Poker television programs have been extremely popular in the last several years, especially in North America and Europe. This has especially become the case since the invention of the "pocket cam" in 1997 (and its first use in the United States in 2003), which allows viewers at home to see each player's hole cards. North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... In poker, a hole cam (or pocket cam) is a camera that displays a players face-down cards (known as hole cards) to television viewers. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The large and growing jargon of poker includes many terms. ...

History

Poker has been appearing on television somewhat regularly since the late-1970s. In the United States, ESPN started airing the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event as an annual one hour show around this time. For many years, the coverage was less than robust because viewers at home could not see what cards the players had or follow their progress visually through graphics. Instead, the coverage essentially involved the commentators guessing what cards the players had in a documentary style production. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ... The WSOP logo The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious set of poker tournaments in the world. ...

In 1997 the hole cam, which allows audiences to see the hidden cards that players held in their hands, was introduced in Europe. The hole cam was patented by WSOP bracelet winner Henry Orenstein and first used in the Late Night Poker television series. It was used again in the inaugural Poker Million tournament in 2000 which boasted the attraction of the first £1,000,000 poker game on live television. By 2001, however, Late Night Poker had been cancelled in the UK and televised poker could no longer be found in Europe. In the US, the 1999, 2000 and 2001 World Series of Poker events were only broadcast in one hour documentaries on the Discovery Networks. Henry Orenstein is a professional poker player who has had a great amount of success, especially at the World Series of Poker. ... Late Night Poker is a British television show in which Poker players, mostly professionals or strong amateurs, compete in a short series of No-Limit Texas hold em tournament games for a prize of approximately £50,000. ... The Poker Million is a major European poker tournament which started in 2000 on the Isle of Man. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 1999, documentary filmmaker Steven Lipscomb produced and directed a documentary on the WSOP for the Discovery Channel. It was the first U.S. poker production funded entirely by a television network rather than the casino. When the 1999 WSOP aired, it doubled its audience over the hour time slot. Seeing the audience reaction, Lipscomb believed there was an untapped market and began pitching poker series ideas to cable and network television. Because poker had been on the air for over twenty years, with little viewer interest, broadcasters were unwilling to commit resources to put a series on the air. Discovery Channel is a cable and satellite TV channel founded by John Hendricks which is distributed by Discovery Communications. ...

In October 2001, Lipscomb wrote a business plan. Along with poker player Mike Sexton and poker business woman Linda Johnson, Lipscomb approached casino mogul and avid poker player, Lyle Berman, whose company Lakes Entertainment agreed to fund the World Poker Tour -- the first organized and televised tour of poker tournaments in the world. Mike Sexton (born September 22, 1947) is an American professional poker player and commentator. ... This article is about the poker personality. ... Berman on the cover of his book, Lyle Berman (born August 6, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a professional poker player and business executive. ... The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a series of poker tournaments featuring most of the worlds professional players. ...

In June 2002, WPT filmed its first episode at Bellagio in Las Vegas. Wanting to create a compelling, action-packed show, WPT took eight months to edit the first WPT episode. During this time, the “WPT Format” was created featuring the WPT Hole cam, interactive graphics and “live sports feel”. Buildings nearly lean over the water of the lake. ...

The first WPT episode aired on March 30th on the Travel Channel and became an instant success (the highest rated show in network history). ESPN, who resumed coverage of the World Series of Poker in 2002, immediately revised their format to include a hole cam and WPT-like graphics in their coverage of the final table of the 2003 WSOP Main Event, where Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker won $2.5 million after winning his seat through a $39 PokerStars satellite tournament. These key events are credited for attracting numerous new poker fans, increased numbers of entrants to live poker tournaments and increased investment in online poker. The much improved ratings of poker television programs from this point on lead to ESPN covering many more events of the World Series of Poker (besides just the Main Event as in the past) since 2003, as well as covering some other tournaments outside of the World Series, such as the United States Poker Championship. Since it first broadcast, WPT has also expanded its tour stops from 12 events at seven casino partner locations to 23 domestic and international tournaments and 14 casino partners in Season VI. The Travel Channel is a cable television network that features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. ... Christopher Bryan Moneymaker (born November 21, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP). ... Screenshot of the Pokerstars GUI at a real-money table game. ... The United States Poker Championship (USPC) is a major annual stop on the poker tournament tour. This event is held at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ...

Since the introduction of the hole cam and WPT television format, poker has become almost ubiquitous in the US and Europe. While poker originally aired on sports channels such as ESPN and Sky Sports has expanded to such "non traditional" networks as Bravo and GSN. All poker television programs make heavy use of the aforementioned pocket cam and television format, plus generally feature a "straightman" and a "comedian" type of commentators, with one often being a professional poker player. Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of 9 channels. ... This article is about the U.S. cable network. ... The Game Show Network (GSN) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. ...

