The original Casino Royale saw James Bond take on the villain of the movie, Le Chiffre, in a game of high stakes baccarat. The 2006 reboot. As poker hands go, the final hand in the 2006 Casino.
The most iconic poker TV show of all time is returning with a new season of High Stakes Poker debuting on Wednesday, December 16. After more than nine years of the show being off the air, one of the players making his return to High Stakes Poker is Phil Ivey.
Ivey is often grouped among the likes of Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth as the most popular players in the game. When it comes to accomplishments, Ivey has nearly done it all having amassed over $30.3 million in lifetime tournament winnings – which include 10 WSOP bracelets and a WPT title – but the majority of his highlights have come from the televised cash games he has played around the world.
- Top poker hands from High Stakes Poker Season 2 featuring Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Eli Elezra, Erick Lindgren, Todd Brunson, and many.
- High stakes poker players Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu are establishing a new standard for 'quick' poker play during their High Stakes Feud sessions. SESSION #1 (LIVE): 200 hands ÷ 213 minutes played = 0.94 hands per minute — 1 table SESSION #2 (ONLINE): 424 hands ÷ 124 minutes played = 3.42 hands per minute — 2 tables.
- High Stakes Poker has $300/$600 blinds with a $100 ante. The fourth season features three forced blinds of $300, $600 and $1,200, with a 'straddle' or optional fourth blind of $2,400. The players include poker professionals along with amateurs such as Jerry Buss and Fred Chamanara.
- The post-Thanksgiving sessions of High Stakes Feud continued last week with Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk playing three sessions. Following an estimated 7,467 hands in total, Polk still holds a lead of $518,409.44 following Negreanu booking three small wins.
Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
Having appeared on 13 episodes of High Stakes Poker during Season 3 (2007) and Season 6 (2010), he was involved in one of the most famous High Stakes Poker hands when Brad Booth bluffed with four-high for a gutshot straight draw as Ivey folded pocket kings on a seven-high flop. That famous hand also led to one of the most famous High Stakes Poker quotes. Following a continuation-bet from Ivey, Booth put $300,000 in cash bricks into the pot to put Ivey all-in. Ivey's response? 'I wish you had put the chips in. That cash just looks so sweet.'
Having won his 10th WSOP bracelet in 2014 to be tied with Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, everyone assumed he would now look to chase down Hellmuth who had won 13. Since that last WSOP bracelet win, Ivey hasn't been a regular at the WSOP and consequently only added 12 WSOP cashes, while Hellmuth on the other hand has added 56 WSOP cashes and two WSOP bracelets to now sit with 15. Over the last few years, Ivey has increased his poker playing and was regularly seen playing the Triton Series tournaments and cash games around the world.
'Poker is poker man, and it's just a different group of players,' Ivey said about the difference between High Stakes Poker and Triton Series. 'You just approach the players differently, but poker is poker, and no matter whether it's Triton or here, or wherever you're playing. It's just a poker game with six or seven other guys at the table.'
Although not registering as many appearances on High Stakes Poker as the likes of Negreanu, Brunson, or Antonio Esfandiari, Ivey will see his number increase once Season 8 of High Stakes Poker begins airing in December.
'I don't feel like I have anything to prove,' Ivey said on his return to High Stakes Poker. 'Excited? Nervous? Neither. I enjoy playing with these guys – some of them more than others – you know it's nice to be back on High Stakes Poker, it's been a long time. And I'm looking forward to the next season.'
To celebrate the return of High Stakes Poker and Phil Ivey's appearance on the iconic TV show, PokerGO is giving away a signed photo of Phil Ivey from High Stakes Poker. To enter the contest, follow PokerGO on Instagram and then like the post and comment on your favorite past High Stakes Poker player. It's that easy!
Head to PokerGO's Instagram page to win a signed photo of Phil Ivey from High Stakes Poker!
And when prompted about that famous, 'That cash just looks so sweet,' quote from Season 3 and whether or not cash motivates him to keep playing, Ivey responded, 'No. I play because I enjoy playing now. I'm not motivated by money.'
Beginning Wednesday, December 16, PokerGO will be debuting a new season of High Stakes Poker every week. High stakes. Incredible line-ups. What more could you ask for? Make sure to watch all the new season of High Stakes Poker on PokerGO!
Connect with PokerGO on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
High Stakes Poker was the most iconic poker TV show of all time, and after more than nine years of it being off the air, it is returning to PokerGO with Season 8 episodes beginning on Wednesday, December 16.
Debuting in 2006 on the Game Show Network, High Stakes Poker took the poker world by storm, providing some of the most entertaining high stakes cash game hands played by some of the icons of the game. Previous filming locations included the Golden Nugget, The Palms, South Point Casino, and the Bellagio, but Season 8 will take place solely in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino.
Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
With COVID-19 completely upending the poker landscape in 2020, PokerGO recently took some strides forward to provide new content. This includes the recent completion of High Stakes Duel between Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari, along with the recently announced High Stakes Feud between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk which begins next Wednesday, November 4.
