‘High Stakes Poker’ returns for new season with best lineup yet

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 | 2 a.m.

It all started at a restaurant at the Bellagio.

Mori Eskandani, a television producer and poker player, and executives from the Game Show Network were finalizing plans for a new poker show over dinner five years ago. That’s when poker professional and two-time World Series of Poker Main Event champion Johnny Chan walked up to the table.

“And as poker players do, he described the hand he was just involved with that cost him several hundred thousand,” Eskandani said. “After he left, the executives called us the next day and asked if we could do something like that for television, where it’s not a tournament but people actually sitting down and playing a cash game.”

Absolutely, Eskandani answered. That’s how "High Stakes Poker" came to life. It was a somewhat radical idea at the time, as tournaments were the only form of poker seen fit for television.

But Eskandani, now the executive producer of "High Stakes Poker", and GSN believed a high stakes cash game could captivate audiences just as well. Their risk has clearly paid off as "High Stakes Poker" will premier its sixth season Sunday evening at 5 on GSN.

It’s become one of the most popular poker programs on television not only for fans, but also for professionals.

“It’s the one show that every poker player dreams of being on,” said Antonio Esfandiari, one of the only poker players who has appeared every season. “It’s the one so many of my friends have tried so hard to be on. It’s a hard profile to fit. You either have to be a sick demon gambler, super-good or a super fish with personality.”

Eskandani and his team put extra emphasis on the “super-good” aspect for the sixth season. For the first time, the game will have no amateurs.

The lineup features 14 top players, including Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Tom “durrr” Dwan, Phil Hellmuth and Barry Greenstein. All had to buy in for a minimum of $200,000 at the Golden Nugget, where GSN filmed the new season.

“When we had production going on and people were busting out, we had well-known pros circling the building ready to jump in the game on 20 minutes notice,” said David Schiff, GSN’s vice president of programming and development.

The heightened competition level resulted in catching some of the most memorable hands in the history of the show, according to Eskandani.

Although no one associated with "High Stakes Poker" is allowed to discuss specifics of the upcoming season, Esfandiari promised one hand would instantly become the talk of the poker world.

“There’s one hand — durrrr vs. Ivey — that was one of the sickest hands I’ve ever seen, ever,” Esfandiari said. “I think durrrr bluffed Ivey and it was just out of control, but you will just have to wait until it’s on TV.”

Eskandani offered a couple more teasers for people craving information about the new season.

“Expect some surprise appearances and some surprise disappearances this season,” Eskandani said. “I would say this season of "High Stakes Poker" for students of the game is going to be the best season. You will learn so much.”

Perhaps Esfandiari’s experience on the show is the best indicator of how coveted a spot can be. Although he has played in every season, he has never made money on "High Stakes Poker".

But Esfandiari, who recently helped launch new online poker site Victory Poker, keeps coming back for more without hesitation.

“I’ll never not play,” Esfandiari said. “I do enjoy it and I think that eventually I’m going to win, because I always put my money in with the best of it and get beat. One day, the math is going to even out.”

Five years after an encounter with Chan at the Bellagio altered the course of poker television history, it’s proven that cash games can work on the screen, too.

Just ask Esfandiari.

“You put the money on the table and you play for it,” Esfandiari said. “It’s so much better to watch than a tournament. To win a tournament, you have to run like God for five days. This is just great to play because it’s a cash game.”