2023 World Series of Poker main event runner-up Steven Jones will be the latest poker player to appear on a reality game show.
Jones is a contestant on the upcoming season of Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge. Jones finished runner-up to Daniel Weinman in 2023, earning $6.5 million in the process. He could win $4.6 million if he wins the Netflix game show.
The show is based on the South Korean series Squid Game, which debuted in 2021 and went on to become the streaming service’s most-watch series, winning numerous awards in the process.
The game show has the same premise as the series. It begins with 456 players competing in a series of challenges. In the show, when players fail a challenge, there is a fatal consequence. But in the game show, the player is simply eliminated from competition.
Over time, the competition trims the field from 456 down to just a single player, who wins the entire prize pool. The Scottsdale, Arizona native posted a photo of himself in the traditional green tracksuit worn by contestants on the series.
“Your boy has entered the games!” he wrote announcing his entry. As with all contests, his tracksuit included his number – 183.
Following In The Footsteps Of Fellow Poker Pros
Like the TV series, the contestants go through psychological challenges, as well as physical ones. The English-speaking reality show was originally released in 2023 to capitalize on the popularity of the fictional show.
The Challenge reached the top spot in English-language shows on the streaming service at the time. More than 200 million tuned in to check out the show in the first three weeks of release.
At the tables, Jones cashed for nearly $7.3 million, with most of that coming from his runner-up finish two years ago.
Numerous other poker players appeared on reality and gameshows over the last few years. Poker pros Maria Ho and Tiffany Michell appeared on The Amazing Race in 2009. Ho later went on to appear on Deal or No Deal in 2019 as well.
However, Survivor is clearly the game show of choice for poker pros. Ronnie Bardah was voted off on the first episode in 2019, and Anna Khait competed on the show in 2015. Online poker and live stream legend Garrett Adelstein was on the show in 2013.
None of the poker pros ever won the competition.
Vanessa Rousso gave one of the best poker player game show performance with a third-place finish on Big Brother in 2015.
