New season of HSP: no Gabe Kaplan

Gabe Kaplan is being replaced by Norm Macdonald for the latest season of High Stakes Poker. I haven't seen a whole lot of his stuff so I'm trying to keep an open mind, it's hard to imagine the show without Gabe though.

Full story and list of the people who play on the show this season here.

Norm Macdonald is funny. But he can get annoying at times. I didn't know he played poker. Gabe was pretty boring, he needs someone in the booth with him. Not sure why they didn't do Gabe and Norm, that would've been good imo.

No Gabe, and no FTP pros. I like Norm. Will be interesting to see how it turns out. I just think it's a shame they wrecked one of arguably the best poker shows over site wars. It only hurts the fans.

FWIW I gather it was either this or they'd just stop making the show - apparently the WSOP and the NBC Heads Up Championship are about the only two poker shows on American TV that have their production paid for by the broadcasting network. Pretty much every other poker show on TV has to pay for its own production and a lot of them even have to buy the airtime they're shown in.

Anywho now that I think about it hasn't Norm Macdonald been in the occasional WSOP broadcast as one of the B-grade celebrities playing in the main event or something?

Norm "why have a punchline when you can say crackwhore" Macdonald?

Cool. Shame about Gabe though. Indeed he was boring at times, but his insight was always good to hear. IMO he was better than a lot of poker commentators as he usually know what he was talking about.

Gabe was awesome. No Gabe, no FT players. Gonna be so awful

Gabe and his corny humor was great. I had so many lol moments during the show. He knew the game too and was more knowledgeable then many other commentators. I will give the show a chance, but after losing my favorite player to watch, dwan, and now gabe, I don't have high hopes.

Norm is hilarious! He does play a bit of poker. I think Kara will be in the booth as well.

Now that the good aspects of the move have been highlighted, DAMN.....this idea is TERRIBLE!!!! The show is being killed bit-by-bit.

Gabe wasn't really boring. I think people just don't realize how good they had it. The ONLY other commentator that could bring equal levels of humor and knowledgeable analysis is Ali Nejad. And I challenge anyone to put up another contender in this category. There are funnier people in poker maybe (few and far between though) and there are better commmentators for analysis (again, few and far between), just no one with both characteristics at that elevated level.

Norm's gonna be funny. He does know poker stuff, but not like Gabe.

So, now we look at the players disappearing. If I owned FTP, I might think about not letting my players play IF they can't wear their patch. Even so, I think I eventually realize the value of them on TV and let them play.

I heard a podcast from the Hardcore Poker Show (pretty good if you haven't heard it) and they interviewed Daniel Negreanu. He got a little upset when the host explained that he didn't like that Full Tilt players couldn't play on the new show. Daniel explicitly explained that PS (Pokerstars) has no issue with FTP(Full Tilt Poker) players playing on the show.

As Daniel explained it, apparently the show was going to go under due to funding. HSP (High Stakes Poker) needed funding and asking FTP first. They said no. Only after did they approach PS. They said yes with the caveat that PS gets to own ALL archived shows. (Older shows with Dwan, Ivey, etc WITHOUT patches....didn't wear them back then) FTP's fear is that PS will play those episodes on the site, new players will see the older episodes. With no knowledge of poker players, they will say "Oh, I'd like to play with that black guy and that dorky-looking guy (my paraphrase, not Daniel's)....There really good! Guess I'll join PS because they figure that both players are part of the PS site. As a result, FTP players decided not to play. But they were invited.

Eli = BIG Action
Dwan = BIG Action
Ivey = BIG Action
Antonius = BIG Action

Anyone see a trend here. Will everyone else (I call them The Replacements) have anyone on their roster that can measure up? Viffer? Love him, but no. Mercier? Really love him, but not. Doyle? - Doyle's tighter than a _____________ (fill in your own blank).

Sorry I wrote this much, but I'm really pi$$ed. Other than the Big Game, how many other good poker shows are there?

So Sick......

