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- Endless banter from commentators who really have little to offer
- With TV technology allowing us viewers to see the players’ hole cards, the producers have basically obviated the need for explanation
- Producers intentionally artificially heighten the drama by intentionally milking the flop
- Producers typically offer up a “mindless British woman” to conduct interviews with the losing player
Huffington Post writer David Macaray offered his Six Hideous Problems With TV Poker.
Among those problems: Too many commercials, the endless amount of mindless commentary, (often from more than two talking heads), the use of phony chip counts, artificially heighten the drama and an overly enthusiastic audience (prompted by producers).
Macaray also cites the abundance of inane interviews with the loser, “as if they are going to leave us with some priceless words of wisdom”.
In regard to the mindless commentary, Macary writes that “with TV technology allowing us viewers to see the players’ hole cards, the producers have basically obviated the need for explanation”.
He adds that “Now if the hole cards remained buried throughout the hand, that would be a whole other deal, one that would make speculation worthwhile. But they aren’t buried. They’re exposed. Which makes their “commentary” superfluous”.
As far as artificially heightening the drama, Macaray suggests that “the producers intentionally milk the flop. We see two players going head-to-head. One announces he’s going “all-in,” the other player immediately calls, and both players turn up their hole cards”.
Macaray especially takes issue with producers offering up a “mindless British woman” to conduct the “loser interviews”.
“Making it infinitely worse, the producers have chosen an attractive young woman to conduct these mindless interviews. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more manipulative and phony, the producers saw fit to “class up” the whole enterprise by making this woman interviewer a Brit—to make her someone who speaks with a very pronounced English accent. It’s enough to make you swear off poker.”
- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
