Modified On July 13, 2005
Poker has never been hotter. Comedy has never been hotter. So, it occurred to us that a comedians-only Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament would be a natural. A similar thought occurred to the boys at Game Show Network. Every Tuesday night at 10 PM EDT, they run Poker Royale Comedians vs. Pros (details). You know the format already– six or seven poker players, two commentators keep confused viewers abreast of who’s got a good hand, who made a boneheaded bet, post-mortems (conducted by a spokesmodel) with winners and losers. Only this one has players like Robert Wuhl, Paul Rodriguez and Sue Murphy. As poker shows go, this one isn’t one of the better ones (through no fault of the comics)– the pros are second-tier pros, the play seems rushed, leaving insufficient time for the commentators to explain what happened/what’s happening. If you seek a poker show that allows you to learn, hit the Travel Channel or ESPN.
(Note to producers: You might have found someone more adept at conducting the post-mortems than the cute-as-a-button spokesmodel you’ve got there. Couldn’t you find a cute-as-a-button standup comic?!?)