High Stakes Poker

Infobox Television
show_name = High Stakes Poker


caption = "High Stakes Poker" logo
format = Poker series
runtime = 60 minutes
producer=Henry Orenstein, Mori Eskandani
starring = Gabe Kaplan
A. J. Benza
country = USA
network = GSN
first_aired = January 1, 2006
last_aired = Present
location=flagicon|Nevada Nevada
num_episodes = 56
num_seasons=4
imdb_id=0497294
tv_com_id=65451

"High Stakes Poker" is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. The poker variant played on the show is no limit Texas hold 'em.

Programming history

The first season of "High Stakes Poker", taped at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, was first broadcast in January 2006 and consisted of 13 episodes. The second season, taped at The Palms and consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on June 5, 2006. The third season, consisting of 13 episodes, was taped at the South Point Casino and premiered on January 15, 2007. New players for the third season included Jamie Gold, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Patrik Antonius, Paul Wasicka, David Benyamine, Brian Townsend and others. Returning players from previous seasons included Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Sammy Farha, Phil Laak, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, Erick Lindgren, Mike Matusow, Brad Booth and others. [cite web|url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_news/article/8089|title=High Stakes Poker Returns for Third Season Tonight|date=2007-01-12|publisher="Card Player"|accessdate=2007-01-23]

On April 2, 2007 GSN announced that "High Stakes Poker" would return for a fourth season, again taped at South Point. Taping was completed in May 2007, and the season premiered on August 27, 2007. Returning players included Patrik Antonius, David Benyamine, Doyle Brunson, Eli Elezra, Sam Farha, Jamie Gold, Barry Greenstein, Phil Hellmuth Jr., Jennifer Harman and Daniel Negreanu. Newcomers for the fourth season include Brandon Adams, Mike Baxter, Brian Brandon, Phil Galfond, Guy Laliberte, Bob Safai, Antonio Salorio and Haralabos Voulgaris. This season was unique from previous High Stakes Poker seasons because the later episodes featured a $500,000 minimum buy-in (compared to the regular $100,000 minimum) and these game saw more than $5 million in play on the table at one time. Season four finished airing on December 17, 2007 and featured 17 episodes. The network cited the show's strong ratings performance in younger demographics. [cite web|url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/article/4177/gsn-has-yet-to-order-more-high-stakes-poker-episodes|title=GSN Has Yet To Order More High Stakes Poker Episodes|date=2008-05-15|publisher="Card Player"|accessdate=2008-06-05] GSN has announced that High Stakes Poker will be back for a fifth season that will debut February 19, 2009 [cite web|url=http://www.evpoker.com/2008/07/high-stakes-poker-season-5.html|title=High Stakes Poker Season 5|date=2008-08-06|publisher=evpoker.com|accessdate=2008-08-06] Notable changes for the fifth season will include the airing of every single hand played. Prior seasons have only showed 60%-70% of hands.

Format

When it first aired, "High Stakes Poker" was unique among televised poker series because it did not take place in a tournament setting. Instead, the program showed a high stakes ring game. The minimum buy-in to the game is US$100,000, but players have bought in for as much as $1,000,000, such as Daniel Negreanu in Season 1 and Brad Booth in Season 3. For part of the fourth season, the minimum buy-in was $500,000.cite web|url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sports/2007/may/16/566668776.html|title=Jeff Haney on how 'High Stakes Poker' is a good bet to become poker's most popular television program|date=2007-05-16|author=Jeff Haney|publisher="Las Vegas Sun"|accessdate=2007-06-09] cite web|url=http://www.pokernews.com/news/2007/8/PokerNews-Interview-Mori-Eskandani-Part-two.htm|title=The PokerNews Interview: Mori Eskandani|author=Steve Horton|publisher=PokerNews|date=2007-08-11|accessdate=2007-08-13] The first episode with the minimum $500,000 buy-in was broadcast on November 5, 2007.

