Last season, the World Poker Tour series on the Travel Channel did better than ever expected in the ratings. Also popular is the World Series of Poker on ESPN. Now, we also have Celebrity Poker on Bravo. All of this leads to problems.

1) Oversaturation - How much poker can be on the air before the ratings start to slide?

2) Last season on the WPT, most of the audience members were serious players or families of the final table players. Watching the WPT last week, the audience was filled with bandwagon-jumpers, and instead of a professional atmosphere, they were hootin' & hollerin' like the WWE was in town. How long before they start bringing signs? It's like Happy Gilmore, when one character expressed dismay about the new type of golfer that started when Happy became successful.

3) Watching the game might give some poor sap the false notion that they too can be a pro player. It's a romantic prospect to be a professional card player, but for most it would just lead to misery.

4) Cheapening of the game - Last week on the WPT, when it came down to two, the eye candy hostess pulled a rope and the prize money fell from the ceiling. WTF? Is this a cheesy game show now? With celebrities to boot! This week, the celebrity game looks to be particularly annoying with Mo Gaffney, Michael Ian Black, and Hank Azaria. Maybe Azaria will do some Simpsons' voices. Oooh!

5) Purely personal reason here, but I've always been leery of anything that's too popular.

Honk!

I don't watch all the poker on TV... just WPT and Celeb Poker for me. I don't like the way they film it on ESPN. Hopefully those watching it on TV will pick their favorite show(s) like I did and stick with them... the good shows will get ratings, the others won't.
Who seemed to be the WORST about that was the coach/friend of Evelyn Ng (one of the players), who is a pro player himself. But he was up pumping his fist and yelling. Is that atmosphere good or bad? I think that's personal preference. They don't have the crowds miked that well, thankfully, so it doesn't get too loud. What I kind of had a problem with is him coaching her near the end, though. She still lost, but it left a bad feeling in my mouth.
What about Chris Moneymaker? He's a guy who went from playing online poker to winning one of the big-ass tourneys... not sure if it was World Series or what. Yes, I know he's a one-in-a-million. But there are going to be fish at the table whether poker is on TV or not... just having casinos within driving distance will lead to sob stories. Getting rid of the sob stories means getting rid of the casinos.
Dude, it's cards. It's not... I don't know, anything deserving of complete solemnity and hushed tones.

My thoughts:

1) Got Tivo, don’t care. If this type of “reality show” replaces the current batch, you won’t get a complaint from me. Although, if last week’s ladies event is any indication, the move is already afoot to pad the show with stuff that is not playing poker. Ya got yer losers player’s lounge and more-extensive-than-necessary background on the players (I can’t wait to see T. J. Cloutier in a bikini) to make the show je ne sais quoi. But, frankly, I couldn’t care less about ratings.

2) Static’s point is a good one. Also, whilst playing in the later part of a tournament, I find the morgue-like atmosphere depressing. Watching it is even worse, with commentators waxing prolific about the goings on in the players’ minds. Bring on the dancing girls!

3) You seem to have a low opinion of your fellow species’ ability/right to choose. How many folks decide to give up their jobs to go out on an island and eat cow testicles? And, what you got against fresh fish?

4) Cheapening of the game? I’d say quite the opposite has been happening, although I gotta admit the money from the ceiling gag was a bit silly.

5) There’s always Omaha.

I happen to only watch the Binion's tournament. That it THE tournament, there is no other in my eyes.

As for the atmoshere... that's becoming more and more apparant in all aspects of sports. Look at the PBT.. especially Pete Weber. The fist pumping, the staredowns and getting the crowd into it. Even to the point of pretty much cutting a promo before each match.