The Game Show Network (GSN) has now had 5 successful seasons with its show High Stakes Poker. This exhilarating show lets the average person see inside the world of high stakes cash game poker.
Players seem to be selected by invitation and the table will feature some of the most well known figures in professional poker, often including icons like Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, and Barry Greenstein. You will also see successful and young internet players in the mix as well. The table dynamics vary but are usually quite exciting.
The stakes of the game are easily one of the biggest draws. Each player buys in for a minimum of $100,000 of his or her own money. A few of the pots have been over half a million dollars, with the average pot easily above $20,000. Super high dollar fireworks have occurred at the table many times through out the seasons. At least two pots have made it to just over $900,000 and one pot was recorded at 1.2 million dollars. There have also been pots at $575,000 and $743,000. After one player gets all of his poker chips into the pot, the two remaining players often run the remaining board cards multiple times in these all-in situations. However one historical hand between Barry Greenstein and Tom Dwan was settled with no extra runs and the take was just over $919,000. Tom Dwan came out on top in that hand.
Each year seems to leave you wondering when more episodes are coming or if there will be a new season. Hopefully there will be a season six to keep us entertained and intrigued. It is hard to imagine the show not doing well. The amounts of money involved and the different personalities appear to always make for and interesting mix of action and entertainment around the poker table.
Almost forgot the colorful hosts, AJ Benza and Gabe Kaplan. AJ Benza is gossip columnist and talk show host. Benza also landed and acting role as a fight promoter in the movie Rocky Balboa. You may remember Gabe Kaplan from the TV show Welcome Back, Kotter where he played a witty teacher who was never short on wise cracks. Kaplan is also a comedian and professional poker player.