In 2011, the American government created a cleft in the world of online poker the size of the Grand Canyon and the consequences reverberated around the world.
One of those hit by the loss of revenue generated by that healthy vein was the televised poker industry. One by one TV shows that used to have us trembling with excitement fell off the face of the earth.
‘High Stakes Poker’ was one of the shows that died in that Annus horribilis, but fans of the live cash game machine will be delighted to know that it’s about to experience a resurrection.
Poker Central, the Netflix of poker, has acquired the brand and assets of the show in a new deal that will see old episodes rerun on PokerGO, with plans to stick the paddles on the chest of this bad boy sometime in the future.
You spell hay day ‘heyday’, and it has nothing to do with hay. During ‘High Stakes Poker’s’ heyday, it operated at peak velocity with seven seasons rammed into the years 2006 & 2011.
The show attracted a variety of top pros and amateurs with Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari ticking all of the North American poker glamour boxes, appearing in every single episode.
The format was No-Limit Hold ’em (NLHE), and in its first season, the minimum buy-in was $100,000, rising as high as $500,000 by the time the show had reached its fourth season.
Sam Simmons, president of Poker Central, said the show conveyed the ‘drama of cash game poker, beautifully,’ and said he was excited to ‘recapture the nostalgia and magic’ of the show on PokerGO.
The revitalised program is in good hands. Poker Hall of Famer, Mori Eskandani, produced all sevens seasons of the show for the Game Show Network, and he now serves as an executive producer for Poker Central.
“High Stakes Poker was raw and natural, we just let the players play, and that’s what made it so special,” Said Eskandani before continuing, It’s a dream come true to bring the series to a new generation of poker fans and players. We expect even more action when the show returns with faces, both new and old.”
You can grab yourself a PokerGO subscription for as little at $8.50 per month if you pay annually, or $10 per month otherwise.