I'm hosting a new poker TV show...
If anyone says this should go under "Advertising", I will ban them. Quickly. 
For the past month or two I've been talking with the people at CGTV about a new poker show they're about to launch, called "Poker Night Live". After a couple of meetings, a screen test, and a pilot episode, it is official... the show is a "go", and I will be one of their "experts".
The premise: "Poker Night Live" is already a big success in the UK. The gist of it is, they put online poker on TV on a five minute delay, expose the hole cards, and a couple of people talk about what they're seeing. We will be moving from game to game, some cash games, sit and go's, tournaments, etc., at various stakes, stages, and buy-in's.
Where you can see it: The show will be airing on CGTV starting a week from today. That is January 18th, from 11:00 pm until 1:00 am. CGTV is a digital channel, "Casino and Gaming Television". It is on Roger's 288 here in Toronto... not sure about the rest of the country. For the first month, we will be taping all of the episodes the day before they air; thus, the show on the 18th will be showing games that were played on the 17th, etc. etc. two days before they air; thus, the show on the 27th will be showing games that were played on the 25th, etc. etc.The network hopes to go fully live (but of course on a 5-minute delay, games-wise) in about a month or so, possibly changing to a 3-hour format. If that happens, I will need an extra bladder, and a nicotine IV drip.
It is more or less a live show. Wed. to Sun. nights... we tape the first hour from 9:30 to 10:30pm. It airs 1.5 hrs later from 11 to midnight. Midnight to 1 is totally live. Mon. and Tues. are repeats. All nightly shows are repeated the following day from noon to 2pm.
My involvement: Each episode will have a host and an "expert". The host will ask the expert questions, get us in and out of commercial, etc etc, while the expert will talk about the online action, criticizing some plays while applauding others. There are 2 experts for the show. I am one, the other is a very nice guy named "Johnny T". We will be alternating shifts, more or less, the theory being that if there was just one "expert", not only would we probably get burnt out, but also there would be no back-up plan in the event that the expert couldn't do a show.
How you can play: As a representative of "Poker Night Live", I should mention that neither the show, nor the network, nor anyone affiliated with either in any way supports, endorses, or encourages online gaming. The show simply takes a feed of online games that are in progress, and comments on what is happening. So, the bottom line is, I can't tell you how you can play on television... my job is to comment on what I'm seeing at any time on the screen in front of me, not to drive traffic to online gaming sites, and I have to respect that. I think that if you watch the show, though, you will probably be able to answer any questions you may have about this subject.
The link to the "Poker Night Live" UK website is here: http://www.pokernightlive.co.uk/
The link to the CGTV website is here: http://www.cgtv.com/ although I don't think they have info. on "PNL" yet. They will probably have some information on their site shortly. EDIT: www.pokernightlive.ca
So, if you watch the show and you disagree with any of my analysis, feel free to email me at the show (the address will appear on the screen) and I'll try to address your comments. 2 hours is a LOT of content, and a LOT of time to talk about poker, 2 or 3 times a week. Emails would be nice.
Let me know if you have any questions about any of this stuff, and if you do check it out, let me know what you think! Remember, I'm pretty new at the TV thing so it will be all I can do to remember what camera to look at and pretend like I don't have a little speaker in my ear with someone telling me how long we have to go until commercial while I'm trying to talk about implied odds or controlling the price of showdown. I fully expect people to flat-out disagree with me on some points... remember, poker advice is subjective... and I welcome the opportunity for discussion. All I can do is tell people what *I* would do in any situation. I expect that others would do things differently.
Oh yeah, and I need a few black blazers. And button-down shirts. And I need to learn how to apply makeup to my face and especially to my head. Should be an interesting month...
As always, thanks to Dave Scharf for passing my name along to these folks, way back when. I'm glad he lives in Saskatoon...
For the past month or two I've been talking with the people at CGTV about a new poker show they're about to launch, called "Poker Night Live". After a couple of meetings, a screen test, and a pilot episode, it is official... the show is a "go", and I will be one of their "experts".
The premise: "Poker Night Live" is already a big success in the UK. The gist of it is, they put online poker on TV on a five minute delay, expose the hole cards, and a couple of people talk about what they're seeing. We will be moving from game to game, some cash games, sit and go's, tournaments, etc., at various stakes, stages, and buy-in's.
