Fox Network has recorded a new Poker TV show which any poker player can take part in. They have enjoyed great success with their show “High Stakes Poker” where fans sit back in awe watching players willing to play at the highest stakes fight for pots worth sometimes over $500,000 of real money. The new show is going to be called “Low Stakes Poker” and Fox believes this will relate to every poker player as something they understand and could take part in.
It is a shrewd move by Fox who appreciate that the player pool at the top level of Texas Hold ‘em poker are a close knit group and the players style is governed on High Stakes Poker many times by previous history with the opponent. Playing at lower stakes the show will be more about standard play highlighting the flaws in the player’s games. Closing these leaks will help the participating players get better without costing a lot of money.
The action is $0.02/$0.04 meaning that an adequate bankroll for this game would be around fifty to one hundred dollars of real money if you follow the recommended guidelines of good bankroll management. Of course players will turn up to this poker show with their last ten dollars, that is the nature of good poker television.
Fox are keen to show that they do not share the blasé attitude that the top poker players have to large losses at the poker table on shows like Poker after Dark or High Stakes Poker. In the current economic climate they appreciate that times are tough and they want to encourage poker players that fun games can be found at any level of poker and you do not need to risk it all at the high stakes poker tables. If you only have $10 to play poker with there are still games to play and you should play hard just as if you had $10,000 at the table. This is a view shared by Kevin Reilly of Fox.
Kevin is quoted as saying that the decadence of poker players and their tolerance to large amounts of risk is not something they wish to promote too hard. They do go to incredible lengths to ensure comparisons with High Stakes Poker are obvious only in their difference to it. Play was recorded on an Air Hockey table in a public area and not in the closed and securely guarded room in the casino. Players had bundles of nickels rather than the thick wad of dollar bills used by the high stakes participants. This does not mean the players do not try in low stakes poker and the value of money is stressed at all times.
It is pleasing to see that the TV network appreciates that the value of money depends solely on the individual. Many lower stakes poker players would feel just as bad losing $10 as a high stakes player like Tom Dwan would feel losing $100,000. In Low Stakes Poker every player is fighting for the chips no matter what their value.
Rather than the pots being $180,000 they are more like $18, but hopefully people will still enjoy the entertainment. The players selected are likely to make up for the lack of large cash pots with superb entertainment and some slapstick humour. You can expect an inadvertent High Stakes Poker spoof show with serious poker being played as players realise the stakes are small and viewers do not tune in for the poker pots like they do on High Stakes Poker. For many of them this is their moment in the spotlight and they will ensure you are entertained thoroughly. Phil Hellmuth is taking part and this will ensure plenty of lively banter at the table.
I cannot wait for this show to air and only hope it is shown in the UK where I am based. This could be something very popular and something most players could participate in and aspire to be part of. Make sure you tune in to what could become a cult poker sites in 2010 and could see many players join in at the lower stakes games.
By Malcolm Clarke