Best Poker Shows On Television Listed

In the 2000s, there was a real “poker boom” on television. The most popular channels wanted to come up with their own show to glue fans of this game to small screens. Nowadays, there are not too many of them airing on TV, so let’s take a look at the best poker shows on television in history.

Poker shows have been an integral part of American television from the late 1990s to the 2010s. This period witnessed the largest number of various poker tournaments and games broadcasted on TV in prime time. The best poker shows on television helped to popularize poker among viewers and even influenced the emergence of live poker tournaments at sites like Everygame in their own way. Moreover, these shows gained millions of views from dedicated poker fans. So, let’s recall some of the most interesting and influential poker programs on TV.

Best Poker Shows on Television Ever

In our opinion, the five following poker shows are the best in the history of television. They are High Stakes Poker, Late Night Poker, World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, and Poker After Dark. Read more about each show in our guide.

High Stakes Poker

High Stakes Poker is often referred to as the greatest poker TV show ever. The first season of this American show premiered in 2006 and brought it to the Olymp. Even an eight-year break from 2011 to 2019 didn’t prevent High Stakes Poker from being one of the best poker shows on television. It invited almost all famous poker players including Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, Jamie Gold, Barry Greenstein, and many others. Currently, High Stakes Poker is on air at PokerGO.  

Late Night Poker

Popular British series called Late Night Poker was one of the first TV programs. It was originally released in 1999 and contributed to the popularity of poker. Late Night Poker was also one of the most innovative gaming shows that used “under the table” cameras that filmed each player’s cards and allowed viewers to track them and make up their own combinations in front of TV screens. Although the original show has been on air only for three years, its impact on poker is difficult to deny. 

World Series of Poker

Everyone knows that the World Series of Poker is the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. However, not all poker fans know that it has been the only tournament that was ever broadcast on TV for a long time. The rise of popularity of the television version of WSOP took place in the 2000s and captured the famous moment of Chris Moneymaker winning in the 2003 finale after qualifying at an online poker site. His victory caused a so-called “Moneymaker effect” and made WSOP great again.

World Poker Tour

The World Poker Tour (WPT) is not only another top-class poker tournament but a popular television program. Its first season premiered in 2002, which means that we had the nineteenth season airing last year. World Poker Tour is broadcast worldwide and can be followed all year round with both new and famous players appearing in different episodes. Besides that, the show led to the emergence of several spin-offs like the Professional Poker Tour.

Poker After Dark

Poker After Dark is one of the best poker shows on television in our opinion. It is also one of the longest-running poker programs despite some scandals. The American show premiered in 2007 and is still on air with its 13th season released in 2021. The format of Poker After Dark allows viewers to focus on one or several tables and see how the game escalates there during the week. Since 2017, the show has been available exclusively at PokerGO, one of the most popular online poker sites in the US.

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