Unlike tournament poker, the chips involved represent real money. If a player loses his initial buy-in, that player may rebuy a minimum of $50,000. In addition, players may use cash instead of casino chips. Cash plays and stays as cash in the pot; it does not have to be converted into casino chips. Unlike tournament poker, blinds and antes are constant, instead of increasing as time goes on. "High Stakes Poker" has $300/$600 blinds with a $100 ante. The fourth season features three forced blinds of $300, $600 and $1,200, with a "straddle" or optional fourth blind of $2,400.

The host is A.J. Benza alongside analyst, poker pro, and former star of "Welcome Back, Kotter", Gabe Kaplan. The players include poker professionals along with amateurs such as Jerry Buss and Fred Chamanara. The show was created by executive producer Henry Orenstein. In season one, Daniel Negreanu confirmed in a post on his website's forums that all players were paid $1,250 per hour for taking part and that 13 episodes were edited down from 24 hours of actual play. [cite web|url=http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-forum/index.php?showtopic=47223|title=are the players in "high stakes" on gsn comp'd?|publisher=Fullcontactpoker.com|author=Daniel Negreanu|date=2006-01-30|accessdate=2007-01-23] 2006 WSOP Main Event Champion Jamie Gold commented that players were paid for participating, though they had to put much more money at risk to get into the game. Gold also spoke about his interactions with other players, particularly Mike Matusow. [cite web|url=http://wickedchopspoker.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/03/wicked_chops_po.html
title=Jamie Gold Goes Heads-Up With Wicked Chops Poker|publisher=WickedChopsPoker.com|date=2007-03|accessdate=2007-07-12]

Variation from normal cash game

The rules of this no limit hold'em cash game can differ slightly from a game run in a traditional cardroom, in that several variations have been introduced by common agreement among the players. As mentioned above, a "straddle" is sometimes placed. Occasionally, the person next in position to the straddler will then place a "double straddle": that is, a blind twice again the amount of the straddle. In each of these cases, it acts as a blind, and straddle placers have the pre-flop option to raise just as if they were in the small or big blind.

In one season, the 2-7 proposition bet was agreed to by the players. This means that, players who win a pot holding the cards 2 and 7, win, in addition to the pot, $500 from each of the other players. This rule created a lot of betting action since, as Antonio Esfandiari put it, "You never know if the guy [betting strongly] has aces or deuce-7."

A very common variant comes under the rubric of "doing business" or "running it" more than once. This can only apply when enough players have gone all in, such that no further betting is possible (in theory, it could involve more than two players, but in practice it invariably is an agreement between two players). The two players agree to deal the remaining cards to complete the board more than once. Running it twice would mean that each board is worth 50% of the pot. Running it three times means each board is worth one-third of the pot. Players like to use this rule as a kind of insurance to hedge against an unlucky run of cards. Typically, they are more likely to "do business" when each has odds near 50/50 (hoping to win at least one of the boards). They are less likely to "do business" when they are a heavy favorite to win.

Finally, there are proposition or "prop" bets that typically have to do with what flop hits on the board and have the flavor of a lottery among the players; there is no skill involved in winning these bets. A value is associated with a certain proposition. Players who take these bet pay off others if they lose, and get paid if they win. Examples are betting that all three cards on the flop will be red, or include a certain pair or any pair.

Noteworthy hands

In Season 2, Gus Hansen won $575,700 with four fives, beating Daniel Negreanu's full house. Hansen raised to $2,100 with 5Diams 5Clubs, and Negreanu re-raised to $5,000 with 6Spades 6Hearts, which Hansen called. The pot was $11,700, and the flop came 9Clubs 6Diams 5Hearts. Hansen checked his set of fives with a 4% chance of winning the hand and Negreanu bet $8,000 with his set of sixes and a 94% chance of winning the hand. Hansen raised over the top to $26,000 and Negreanu called, bringing the pot to $63,700. The turn came 5Spades, making Hansen quad fives, leaving Negreanu a 2% underdog with his full house. Hansen bet $24,000, and Negreanu called, slow playing his full house. The pot was now $111,700. The river came 8Spades. Hansen checked, and Negreanu bet $65,000. Hansen then went all in over the top for his remaining $232,000, bringing the pot to $408,700. Negreanu called, and Hansen took down a pot worth $575,700. This was the largest pot before the 500K minimum buy-in game during the fourth season and remains the largest as a multiple of the big blind ($600).