It's really a shame that the FTP pros won't be playing.
Really don't know if it will be as good

I like watching Laak, Antonio and Daniel play but they need action and I'm not sure they will get it without guys like Ivey and Eli.
Doyle will be tight but he will give action when it's necessary.

Peet is reckless and could give some interesting action, he does like to play a lot of hands.

Mercier should be good.

As for Norm MacDonald, I watch poker for the poker I DON'T need jokes

I had hopes that gab was going to become a major player. Very unhappy with the line /up.

Laak and esfandiari are tight players with interesting personalities. I don't think either are especially exciting players. Daniel gives a bit more action but nothing compared to the FTP crew.

Anyone know - was Gabe booted or did he step down? It's a shame cause Gabe was doing his poker gigs WAY before it was cool. Norm? I can't help but think of Dennis Miller doing MNF = s-h-u-d-d-e-r

I wasn't really happy when I read that ESPN article. All the old HSP memories, so fleeting, are about to disappear. There should still be some good action, but without the random Gabe and AJ facts/chatter/cameos, and without any FTP players, what am I supposed to truly look forward to? Hopefully they can bring back some of the crazy millionaires like Silent Mike. Maybe Benyamine and Guy still have some huge gamble in them.

I'm not a big fan of Norm McDonald. I can't imagine hearing him for an hour doing poker commentary. The only time I seen Norm McDonald play poker is "Sam's Game" on the Playboy Channel. For what I can remember, he spent most of the time cracking bad jokes and making horrible poker moves. Thankfully, there were enough beautiful women to look at so that made it bearable.

FWIW Phil Galfond and Vanessa Selbst are hardly nits but on the whole I agree, this lineup looks like it will really miss those big names from Full Tilt, particularly from Joe Public's point of view.

There are a few names conspicious by their absence despite being Stars players too - where are Elky, Dario Minieri, Lex Veldhuis and Barry Greenstein? Joe Hachem? Or the players who have no sponsor conflicts at all like Ziigmund or Phil Hellmuth?

Speculation - If I were in their shoes I'd like to consider myself a big draw. If the main draws aren't playing then don't insult me with an invite.

Don't know what Hellmuth's excuse is though

I liked Gabe, but I love Norm.. If you guys get a chance see "Dirty Works".. it's a movie he made with artie lange about revenge for hire..

Deuce Bigelow 2 was not my favorite.. although the names for some of the "man whore" positions are pretty funny..

"I can give you a Filthy Lopez like you never had before. I could give you a Cambodian Creamsicle... that will make you scream all night."
hahah

Gabe is the reason I watch that show(srs)

I like the Pokerstars Big Game announcers

lol nah but gabe was mad cool, norm seems cool to though

Love Norm, and he's actually quite a big poker player, but I can't see him filling Gabe's shoes. I think HSP shot themselves in the foot by dropping A.J. He knew squat about poker, but he and Gabe had good chemistry -- Gabe was totally awkward by himself. So instead of fixing that problem and bringing A.J. back (which would be admitting they goofed) I guess they decided to make Gabe the scapegoat and reboot. That or Gabe said no thanks, I'm not doing another season without a sidekick.

I will miss Gabe."Mr. Kotter" (showing my age) really knows poker. It would have been nice if they had considered Dusty Schmidt. He did some comentary for the party poker big game or whatever it was last year and did quite well.

This season of HSP will be awful no FTP players hate to said but Antonio,Phil Laak,Robl are a nits and not the gambling type of players like Durrr,Patrik,Eli. Now add that gabe is not the commentator is awful and hurts the fans who love the show.

Norm McDonald isn't funny. And I'm tired of poker shows tinkering with what's working.

:/ no AJ, no Gabe, no FTP players... I'll watch HSP but I just dont know it feels like they're taking everything good out of the show... next they might take out the poker, I think that's all that's left.

Gabe Kaplan has to be the most boring monotone speaker of all time, pretty good poker player, crappy commentator.