What do you think was the best TV poker show ever? Say:
1) how much you've seen; and
2) what you think the best is.

I've seen almost all the hole-card era poker broadcasts that have aired in the US, and a few European ones. The only shows I remember missing are some minor, and badly-reviewed, ones like Heartland Poker Tour and Hip Hop Hold'em.

My most-fondly remembered shows are:
1) The American Poker Championship at Turning Stone. Live broadcast of the end of a real tournament with automated card reading. It's probably the show that's most often cited as the best ever.
2) Poker at the Plaza. I remember it showing a lot of hands, and being flatly-realistic coverage of an actual tournament, unlike the jazzed-up "reality TV" poker that is so common today.
I haven't watched either of them in a long time though, so I'd have to rewatch them to verify my impressions.

The APC is definitely the best of the various live FSN broadcasts they have done over the years. It probably was also fortunate that there were two relatively short stacks that busted at the beginning or it could really have been a crapshoot towards the end. Ivey v Dags headsup for about an hour, with Ivey on the ropes before pulling it out at the end. The first tournament that FSN did (before Poker at the Plaza) was Showdown at the Sands, a 10k event that they were able to air less than a week after it finished. It got 6 hours of coverage on Thanksgiving Day, and also featured the debut in the US of Howard Lederer providing commentary. Unfortunately, it was also the debut of Michael Konik being an analyst.

I remember this being a GREAT show, except for the audio. Seems like there was a weird echo or flange effect going on for the whole tourney - very apparent when they would riffle chips and it sounds like a chainsaw in an airplane hanger.

Poker at the plaza was great...I think i vaguely remember the other one you mentioned as well..would be great to find a copy of either now that you mentioned it.

I'm going with HSP. I love the commentators and I find the players very enjoyable to watch.

They showed live hole cards or did I read that wrong?


Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker are always great.

They had a delay on them, not sure how long. Also, the players were not allowed outside contact of any kind.

I still say early WPT, seasons 1 and 2, when poker on TV was relatively new and fresh. I still enjoy watching the WPT the most, but it's not immediate viewing like it was back then. I can wait a week or so now to watch the episodes on my Tivo.

I enjoy HSP.
I think Poker After Dark really sucks. It's like no one gives a s### whether they win or lose.

HSP, its not even close.

I kinda agree but with this big buy in I mean they are not even playing poker really. I understand people might say well its not your $500,000 in the pot. But I mean they are chopping and running everyhand multi times. What is the point of the show if they are not even going to play for real. Other than that I do like the show and love the action and stuff.

Yeah the $500K was pretty dissapointing. But when its the standard $100K min and theres a lot of action its no contest.

Live @ the bike.

If that counts.

I have only watched Live @ the Bike once.....I realized about 10 minutes into it that they were playing 8-16 Limit HE. Really?

Limit holdem on LATB was a rare occurrence, you were more likely to see NL from 3-5 up to 50-100 NL.

WPT 1 didn'T show the winning % for every hand, I don't know if that was better.

Was Live @ The Bike ever aired on TV? There was a 5-10 minute delay on the hole cards right? I really only seen it on Youtube. Cheers

10 minute delay, it did air on the UK's Poker Channel for a brief period of time as LA Poker Scene or something like that.

I really enjoy watching the USPC, that or Season 2 of HSP.

lol that is REAL poker...

And btw its obv not even close HSP rocks has it all good players and they have gabe kaplan

PPT is in 2nd place hope they will start new seasons soon!

If LATB counts i would go with latb tho

The PPT isn't coming back anytime soon. It was good in concept, but week in execution and commentary with their constant overhyping at how prestigious winning a PPT event was.

Lets get one thing straight. HSP is the best poker show in the world. Poker After Dark runs a very close second, with the National Heads Up Championship rounding out the top 3. These show not only win from a production standpoint, but they are far and away the most entertaining as well.

You can end this thread here.

I really would like the concept that for Fathers Day etc etc they run a live short handed three hour HSP episode.
Have 30 second to act clock.
We just need to get the network to limit the commercials. good friggin luck!!!!!!

If Live at the Bike counts then I vote for it. Live cash game poker by real people not poker "celebrities" with the best analysis that has ever aired and most likely ever will air unless bart and dave hook up again.