A $743,800 pot developed between Patrik Antonius and Jamie Gold in the November 12, 2007 episode of the fourth season. Antonius held ASpades JDiams and Gold had pocket kings. After the 3Spades QDiams THearts flop and KHearts turn, Antonius was a 3-to-1 favorite with his straight vs. Gold's three kings. Gold moved all-in and Antonius called to create the 743.8K pot. With such a large amount at stake the players agreed to run the river three times. The first two river cards, QHearts and 3Diams, both paired the board and gave the win to Gold with a full house. The third river card 8Spades kept Antonius' straight in front. As a result, Gold took two-thirds of the pot and Antonius one-third. Antonius' calm demeanor after the hand prompted host A.J. Benza to comment: "I'll tell you one thing: Patrik can take a punch. Imagine if that was Phil Hellmuth." [cite web|url=http://www.pokerlistings.com/high-stakes-poker-sickest-pot-ever-20030|title="High Stakes Poker": Sickest pot ever|author=Erik Sylven|date=2007-11-13|publisher=PokerListings.com|accessdate=2007-11-13]

An even bigger $998,800 pot developed in the November 26, 2007 episode between Antonius and Sammy Farha. Antonius went all-in after the flop with a pair of nines; Farha called with a king-high flush draw. The odds were roughly even, and the players agreed to run the turn and river four times. Antonius won three of the runs to take three-fourths of the pot. A previous hand in the episode saw Doyle Brunson win a $818,100 pot against Guy Laliberte. Brunson held ADiams TDiams and Laliberte had AHearts 5Hearts. The flop came AClubs JSpades 4Diams and the turn fell 2Diams. Brunson bet the turn, and Labiberte moved all-in and was called to make the 818.1K pot. The players agreed to run the river twice. Brunson was a 75% favorite with his better kicker and flush draw, and he won both river cards to take the entire pot. After the hand Brunson said, "When you don't make a pair for eight hours, you go crazy." [cite web|url=http://www.pokerlistings.com/high-stakes-poker-doyle-wins-biggest-pot-ever-21105|title=High Stakes Poker: record win for Doyle|author=Erik Sylven|publisher=PokerListings.com|date=2007-11-27|accessdate=2007-11-27]

The biggest successful bluff was in Season 3, when Brad Booth bluffed Phil Ivey off pocket kings with an inside straight draw. After Ivey bet $23,000 on the flop to make the pot $54,100, Booth raised to $300,000. The hands were KHearts KDiams vs 4Spades 2Spades, with the board 3Diams 6Diams 7Spades.

At the beginning of the fourth season, the players agreed that anyone who won a pot while holding the weakest possible hold 'em hand (2-7) would be paid $500 by every other player at the table. This led to several five-figure bluff bets that were calculated to pick up the $3,500 bonus (and the respect of the table) and Phil Hellmuth won the 7-2 bonus in the second televised hand of the season, making a $40,000 bet on the river that caused Mike Matusow to lay down pocket kings. [cite web|url=http://uk.pokernews.com/news/2007/8/high-stakes-poker-4.htm|title=High Stakes Poker is back for Season 4|author=Barry Carter|date=2007-08-28|publisher=Poker News|accessdate=2007-09-18]

The biggest unsuccessful bluff occurred as a result of this rule. Amateurs Antonio Salorio and Brian Brandon went to a raised flop with 72o and KK respectively. When Brandon flopped the nuts with K4K, Salorio continued to bet, eventually losing more than $100,000 before giving up when Brandon raised on the turn.

Players

=Other people in attendance, not playing=Ana Negreanu (Daniel Negreanu's mother), JC Tran and Marco Traniello
* Season 3: Carmel Petresco, Kaseem "Freddy" Deeb and John "Online" Nguyen

References

External links

* [http://www.gsn.com/cgi/shows/list_single.html?tvshow_id=19 Official site]
* [http://www.pokernews.com/news/2006/5/high-stakes-poker-second-season.htm 'High Stakes Poker' Back for Second Season]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNBrgISZijI Official Preview Video For Season Three]