Where you can see it: The show will be airing on CGTV starting a week from today. That is January 18th, from 11:00 pm until 1:00 am. CGTV is a digital channel, "Casino and Gaming Television". It is on Roger's 288 here in Toronto... not sure about the rest of the country. For the first month, we will be taping all of the episodes the day before they air; thus, the show on the 18th will be showing games that were played on the 17th, etc. etc. two days before they air; thus, the show on the 27th will be showing games that were played on the 25th, etc. etc.The network hopes to go fully live (but of course on a 5-minute delay, games-wise) in about a month or so, possibly changing to a 3-hour format. If that happens, I will need an extra bladder, and a nicotine IV drip.
It is more or less a live show. Wed. to Sun. nights... we tape the first hour from 9:30 to 10:30pm. It airs 1.5 hrs later from 11 to midnight. Midnight to 1 is totally live. Mon. and Tues. are repeats. All nightly shows are repeated the following day from noon to 2pm.
My involvement: Each episode will have a host and an "expert". The host will ask the expert questions, get us in and out of commercial, etc etc, while the expert will talk about the online action, criticizing some plays while applauding others. There are 2 experts for the show. I am one, the other is a very nice guy named "Johnny T". We will be alternating shifts, more or less, the theory being that if there was just one "expert", not only would we probably get burnt out, but also there would be no back-up plan in the event that the expert couldn't do a show.
How you can play: As a representative of "Poker Night Live", I should mention that neither the show, nor the network, nor anyone affiliated with either in any way supports, endorses, or encourages online gaming. The show simply takes a feed of online games that are in progress, and comments on what is happening. So, the bottom line is, I can't tell you how you can play on television... my job is to comment on what I'm seeing at any time on the screen in front of me, not to drive traffic to online gaming sites, and I have to respect that. I think that if you watch the show, though, you will probably be able to answer any questions you may have about this subject.
The link to the "Poker Night Live" UK website is here: http://www.pokernightlive.co.uk/
The link to the CGTV website is here: http://www.cgtv.com/ although I don't think they have info. on "PNL" yet. They will probably have some information on their site shortly. EDIT: www.pokernightlive.ca
So, if you watch the show and you disagree with any of my analysis, feel free to email me at the show (the address will appear on the screen) and I'll try to address your comments. 2 hours is a LOT of content, and a LOT of time to talk about poker, 2 or 3 times a week. Emails would be nice.
Let me know if you have any questions about any of this stuff, and if you do check it out, let me know what you think! Remember, I'm pretty new at the TV thing so it will be all I can do to remember what camera to look at and pretend like I don't have a little speaker in my ear with someone telling me how long we have to go until commercial while I'm trying to talk about implied odds or controlling the price of showdown. I fully expect people to flat-out disagree with me on some points... remember, poker advice is subjective... and I welcome the opportunity for discussion. All I can do is tell people what *I* would do in any situation. I expect that others would do things differently.
Oh yeah, and I need a few black blazers. And button-down shirts. And I need to learn how to apply makeup to my face and especially to my head. Should be an interesting month...
As always, thanks to Dave Scharf for passing my name along to these folks, way back when. I'm glad he lives in Saskatoon...
Comments
I've watched quite a bit of poker on CGTV. Some is pretty good (Poker Million), some is pretty bad (Poker Den). Hopefully this one will make for some interesting TV!
stp
From the pilot episode, I can say completely objectively that it is something I'd watch. Â But then, I watch those Stars "replay tournaments" where the hole cards are exposed. Â It's actually a lot like that, but occasionally they cut to me and the host, and I'm chattering away incessantly over all of the action.
I wish you all the best with this Devin
Big difference is, you have talent...
Congrats Devin, I now have a reason to find this on my TV Dial.
That is the first time I've ever been compared to Jessica Simpson... I'm honoured.Â
Glad you plan on tuning in. An interesting 'sub-plot' to the show will be this: you'll be able to watch me get more and more cutting and callous as the show goes along, as minute by minute I get farther and farther away from my last cigarette...
Thanks Neil. I think we'll all benefit from the presence of a daily Canadian-produced poker TV show. If anyone emails me any questions about chips, I will forward the questions directly to you.
Thanks. 'cept I haven't been selling poker chips for awhile
Grrr - this isn't even on my dial. Â I'll have to wait for the Season 1 DVD!
I know what that's like - "blind me out, back in a few" - I guess you can't do that live (or maybe you can get a wireless feed?)
p.s. This should be under advertising
Hey, maybe the cohost can wear something skimpy and revealing???
I'm looking forward to seeing the show.