With the ability to edit a tournament that lasts days into just a few hours, ESPN's World Series of Poker broadcasts generally focus on showing how various star players fared in each event. Key hands from throughout the many days of each year's WSOP Main Event are shown, and similar highly edited coverage of final tables is also provided. For the events in the WSOP before the Main Event, only the final table is covered in television coverage, similar to how the Main Event was televised before ESPN's airing of the 2003 World Series Main Event.

The World Poker Tour does not offer general coverage of the multi-day poker tournaments. Instead, the WPT covers only the action at the final table of each event. With aggressive play and increasing blinds and antes, the important action from a single table can easily be edited into a two hour episode. Although the tournament fate of fewer stars are chronicled this way, it allows the drama to build more naturally toward the final heads up showdown.

Although most poker shows on television focus on tournaments, High Stakes Poker shows a high-stakes cash game. In this game professional and amateur players play no limit Texas Hold 'em with their own money (the minimum to enter the game is $100,000). This game has allowed spectators to observe differences between cash games and tournaments, and to see how players adjust their play to the different format.^[1]

Poker's growth in Europe led to the creation of two FTA channels: The Poker Channel and Pokerzone. Both began broadcasting during 2005. Free-to-air is a phrase used to describe television and radio broadcasts which are available without subscription and without decryption (pay-TV). ... The Poker Channel is the world’s first television channel dedicated purely to the game of poker. ... A channel dedicated to poker, broadcasting on satellite channel 226 since 2005. ...

Poker television programs

Here is a list of poker television programs currently airing on television in either the United States or Europe. For the domestic fireplace tool, see fireplace poker. ...

North America

¹ The Discovery Channel aired one-hour specials on the 2000 and 2001 WSOP The WSOP logo The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious set of poker tournaments in the world. ... ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Lon McEachern (pronounced Ma-CAIR-en) is a poker analyst who provides play-by-play commentary on The World Series of Poker. ... Norman Chad at the 2006 World Series of Poker Norman Chad is a Los Angeles-based sportswriter and syndicated columnist who is frequently seen on the sports channel ESPN. Alongside sportscaster Lon McEachern, Chad is perhaps the best-known commentator on the World Series of Poker for ESPN. He also... The United States Poker Championship (USPC) is a major annual stop on the poker tournament tour. This event is held at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ... ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lon McEachern (pronounced Ma-CAIR-en) is a poker analyst who provides play-by-play commentary on The World Series of Poker. ... Norman Chad at the 2006 World Series of Poker Norman Chad is a Los Angeles-based sportswriter and syndicated columnist who is frequently seen on the sports channel ESPN. Alongside sportscaster Lon McEachern, Chad is perhaps the best-known commentator on the World Series of Poker for ESPN. He also... The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a series of poker tournaments featuring most of the worlds professional players. ... The Travel Channel is a cable television network that features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mike Sexton (born September 22, 1947) is an American professional poker player and commentator. ... Vincent Vince Van Patten (b. ... Celebrity Poker Showdown was a celebrity game show on the cable network Bravo. ... This article is about the U.S. cable network. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dave Foley (born January 4, 1963, in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian actor, best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, and Celebrity Poker Showdown. ... Phillip J. Hellmuth, Jr. ... The Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament is a series of no limit Texas hold em poker tournaments. ... Fox Sports Net headquarters in Los Angeles. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chris Rose is one of the hosts of The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Net. ... Howard Lederer (born October 30, 1964 in Concord, New Hampshire), is a professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. ... The Ultimate Poker Challenge (UPC) is a series of weekly poker tournaments acting as super-satellites into the series semi-finals. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chad Brown (born in Manhattan, New York) is an American actor, poker player and commentator, based in Los Angeles, California. ... Poker Royale is a television series that focuses on No Limit Texas hold em Poker that airs on GSN. The first series began on December 7, 2004. ... The Game Show Network (GSN) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Robert Williamson III (born 7 November 1970) is an American professional poker player from Dallas, Texas. ... High Stakes Poker logo High Stakes Poker is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A.J. Benza (born June 2, 1962) is a gossip columnist and television host. ... Gabriel Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945) is an American actor, comedian and professional poker player. ... The Professional Poker Tour (PPT) is a series of televised poker tournaments, spinning off from the World Poker Tour (WPT) television series. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Matt Corboy (born on June 4, 1973) is an American actor. ... Mark Seif (born October 4, 1967) is an American attorney and poker player from Lake Tahoe, Sierra Nevada. ... The National Heads-Up Poker Championship is an annual poker tournament held in the United States. ... This article is about the television network. ... Matt Vasgersian (born 1967) is an American sportscaster and television host, known for his versatility and humor. ... Gabriel Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945) is an American actor, comedian and professional poker player. ... The MANSIONPoker. ... Fox Sports Net headquarters in Los Angeles. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Barry Tompkins (born circa 1940) is a well known American sports-caster. ... Michael Konik is an American author, television personality, jazz singer, improvisational comedian, blackjack player and poker player. ... Poker After Dark is an hour-long late night poker television program on NBC, which debuted January 2007 in its NBC All Night programming lineup, airing six nights a week. ... This article is about the television network. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... Shana Hiatt Shana Hiatt (born 1975) is a model who has appeared in several magazines and posed for Playboy. ... The Pro-Am Poker Equalizer is a televised poker tournament in which professional poker players play Texas hold em against celebrities which began airing on ESPN in January 2007. ... ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... For the mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, see Phil Gordon (politician) Phil Gordon (born July 6, 1970) is an American professional poker player, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... Discovery Channel is an American cable TV network, based in Silver Spring, MD, that has a variety of science programming, particularly documentaries and nature shows. ...

