After nine years of being M.I.A., the popular poker show, High Stakes Poker, is finally coming back. PokerGO will re-launch the series with brand-new episodes beginning December 16.
On December 13, three days earlier, Poker After Dark will also return to PokerGO. Poker After Dark, televised on NBC late-night during the poker boom era, returned to PokerGO in 2017 for the first time since 2012. The show has been off the air since COVID-19 struck due to health restrictions.
Poker Central is expecting a big month of viewership in December on its growing poker app. With the return of two popular poker shows that aired during the poker boom era, the poker media company just might lure in some of those old-school poker fans.
PokerGO is available on devices such as Roku (or a computer) for $39.99 quarterly or $99.99 per month. You can get $10 off your annual subscription by entering the code "DUEL," per the company's Twitter page. If you're interested in watching the reboot of High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, you'll need a paid subscription to the app.
PokerGO also recently hosted the three heads-up matches between Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari. The app is the only place you can watch previous World Series of Poker episodes, along with many other poker shows, including High Stakes Poker.
History of High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker aired for seven seasons (98 episodes) on the Game Show Network from 2006-2011. Following Black Friday, the show lost its top advertisers (the poker sites) and was canceled. But for five years, it was arguably the most popular poker show in history.
There are a number of reasons High Stakes Poker was so entertaining and beloved around the poker community. And also why it attracted so many casual poker fans. First off, the commentators — Gabe Kaplan and A.J. Benza — were talented and comedic. During the seventh and final season, Kaplan (former star of Welcome Back, Kotter) left and was replaced by former Saturday Night Live actor Norm Macdonald, one of the top Canadian comedians.
On top of having entertaining commentators, the show always had some of the most charismatic and talented poker players in the world at the time. And they were playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Pros such as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Tom "durrrr" Dwan, and Gus Hansen were regulars on High Stakes Poker. The poker cash game show also brought on some wealthy celebrities such as long-time Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who was an avid poker enthusiast.
You can expect more of the same from the High Stakes Poker reboot, although Poker Central hasn't announced the exact cast of characters. High Stakes Poker was filmed in Las Vegas during all seven seasons at a mix of casinos around town (The Palms, Golden Nugget, South Point, and Bellagio). The new show will take place inside the PokerGO Studio, which is right outside the Aria on the Las Vegas Strip.
The new season begins December 16. More details on the format (will it be live or recorded?) will soon become available once Poker Central releases that information.
Featured image source: Twitter