Cheers
Magi
Let's hope you raise the level of programming at CGTV.
Maybe soon they'll get rid of BINGO in prime time
Hobbes
I think they have the right person for the job.
Yeah Devin, it's not like you'd actually know anything about cameras, right?  :D
Seriously, congrats ... much deserved.
Does anyone know if CGTV is, or will be, available in the Hamilton area (Cogeco)?
macbb
That's why God invented PVR.
LOL. I highly doubt they'll get rid of bingo... it has served them well.
Thanks Rob. Yeah, I guess if you keep pluggin' away at the scene, good things eventually happen. This isn't going to make me a superstar by any means but it should be some interesting work for a while, anyways. Hopefully I don't freeze up. The real challenge is to simply keep talking! Online poker moves incredibly fast, and they don't slow it down at all, so I'll have to ignore some of the action to finish a point I was trying to make about a guy who folded in seat 2 when the action has already moved along to seat 9, etc. Basically, I'll have to try and figure out what's important and interesting on the fly, and focus on that stuff, while completely ignoring a string of guys folding trash.
Welllll.... I do know a thing or two about cameras, and I am still a professional freelance camera operator, first and foremost. It was funny... I walked into the studio before the pilot and started pressing buttons on one of the cameras, checking the returns, etc. I got some strange looks, and decided to move along. Operating a camera, I can handle. Figuring out which one to look at, and when, is a different story. I'm going to play a little drinking game while I watch the first episode... chug a beer every time I catch myself looking at the wrong camera. I should be pretty hammered by the end of it all.
As for the Hamilton area, I don't think it's available. Don't quote me... best to check with your cable company. That being said, I was at my friend's place in Hamilton recently and we looked for CGTV. He gets up to channel 400 or whatever and we couldn't find it. My parents live in Grimsby (also Cogeco) and they don't get it either, unfortunately.
Devin, please say it isn't him.
Skinny guy with big hair? Noooooooooooooooo.
In any case, let's give the guy a chance to prove himself. There are probably people out there who have played with me on an off-night who would find it hard to believe I'm in this position. He's a very likeable guy, and as long as his advice is solid, who really cares how he actually plays... innocent until proven guilty and all of that.
Thanks! It's not my channel yet, but I'm working on it.Â
Hopefully you are the source of knowledge for the show and he just makes the odd comment here and there.
GL with ths show.
As for Johnny 'making the odd comment here and there', well, that's not exactly how it plays out. We won't ever be on the same show together... basically, he hosts a show one night, then I host it the next, then he hosts it the next, etc etc etc.
Thanks for the well-wishing, though... I need all the luck I can get, in general. I try to use up every last ounce of it.
What the hell? This is awesome, you've got your own pulpit now. Congrats. Now I am really steamed about skipping out on tomorrow night - I want to bust out some TV star celebrities!
My advice - if you want to be a star, you've got to emulate the biggest star of them all. That's right brother, its time to break out the plaid suits and fat collars! You've got to get your Don Cherry on. That means, if the player is Canadian, even if he sucks, you've got to talk like he is the greatest player ever. And always call people by their wrong names. This is key. If a guys handle is "PaulChisholm" you've got to call him "PaulChisler". If I guy's handle is "GerardPoulin", you've got to criticize him for being french, and call him GerardPoutine. Then of course, talk incessantly about your poker playing days of yore, and all those stories about Paulie FatNutz and Moose Mahoney. Just make up shit if you don't have any good stories.
Dude, play your hand right and you've could shake up the poker world! I'm seeing a three-man booth at season 4 of the WPT. You, VVP and Mike Sexton.
I only get Star Choice. Do you know if that channel is available on Star Choice?
I agree, Poker Den is totally boring. My wife is a poker fan and she can't even get through an episode.
Looking forward to your show.
I don't know the details, but yes, I believe the site sends all of the hands on a 5-minute delay with the hole cards exposed. Personally, I assumed that all of the sites could do that anyways if they wanted to, so it doesn't bother me, as a player.
LOL. Classic stuff Al, thanks. I can aim for Don Cherry, but if I'm lucky I might end up somewhere more in the neighbourhood of Ron MacLean. If I'm very lucky. As for Star Choice, I'm not sure whether CGTV is available or not. Best to surf through your channels, or call your provider. Too bad you can't make it tomorrow... I'll just have to take your money next time.
I will indeed post something the day before the first show airs. The schedule has changed, as of like an hour ago, so when I get the new schedule I'll edit this thread.