Europe

Late Night Poker is a British television show in which Poker players, mostly professionals or strong amateurs, compete in a short series of No-Limit Texas hold em tournament games for a prize of approximately £50,000. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Fox Sports Net headquarters in Los Angeles. ... This article is about the year. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jesse May (born July 28th 1980) is a poker commentator. ... Barny M. P. Boatman (born in St Pancras, London in 1966), sometimes known as Barmy Barny Boatman is an English professional poker player and the oldest member of the poker-playing foursome known as The Hendon Mob. ... The Poker Million is a major European poker tournament which started in 2000 on the Isle of Man. ... Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of 9 channels. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Duthie (born 13 May 1958 in Yorkshire) is an English television director turned professional poker player and promoter based in London. ... The World Heads-Up Poker Championship (WHUPC) is an annual elimination-format poker tournament of one-on-one no limit texas holdem matches. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Celebrity Poker Club is a British television show featuring celebrities playing poker. ... Challenge is a British digital TV channel owned by Virgin Media Television. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Victoria Vicky Coren (born 1972) is a British writer, presenter and poker player. ... The European Poker Tour (EPT) began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold em popularity. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Colin Murray (born March 10, 1977) is a BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Five Live DJ and television presenter from the Dundonald area of east Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... The Victor Chandler Poker Cup (often abbreviated to The Victor Poker Cup or The VC Poker Cup} is an annual poker tournament held in England for broadcast on Sky Sports. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Gaming Club World Poker Championship was held at the Merrion Casino Club in Dublin, Ireland during 2004. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Poker Channel is the world’s first television channel dedicated purely to the game of poker. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The World Speed Poker Open (WSPO) is an international poker tournament held under Speed Poker rules. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gary Herbert The Choirboy Jones (born 29 October 1972) is a professional poker player from Stafford, Staffordshire, England. ... Roy The Boy Brindley is an English professional poker player, now living in Dublin, Ireland. ... Lucy Rokach is a professional poker player, regarded as one of the top female players in Europe. ... Late Night Poker is a British television show in which poker players, mostly professionals or strong amateurs, compete in a short series of No-Limit Texas hold em tournament games for a prize of approximately £50,000. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Simon Aces Trumper (born 31 May 1963) is an English professional poker player from South Kensington, London, England. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grub Smith is an English TV Presenter and journalist for FHM and Poker Player magazines. ... Anthony Guy (Tony) Cascarino (born September 1, 1962 in St Pauls Cray, Orpington, Kent, England) made his name as a striker for various British and French football clubs and for the Republic of Ireland. ... Series logo The William Hill Poker Grand Prix is a poker tournament sponsored by William Hill plc shown on Sky Sports. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andrew (Andy) Black (born 20 July 1965) is a poker player from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who presently resides in Dublin. ... The Poker Nations Cup is an international poker tournament, televised on Channel 4 from March 2006 onwards. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Professional poker player from Ireland. ... The PartyPoker. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ken Richard Douglas Top Hat Lennaárd (born May 29, 1971) is a Swedish professional poker player, based in Stockholm. ... This article is about CNBC U.S., the business news channel in the U.S.. For other uses, see CNBC (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Notes

1. ^ Burton, Earl (May 24, 2006). 'High Stakes Poker' Back for a Second Season in June. PokerNews. Retrieved on October 27, 2006.