High Stakes Poker cancelled? UPDATE!
Tampabay.com

Past episodes

Click on these links to hear past episodes of Ante Up!

Comment Policy

    Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that:
  • Is libelous
  • Is abusive, harassing, or threatening
  • Is obscene, vulgar, or profane
  • Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive
  • Is illegal or encourages criminal acts
  • Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution
  • Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others
  • Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious)
  • Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises
  • The St. Petersburg Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy.

Episode #153: Justin Bonomo | Main | Let the maniac do your betting »

May 16, 2008

High Stakes Poker cancelled? UPDATE!

HsplogoI awoke this morning to news that High Stakes Poker on GSN may be in trouble. Numerous sites are reporting the HSP folks haven't filmed a new season yet and there doesn't seem to be plans to either. Pokerati.com quoted AJ Benza in its report as well, and AJ doesn't seem happy: "Far as Gabe and I know ... the show isn't coming back." Also CardPlayer talked with Mori Eskandani of POKER PROductions and he confirms that GSN hasn't ordered any new episodes yet. Here is the story.

Dennis Oehring at Poker PROductions emailed me today and here's what he said: "Many decisions about poker are currently being made by GSN, which is under new leadership since the departure of ex-CEO Rich Cronin. But I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that POKER PROductions has never been notified of the show being cancelled, despite what you may have read from the so-called pundits out there. I suspect we will know a lot more about the course of GSN's future programming after next Saturday (May 24), the deadline for them to decide whether to renew the WPT's contract for Season 7. Once we hear, I will be sure to let the poker community know."

If this news becomes official I'll be handing in my digital cable box ASAP! GSN is the only reason I got the box in the first place. For those of you who haven't listened to our latest show yet, I mentioned High Stakes while I talked to Justin Bonomo. Will HSN go the way of Courtney Friel, Sabina Gadecki and Shana Hiatt by joining the curse of Ante Up? For the first time I truly hope not.

Sad day for poker if this is true.

UPDATE: Mori has gotten back to me and he apparently read the blog because here's his response when I asked him if GSN cancelled his show: We have gotten no such a notice. Our relationship with GSN remains as strong as ever. We respect any decision that they make regarding poker in general and HSP in particular. Last time I spoke to them, the network was trying to figure out if poker can work/exists in the direction that they like to take their future programming. It is totally possible that we get a call tomorrow and receive an order for more seasons. NO ONE KNOWS. Please don't return your cable box just yet.

-- Chris

Comments

Poor decision if they drop HSP. As for the direction of the network, didn't GSN just pick up the WPT? I don't get the strategy here.

Apparently ex-CEO Rich Cronin was a big supporter of poker and integral in landing the WPT on GSN. But now with his departure everything is up in the air. It reminds me of Seinfeld when they get the pilot on the air and then the president of NBC leaves for Greenpeace to impress Elaine and the new boss hates JERRY and cancels it.

Markets never lie, if it is a financially viable then someone will air it.

These shows were supported by online gaming sites, now they are not supported by online gaming sites.

That sucks for the viewer, although I can understand how losing all of the ad revenue is going to hurt the production.

For those of us cash game players, it was great to see a cash game. Cash games are so much better poker than tourney all-in fests that appear on TV. You could really learn hand to hand how the play develops. I know alot of people don't like Gabe but his analysis of the flow of the game was as good as you could expect.

Compare that to following a WSOP tournament where the cameras chase around all in moments (presented by Milwaukee's Best). You can't learn anything watching that way.

This is bad news.

Hopefully, the markets will allow it back.

Barry Greenstein does a pretty good job of explaining what is going on with HSP and televised poker in general in his recent interview on the Two Plus Two Pokercast.

In a nutshell, the online sites kind of broke the market by paying so much to have their sites advertised in various venues and on various poker shows.

Now that they won't/can't do it anymore there is no one willing to pay for the production of these shows - never forget that there is still a stigma associated with "gambling" and most advertisers don't want their product associated with it.

When you add this situation to new management (rumored to hold an anti-gambling bias) at GSN, the likely results are pretty obvious.

Live At The Bike, anyone?

Gonna be an interesting few months for TV poker.... Maybe it will take something innovative (like a nearly live WSOP final table, complete with 9 players we all know (3 months of publicity) and have a vested interest (3 months of investing our time watching the preliminaries) in who wins) to spark renewed interest.

It is a real shame that the best (with Poker After Dark coming close) of the TV poker shows will bite the dust. But it is a sign of things to come.

