Former “Celebrity Poker Showdown” host Kevin Pollak and “Inglourious Basterds” star Samm Levine joined this week’s episode of the UB.com sponsored poker news program “Poker2Nite.”
The show hit television airwaves following the Vancouver Canucks’ 6-4 win at Los Angeles in the NHL playoffs on Wednesday. “Poker2Nite” co-host Joe Sebok was feeling under the weather, so Scott Huff flew solo during the 30-minute broadcast. Discussion began with the PartyPoker Big Game IV, which was filmed in London last week sans mystery Swede Isildur1, who backed out just before the event started. David “Viffer” Peat recorded the largest profit in Big Game history at ₤147,000.
Two players who appeared in the PartyPoker Big Game IV were Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo and Isaac Haxton. The latter told “Poker2Nite” cameras, “It was a really cool format to run a cash game for 48 hours and let people rotate in and out.” Bonomo added, “It’s a nice change of pace to be playing for high-stakes where everyone is chilling around and having drinks.” The extravaganza played out at the Les Ambassadeurs Club in Mayfair, London and also featured players like Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt, Tony G, Phil Laak, Robert Williamson III, Neil Channing, and Roland de Wolfe.
Next up was an examination of the top 20 vote-getters for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament of Champions, which Harrah’s officials released in recent days. The top 20 features some of the game’s best, but is void of internet pros and European players. Huff critiqued, “It’s not that these guys don’t deserve to be on the list. Everyone on this is a champion in their own right, but it does feel like the fans… went with the all-star game 2003 and 2004.” Huff questioned why David Williams, Chris Moneymaker, Annette “Anette_15” Obrestad, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Carlos Mortensen, Erick Lindgren, and J.C. Tran did not reach the top 20.
The Dana Workman-hosted “P2N Online” segment, which covers poker gossip on the internet, featured web-based pilots for “6th Street: Life After the River” featuring 2009 WSOP Main Event champ Joe Cada and “The Kid” with Matthew Marafioti. Reader-submitted mailbag questions included responses from DoylesRoom front man Doyle Brunson and Full Tilt Poker’s Jennifer Harman.
“On the Clock” leader and Absolute Poker pro Trishelle Cannatella joined “Poker2Nite” via Skype. Each week, guests are asked rapid-fire questions in 60 seconds and the person who has the most number correct at the end of the season will receive a trophy. Cannatella recorded eight correct answers during her appearance. She also final tabled the World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Invitational earlier this year and told Huff, “I was really happy with the outcome even though I did get third. I can’t complain about how I went out or anything like that. Sometimes, the cards don’t fall in your favor.”
Pollak told “Poker2Nite” viewers what makes “Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show” unique: “Because it’s online, there are no time constraints and no censorship. We’re getting the most in-depth interviews these people have ever given.” UB.com pro Annie Duke appeared on the show in March in an episode sponsored by Poker News Daily. Levine then revealed why he fell in love with poker: “It’s a very strategic game. I think most people love strategy. Poker is one of those things that you’ll spend a lifetime learning how to beat.”
Wednesday’s episode of “Poker2Nite” wrapped up with footage from the red carpet of Harman’s charity poker tournament benefiting the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Interviewees included Holly Madison, Tiffany Michelle, David “The Maven” Chicotsky, and Robert Iler. Chau Giang ultimately took down the charity event.
“Poker2Nite” airs at 11:00pm ET on Wednesdays on Versus.