Yes, it is true. I'm an addict. I watch all of the major poker TV shows and listen to most of the major podcasts. I'm a junkie, gotta have my poker fix. Not to mention that I'm often playing poker online while listening to a podcast, or watching Poker TV.
There is a lot of poker out there, but the cream does rise to the top.
TV:
- High Stakes Poker - This is hands down the best poker show out there since its inception. This season the $500,000 buy in raised it up another notch. It is fascinating watching people verbally probe other players to find out if they have to lay down their strong hands. This is poker at a whole nutha level.
- Poker After Dark - This show started out a little slow, but the episodes in 2008 have been great. Although I do prefer Shana to Marianela.
- NBC Heads Up Championship - This is the only place to see heads up poker. Although the poker content is spread very thin until the late rounds. I mean how can you really get a feel for how the pros play when 8 simultaneous matches only get 1 hour of coverage?
- World Poker Tour - This is the show that started it all, but it isn't as exciting as it once was. The fast structure (that has recently been adjusted) lead to quick all in fests. And while all in poker may be exciting for the general public, it doesn't give the true poker enthusiast much to really enjoy. Poker is in the nuance, not just brute force.
- WSOP - On the plus side, the WSOP is the biggest poker spectacle of the year. You will see a wide variety of amateur and professional players. You will also see a wide variety of games. (Got Razz?) In fact is is the only place to see anything other than hold'em. On the negative, everything is extremely cut down. It is rare to get any feel for how the tables really went down. It is produced for mass consumption and watered down, but it still has enough pizazz to make me want to watch it.
Podcasts:
- Ante Up - I think this may be the longest running poker podcast still going. It is also very likely the best. The banter between Chris "Ace Ten" Cosenza and Scott "Let me lose at limit" Long is hilarious without being juvenile or offensive. They are professional journalists and it shows. The show is educational, informative and entertaining. They are serious amateur players trying to get better at the game. This means they can discuss poker at the level of most of their listeners (except on the topic of pot odds). You can probably skip the first 10 episodes before they knew what the hell they were doing (although the first episode is less than 7 minutes long).
- Rounders/Two Plus Two Pokercast - This was originally a radio show based in Canada. It has professional poker player Adam Schwartz as a host. While Adam isn't one of the "Big Name" pros, he definitely has a solid understanding of the game. He also looks at the game from a pros point of view, which is to say a way to make money rather than just entertainment. He and the co-host Mike Johnson have a good rapport, but it isn't quite as humorous as Ante Up. They have good information and the show is entertaining. Recently the show has migrated to be owned by the two plus two poker site (the Sklansky/Malmuth publishing company and poker forum). They are still working some of the kinks out of the transition. They are overhauling the show as a result. Some of the changes I think will be good, such as tips from Sklansky. But others will likely make it a more specialized show for the online poker community, instead of the show accessible to the average poker fan which it has historically been.
- Poker Road Radio - This is the third incarnation of the Joe Sebok, Gavin Smith traveling tournament cast. It was first "The Circuit" hosted by Card Player Magazine. Then it became Poker Wire Radio until Poker Wire bit the dust. Now Sebok has started his own company and it should be here to say. This show presents poker from the professional tournament player's point of view. This version of the is hosted by Bart Hanson (who previously hosted Live at the Bike). Bart doesn't bring the same level of humor that previous hosts Scott Huff and Joe Stapleton brought, but he does bring a stronger poker background. He also give some needed sanity and balance to the wackiness of Smith and Sebok. This show does a great job of emphasizing that there are several winning styles in poker, but it probably won't make you a better player. For example Gavin's style of play takes a level of reading ability that beginning players just won't have. Over all the show is entertaining, but consider it R rated and it has a South Park sensibility.
- Pocket Fives Podcast - Hosted by the online site pocket fives, this podcast is for hardcore fans only. It focuses on the online poker world, so if you want to know more about sbrugby, GreenPlastic, BelowAbove, ActionJeff, Rizen, Sheets or other online players this is the podcast for you.
Well I think I've written enough for now. Let me know if you are as addicted to poker media as I am, or am I just a degenerate? :)
