High Stakes Poker thoughts

I watched episode two of the Norm McDonald High Stakes Poker season this weekend. Just a few quick thoughts.

First of all, the show is worse. Gabe Kaplan is a far better analyst than Norm McDonald, and Kaplan's really missed.  There was  a play this week where one of the amateur players (the guy who invented silly bandz) laid down a baby flush on the river when Phil Ruffin (Owner of Treasure Island on the strip and another billionare amateur) made a giant overbet on the river. Why are you playing baby suited cards if you are going to lay down your river flush? The silly bandz guy then showed the table his flush when he folded. (And he was wrong, by the way - the flush was good).

Of course all of the professionals at the table immediately took note that Mr. Silly Bandz can easily be pushed off of very strong hands. McDonald made no mention of it at the time, though it definitely affected action in the remainder of the episode. Just very bad commentary.

The players on the show are also definitely worse than in past seasons. I know that Venssa Selbst has had more success in the last year than I will in my poker lifetime, but she called one of the amateurs who had raised her all in, acting out of turn. The guy was so excited to get his money in that he acted before Antoni Esfandiari decided his action. And then she called with a hand that easily could be beaten, it was strange that she didn't make the right read.

Unlike in previous seasons where there were better cash game players (read Full Tilt sponsored pros), I'd watch and think "I'd be the dead money at this table", this season I watch and say "I wish I had the bankroll to go 30,000 hands with this group of players, because over that sample size I'd be very +EV and could probably quit my day job". The soft spots are unbelievably bad.

That said I am watching the season. The idea that players this bad will pony up $200K to play on TV makes me wish that I had the bankroll to play (and to locate) comparably wealthy and inept.