For a number of years, I've traveled to southern California, on business and to visit my best friend, who lives in La Habra. I've played poker in the Bicycle and Commerce facilities, perhaps the two prime poker establishments anywhere, as well as in Palm Springs area.
I'm skilled enough to do O.K. in games with, say, $15/$30 limits and in some of the regular in-house tournaments which cost in the range of $100 to play. More importantly, I'm good enough a player and smart enough to know I don't belong at the table with the guys and gals in this series, or in the high-stakes games they play on a day-to-day basis.
There are occasional rank amateurs who make these final tables, and also occasionally do well at them. But this is pretty much like someone winning a lottery - lucky at the right time, against great odds.
For most of us who enjoy playing the game, it's like a fairly good, say, college baseball player watching the major leaguers - you can appreciate and understand what they do, and how they do it, even though your talents for the game are lesser.
There are a number of other presentations since this program brought the weekly contests to the air several years ago now. Mike Sexton is an outstanding commentator and a leading professional, and Vince Patton, a competent amateur who provides a "show biz" touch, but not overdone.. They work well together, and I feel they provide a proper balance of comment, criticism and humor, and do not feel they have to be talking non-stop, as so many commentators do in many sports and game presentations.
The players, most of whom have their skill for the game in common, otherwise present an interesting variety of sizes, shapes, ages and personalities - and the quality of production of the programs, and the variety of venues add well to viewer interest.
All told, an excellent presentation for those of us interested in poker. And the interest and participation in Texas Hold'em now probably exceeds all other poker variations combined. Going back a relatively few years, to older books on poker, this game would be little-mentioned, or completely omitted; 7-card stud and draw were the main staple. This show alone put it well-ahead of all others, and along with its imitators, this will undoubtedly remain true in the foreseeable future.