The poker boom is over. Frankly, there is not a great deal of positive news that will attract new players.

WPT cuts back on number of events
On-line cheating scandals
UIGEAmouse law passed
TV Poker show ratings are tanking
Crazyfads.com just listed Texas Hold'em
as a fad of the decade.
decline in number of players on-line
On-line sites blocking US players

And just wait for the fallout when 60 minutes does a planned expose of the Absolute Poker cheating scandal. Wives, girlfriends, mothers and even our internal ids (and egos) will demand an explanation of just what in the he*l we have been up to.

Wow, just reread that...Sorry for the rant that has been building.

High Stakes Poker...Let's hope someone else picks it up.

GSN, who watches it for anything other than poker? I started to enjoy Guy Laliberte's gamesmanship on the show and seeing Jamie Gold play poker like a dufus.

I would have thought one of these shows (basically a reality show) would be pretty cheap/easy to produce. There's no writing involved - just throw the guys at a table, make them bring their own money, & film them playing. Editing is the only real cost, & that's not unique to this show. Unless the ratings are abysmal, why wouldn't they (or someone else) continue this?

Dude... get out of the dark ages and walk to the light with your stimulus check and buy a shiny HD TV. You need the box for those channels.

Funny thing is HD TV has limited my tv selection now adays. I use my 20-30 HD channels and that's it.

*Except for GSN of course. Those two poker shows are only reason I watch this low-res channel.

Paboo

I will personally hunt down and smack the new President of that channel with a wet fish if they cancel HSP.

GSN's High Stakes Poker is the best poker show out there. The poker being played is the best poker out there. I wouldn't understand why they would drop this show when all I ever hear about it from other poker players is good things. I always hear people say it's the best poker show.

Please don't drop HSP...PLEASE!

Thanks for the update, High Stakes Poker is definitely my favorite poker show. I think that GSN would be doing itself a huge disservice to officially cancel it or the WPT.

Wow. I like the way you guys think. Thanks for the support and let's hope the higher-ups take a listen.

I agree HSP is the best poker on TV. If GSN cancels it, I have to believe that someone else will pick it up. Does anyone know what the ratings are? It's the only show that every poker player I've ever talked to says is great.

AJ, if they fire you, you have an open invitation to be on our show to rip into them. Of course I highly doubt that was AJ ... in fact I have a feeling it was OPUS

Chris....Believe me, this is A.J. You cant post a comment without leaving your real info. Anyhow...thanks for your support. What show is it that you're on? And, P.S., I wouldnt rip GSN. I just want an answer (and a quick one) as to the life of our show.
AJ

AJ, I checked your IP address and you have the same address as one of our listeners named Opus. If it is you, take a look at my Open Letter to GSN and chime in.

Our show is a podcast, as evidenced by this web page, which is a radio show for the Internet. If you want to be on when this settles email me your contact info at anteup.tampabay@gmail.com. Thanks!

Everyone should write/email/call GSN and let your feelings be known.

HSN has to come back.........!!

I need their email address. HSN is the best for poker on tv. It would be a shame to lose it. great players and good humor on the show and well produced.

It would be really bad if HSN wouldn't come back :( It's one of the best poker TV programmes ever!
You can find out more about poker here: http://www.pokerbloggs.com/
Cheers :)

Post a comment

If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In

About This Blog

Christopher Cosenza is co-host of the longest running poker podcast on the planet, Ante Up! He started playing poker seriously in 2003 and his favorite players are Phil Ivey and Kenna James, though he tends to act like Phil Hellmuth if you make a bad play against him.

Scott Long, Ante Up!'s other co-host, is the author of the monthly Bet on It column in tbt*. He began gambling way too young (don't tell the fuzz!) and in the seventh grade, named his state "Gambleland" for a school project (State Animal? Loan shark, of course).

E-mail Ante Up: poker@tbt.com
poker@tampabay.com

Listen to the podcast

Ante Up is a weekly podcast you can listen to on a computer or MP3 player.

Or plug this RSS feed onto your computer.

To hear the latest "Ante Up" episode now, click here.

ANTE UP! HOTLINE: Leave us a comment or a voice greeting and we'll use it on the show. Call us toll-free at (866) 371-9605. Local and international listeners can call (727) 824-7742.

Subscribe to / Bookmark this Blog

Advertisement

Buy some gear

Special Video Report

Blogs that Link to Ante Up