However, with two players being vastly different to a full table, PokerGO had to implement several conditions for both players and production staff. All players undergo rapid testing early in the day, and when their results are negative, they are allowed to return to the PokerGO Studio to participate in that night's game. Season 8 of High Stakes Poker will see stakes of $200/$400 and $400/$800 and utilize the big blind ante format.
High Stakes Poker Executive Producer and Poker Hall of Fame member Mori Eskandani is the driving force behind many of the original programming and shows on PokerGO that includes Poker After Dark and the returning High Stakes Poker. High Stakes Poker is often regarded as the most iconic poker show of all time, and Eskandani agrees wholeheartedly.
'It is in a way because it introduced the cash form of poker, so it paved the road for all these other cash games. We're obviously lucky enough to have so many different characters when we started. It showed the kitchen table poker that people are used to but in a much higher buy-in format. It almost looked fake sometimes. I would always have people asking me, ‘is this for real?' and I would have to say ‘yeah they were playing for real money.''
High Stakes Poker has always been incredibly well-received by both diehard poker fans and people that stumble across the show for the first time. The insane amounts of money on the line and the stacks of cash filling the table draws attention from all corners.
'The main reason they like High Stakes Poker is the interaction between the players. It's the street game. You never watch High Stakes Poker and have the commentators talk about if this was the right move for some GTO, or for some solvers out there. This was the right move for the street version of somebody reading somebody, or somebody putting a move on someone, faking them out, getting paid, or making a big bluff. All the stuff that makes poker what it is, lives on High Stakes Poker.'
With seven seasons of High Stakes Poker under his belt, Eskandani has a library full of memories related to the show.
'I have many memories, and you can ask me that question now and I'll have one answer, and next week it will be a different answer. The one answer that comes to my mind right away would be the one memory of Jamie Gold and Sammy Farha playing a hand that was aces versus kings. The whole table after 30 seconds knew exactly what those two hands were per their conversation – except those two. And it went on for 14 or 15 minutes.'
'Outside of the table related to High Stakes Poker, it was when Tom Dwan left his backpack full of $1 million in cash and chips behind a dumpster at the back of Golden Nugget. He and I ran from the valet through the ballroom and into the back of the Golden Nugget and it was sitting there. It was literally sitting there. This backpack, no one had touched it, no one had picked it up. It was a million dollars in cash and chips. I'm not making this up.'
Ever since High Stakes Poker left TV back in 2011, there was always hope that it would return. The players may change, the stakes may be different, and the location may be new, but the show's nostalgia keeps everyone wanting it back.
'That's something we've been hoping to do every year. It was more like ‘when is it coming back?' and ‘why are we not doing High Stakes Poker?''
Everyone that watched the original High Stakes Poker will remember the iconic suite the cash game played out in. The spacious suite with lavish surroundings and couches for the players to relax in – it all embodied what High Stakes Poker was. The PokerGO Studio is very versatile with esports and UFC shows being filmed when it isn't being used for poker tournaments or shows. However, Eskandani and his team went above and beyond to make this new High Stakes Poker set stand out.
'We wanted it to stay close. Fidelity is important to us with what it was in the past. The same thing with Poker After Dark. When you see Poker After Dark you're going to see a bar, you're going to have someone sitting at the bar, it's going to look similar. The main idea is the same, but the look is a little different. It's still the penthouse suite.'
Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
With the rumor of High Stakes Poker returning circulating, fans instantly began questioning the potential line-ups and whether the new season would live up to the past seasons' hype.
'I was very skeptical because a lot of our old school players either were not available, or no longer play, or in some really sad situations are not even with us. Losing people like Sammy Farha, not having Doyle [Brunson] be here because he's not feeling so well right now, obviously takes away from the old look of the show. With COVID going round, many of the people are not willing to leave their homes until they are vaccinated like Eli Elezra.'
However, at the end of the day, it's still High Stakes Poker. Incredible action, absurd pots, and a great mix of players that everyone will enjoy watching.
'I'm pleasantly surprised with what is happening. I think it's the game, just the name of the game, ‘High Stakes Poker' that brings the best of people out here. The game that we had last night was probably in the top five of any High Stakes Poker that we've done. Absolutely never a dull moment, and the conversation was exactly what you wanted.'
High Stakes Poker Episodes
The early sign is that Season 8 of High Stakes Poker is not just going to meet the expectations that many have assigned to it – but it may easily eclipse some of the past seasons!
Best High Stakes Poker Hands
Beginning Wednesday, December 16, PokerGO will be airing a new season of High Stakes Poker every week. High stakes. Incredible line-ups. What more could you ask for?
Debuting in 2006 on the Game Show Network, High Stakes Poker took the poker world by storm, providing some of the most entertaining high stakes cash game hands played by some of the icons of the game. Previous filming locations included the Golden Nugget, The Palms, South Point Casino, and the Bellagio, but Season 8 will take place solely in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino.
Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
With COVID-19 completely upending the poker landscape in 2020, PokerGO recently took some strides forward to provide new content. This includes the recent completion of High Stakes Duel between Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari, along with the recently announced High Stakes Feud between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk which begins next Wednesday, November 4.
However, with two players being vastly different to a full table, PokerGO had to implement several conditions for both players and production staff. All players undergo rapid testing early in the day, and when their results are negative, they are allowed to return to the PokerGO Studio to participate in that night's game. Season 8 of High Stakes Poker will see stakes of $200/$400 and $400/$800 and utilize the big blind ante format.
High Stakes Poker Executive Producer and Poker Hall of Fame member Mori Eskandani is the driving force behind many of the original programming and shows on PokerGO that includes Poker After Dark and the returning High Stakes Poker. High Stakes Poker is often regarded as the most iconic poker show of all time, and Eskandani agrees wholeheartedly.
'It is in a way because it introduced the cash form of poker, so it paved the road for all these other cash games. We're obviously lucky enough to have so many different characters when we started. It showed the kitchen table poker that people are used to but in a much higher buy-in format. It almost looked fake sometimes. I would always have people asking me, ‘is this for real?' and I would have to say ‘yeah they were playing for real money.''
High Stakes Poker has always been incredibly well-received by both diehard poker fans and people that stumble across the show for the first time. The insane amounts of money on the line and the stacks of cash filling the table draws attention from all corners.
'The main reason they like High Stakes Poker is the interaction between the players. It's the street game. You never watch High Stakes Poker and have the commentators talk about if this was the right move for some GTO, or for some solvers out there. This was the right move for the street version of somebody reading somebody, or somebody putting a move on someone, faking them out, getting paid, or making a big bluff. All the stuff that makes poker what it is, lives on High Stakes Poker.'
With seven seasons of High Stakes Poker under his belt, Eskandani has a library full of memories related to the show.
'I have many memories, and you can ask me that question now and I'll have one answer, and next week it will be a different answer. The one answer that comes to my mind right away would be the one memory of Jamie Gold and Sammy Farha playing a hand that was aces versus kings. The whole table after 30 seconds knew exactly what those two hands were per their conversation – except those two. And it went on for 14 or 15 minutes.'
'Outside of the table related to High Stakes Poker, it was when Tom Dwan left his backpack full of $1 million in cash and chips behind a dumpster at the back of Golden Nugget. He and I ran from the valet through the ballroom and into the back of the Golden Nugget and it was sitting there. It was literally sitting there. This backpack, no one had touched it, no one had picked it up. It was a million dollars in cash and chips. I'm not making this up.'
Ever since High Stakes Poker left TV back in 2011, there was always hope that it would return. The players may change, the stakes may be different, and the location may be new, but the show's nostalgia keeps everyone wanting it back.
'That's something we've been hoping to do every year. It was more like ‘when is it coming back?' and ‘why are we not doing High Stakes Poker?''
Everyone that watched the original High Stakes Poker will remember the iconic suite the cash game played out in. The spacious suite with lavish surroundings and couches for the players to relax in – it all embodied what High Stakes Poker was. The PokerGO Studio is very versatile with esports and UFC shows being filmed when it isn't being used for poker tournaments or shows. However, Eskandani and his team went above and beyond to make this new High Stakes Poker set stand out.
'We wanted it to stay close. Fidelity is important to us with what it was in the past. The same thing with Poker After Dark. When you see Poker After Dark you're going to see a bar, you're going to have someone sitting at the bar, it's going to look similar. The main idea is the same, but the look is a little different. It's still the penthouse suite.'
Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
With the rumor of High Stakes Poker returning circulating, fans instantly began questioning the potential line-ups and whether the new season would live up to the past seasons' hype.
'I was very skeptical because a lot of our old school players either were not available, or no longer play, or in some really sad situations are not even with us. Losing people like Sammy Farha, not having Doyle [Brunson] be here because he's not feeling so well right now, obviously takes away from the old look of the show. With COVID going round, many of the people are not willing to leave their homes until they are vaccinated like Eli Elezra.'
However, at the end of the day, it's still High Stakes Poker. Incredible action, absurd pots, and a great mix of players that everyone will enjoy watching.
'I'm pleasantly surprised with what is happening. I think it's the game, just the name of the game, ‘High Stakes Poker' that brings the best of people out here. The game that we had last night was probably in the top five of any High Stakes Poker that we've done. Absolutely never a dull moment, and the conversation was exactly what you wanted.'
High Stakes Poker Episodes
The early sign is that Season 8 of High Stakes Poker is not just going to meet the expectations that many have assigned to it – but it may easily eclipse some of the past seasons!
Best High Stakes Poker Hands
Beginning Wednesday, December 16, PokerGO will be airing a new season of High Stakes Poker every week. High stakes. Incredible line-ups. What more could you ask for?
High Stakes Poker Hands
Connect with PokerGO on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use code 'HSP2020' for $10 off a PokerGO subscription now!
