Poker on TV and Another Tour Coming

OK, I admit it. I go to our website daily and read Daniel Negreanu's blog. He always talks about poker, but more importantly, what he watches on television. So, if he can do it, why can't I?

My wife was gone last week, which means that I sat on the couch and watched hours of televised poker. I started with High Stakes Poker on GSN. Some of the players on the show were Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Johnny Chan, Daniel Negreanu, Jerry Buss, Sean Sheikhan, Jennifer Harman, Eli Elezra, and Sammy Farha. It is hard for me to express how much pleasure it gave me to see how the players in the "big game" play for real money. The biggest difference between live-action poker on TV and tournament poker is the swings. The swings in tournament poker occur quickly, because you get chips and then can immediately go broke. The live-action game showed more emotions develop and the flow of the game. I really enjoyed watching the players eat and make fun of each other, forgetting that they were on camera. I want to take a shot against those guys, but don't think I could stomach the blinds.

Afterward, I watched the Poker Superstars Invitational on Fox Sports. The format of this show is different than others. There are 24 players who each play five matches against five others. The top 16 players determined by points move on to the next round. I will not tell you how the next rounds work for a few months, because there are 20 weeks of six-player satellites to watch and enjoy. At CardPlayer.com, we will update the Poker Superstars Invitational leader board weekly, and provide a preview of the next week's match.

Also, I recently heard of a new poker tour that's coming out called the International Poker Association (IPA). It is an invitational tour that starts at Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles on May 8. For all of you horse-racing fans, you can watch the races while playing. All of the events have added money, and the $10,000 no-limit hold'em championship has $250,000 added. Only 300 players are invited or qualify to play in the championship. At the end of the season, there is a 36-player finale for which one can qualify by placing in the top three spots of the individual casino championships or by being one of the money leaders on the tour. I will report back soon with when and where you can watch all of the action.