Poker on TV

As the big poker rage continues on, it’s no surprise that TV shows featuring poker can be found all over the place.  Some shows feature million dollar tournaments; others delve into the world of high stakes cash games. There aren’t as many poker TV shows these days as there were a couple of years ago, but there’s still plenty of poker action on TV to get your fix.  Plus, tons of poker movies have been released in the recent past.

It’s really cool to see our beloved game of poker bring together so many different personalities.  Some people are there for the money, some are there for the fame, some play for fun and others don’t even know how they got to the star studded final tables they play at.  For some of the greatest poker on television, read on.

The World Series of Poker on ESPN

The crown jewel of poker tournaments can be found on the king of sports broadcasting several nights a week.  The WSOP is the biggest series of poker tournaments in the world, drawing in thousands of entrants each year and paying out millions of dollars to those who last until the end.  Recent years’ Main Event winners have taken home millions of dollars.

The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel

This high stakes series of tournaments travels to luxurious casinos around the world, making millionaires out of ordinary men.  Over 80 tournament players have become millionaires thanks to the WPT on the Travel Channel.  Tune in to get in on the action and see who will become the next millionaire.

High Stakes Poker on the Game Show Network

HSP on GSN shows how the real money is made in poker.  With minimum buyins ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, these cash games feature the best poker players in the world clashing over massive pots.

These games don’t have increasing blinds and tournament chips – they just have real pros playing with real cash.  The biggest pot to date was worth over one million dollars.  What happened after that?  Why, the next hand was dealt of course.

Poker After Dark on NBC

You can catch this poker show six days a week at 2:05 AM on NBC.  Poker After Dark is original in that it is played in a single table tournament format with only six players.  Additionally, this show is more realistic than other tournament programs because it shows almost every hand that is played, not just the big ones.

Best Damn Poker Show on FSN

While teams of poker players battle it out on the felt, the co-hosts of this show battle it out verbally.  The well known Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke work side by side to commentate on the action and eliminate players based on their plays, not on their chip counts.     

Tilt on ESPN

This fictional show is brought to you by the writers of Rounders and can be caught on Thursdays at ESPN.  Tilt follows the escapades of three seedy poker players who roam Las Vegas looking to take down the “The Matador,” the reigning poker king.  Featuring Michael Madsen as The Matador, this poker TV show is full of high stakes action and intrigue.