it would have been VERY tough not to even make a small bet with that Ace on the board. Then when he hit the two pair - how can you NOT bet??? Unless you've got such an AMAZING read on your opponent you know he's hit his set. Oh wait, this is DN, the guy that can read you like an open book.

Another favourite part was when he picks up the two stacks of cash and tosses them into the middle and they land with a "thud" making a $100K raise.

The hand that Zybomb spoke of was also a great hand. How forrest casually reaches into his pocket, pulls out two tiny little chips and rebuys for $50K. Damn....to be able to play at that level. I don't think I actually COULD play at that level, but just to be ABLE to would be an accomplishment.

[Reel Deal]

I caught some of this for the first time on GSN last night and it was some of the best televised poker I've seen. Watching Sam Farha call an $8000 PFR with 93o and then hitting (of course) was just priceless! DN took some tough beats (one when Greenstein chased and hit a flush on the river and another hand that I'm not recalling now). Felt bad for Jerry Buss, he was playing way too tight and they all knew it and had no trouble running him over or getting out of the way when he'd hit.

One thing that was interesting that I'd never seen done before was when after someone went all-in after the flop they'd agree to run the turn and river cards twice (kind of a "double or nothing" play).

Very interesting stuff.

[PShabi]

If ESPN didn't exist. I wouldn't subcribe to cable. Hell, I wouldn't even own a TV.

God Bless America!

[PShabi]

Explain the last part RD.

[Robbie Robb]

The two players in the pot would agree to run the turn and river twice. This was done two or three times in last night's episode. It would come up if one of the players was all in. Sometimes they've already revealed their hole cards and other times it was pre-reveal. The flop comes as normal, then the turn, then the river. The dealer would then push the turn and river cards up a bit and run a turn and river again. If one player won both hands they took the entire pot. If they each won one, they split the pot.

Interesting idea. Don't think I'll be trying it in my home games much.

The other thing they talked about once and played once was when Harman was in the BB. It was something about "hopping in the saddle" or something like that. They tried to expalin it, but failed miserably.

[Talking Poker]

Oh, that's cool..... when I first read this, I thought you guys meant they agreed to play with a 7 card board, which makes no sense... but what they were really doing was palying with two 5 card boards. Very cool.

I'll agree to that every time.............. that I'm the favorite.

[Windbreaker]

I think the second beat that DN took that RD's is referring to was on one of the times they ran the hand twice.

DN had A10 in the BB, Eli Elizera had 68, and Farha raised preflop - all went to the flop. The board came 6 8 10. DN bet out Eli raised....DN moved in on Eli. Eli quickly called. DN at that time asked if Eli had two pair. He said yes, and flipped the cards. DN ask to run it twice. Eli was like sure. The first time they ran it..it came blank blank. On the second running, it came A then 8.

So Eli was able to take the entire pot.

[Reel Deal]

Yeah, that was the hand that I was thinking of, thanks Wind. And thanks Robb for explaining the "run 'em twice" option.

Can't wait for the next episode... good stuff.

[Talking Poker]

So, dod he ask to run it twice BEFORE or after exposing his hand and/or deciding to call?

In other words, was his logic, "I'll call if we can run this twice, but I'm going to fold otherwise" or was it "I see I'm way behind here. How about if we make two big pots and I let you beat me twice?"

Cause if it was the latter, I'm thinking that's pretty damn -EV.

[Zybomb]

This is known as "doing business" It's fairly common in the card room that I regularly play at

If all the money is in at some point the players can flip their cards if they'd like and then discuss if they want to do business.

For example I ran business last night in the following hand

MY hand: Ac 2c

Board: Ad 2s 4s

Opponents Hand: (all the money went in on the flop) As 5s

I figure it was roughly a coin flip, or I mayhave been behind a little

We did business, which means we ran the turn and river 3 times each, split the pot into 3 piles, and the winner of each time got it's individual third of the pot... sometimes people make it so that if it's even after 2 the pot is hcopped, some do not.

[Windbreaker]

They did this after the cards were shown.

I don't think this changes the EV at all - I think it only changes the variance. Lets say the pot is $100. Say Eli is a 3 to 1 favorite. If this hand is only ran once....he wins $75 on avg.

Now, if you run it twice instead. Eli has a 3/4 *3/4 chance to win the $100. A 1/4*1/4 to lose the entire pot. And a 6/16 to win once and lose the other to chop the pot and get $50 bucks back. So in total his EV = 9/16 *100 + 6/16 *50 = $75.

When they run the hand twice...they only win the entire pot (what's already all in)....if they win the run twice. THey don't win double the amount in the pot.

Edit - more specifically, lowers the variance.

[Windbreaker]

Also of note I think there is a slight advantage for the person with the worse hand in these situations.

I'm not sure if this is 100% correct....but I believe they run the hand twice by burning the card after the river (of the first run) and flipping the next card it as the new turn....and burning another and flipping it as the second river.

If this is the case, I think it slightly improves the chance of a suck out b/c if you don't suck out the first time...then on the second run, there are fewer unseen cards in the deck. Which means there's a higher probability than normal to hit your card, in this case the 10 or ace.

SO it should in the long run increase your chances of splitting pot.

[Zybomb]

That is correct, thats how it works, they burn the next card then the next card after that is the new turn