For over 30 years, poker players and fans alike have been tuning in to Poker TV to see the strategy and thrill of a live poker game. Since that time, the way that people watch television has revolutionized, and Poker TV has evolved with it, and what started with a single televised poker event has become a whole world of poker, right at your fingertips.

The original Poker TV began in the United States back in the 1970s and consisted exclusively of television broadcasts of live poker tournaments, namely the main event of the World Series of Poker. Although these games offered viewers their only glimpse into the life and events of big name players in poker and the way that they executed their strategy, a lot was missing. Technology at the time meant that spectators could only see the game from an outsider’s perspective, which had its limitations because those watching at home could only truly understand the players’ strategy in retrospect or by using video playback, which was too expensive to be practical until the 1980s, and, even then, was horribly inconvenient. Likewise, commentators also had to guess what was happening, which made for dialogue that wasn’t overwhelmingly engaging for the viewer at home.

It would be two decades before a breakthrough transformed Poker TV, making it far more entertaining for the at-home spectator as well as amateur and professional players who were trying to examine strategy. In Europe, the “hole cam” was born– a device that sat under the table and showed what cards a player had, giving the audience the perspective of each player. Unfortunately, this groundbreaking innovation came at an awkward moment in Poker TV history, as Poker TV in Europe was grinding to a halt, and the US was only televising a one-hour synopsis of the World Series of Poker tournaments.

Every Poker TV Show Ever, Ranked from 36 to 1

The Best Poker TV Shows

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Fall 2020 TV Lineup: What You Need to Know About the New and Returning Shows Here's What's New to Stream in October on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, and More World Series of Poker. GSN’s “Doubles Poker Championship” is probably the most unique poker show on TV. Instead of playing against each other, players must cooperate as duos win a four-team single-table tournament.

Poker in the United States can be found on ESPN, Bravo, GSN, and several other major networks, such as CBS, NBS, and CNBS, when the shows have been syndicated. In Great Britain, television stations which broadcast poker shows include Channel 4, Challenge, and Five, while Italy shows Pokermania on Italia 1. In Europe at large, Poker TV can be found on Sky Sports as well as The Poker Channel and Pokerzone, two free-to-air channels that were created during the big poker boom in the mid-2000s.

Poker Shows On Television

Poker After Dark

Poker After Dark offers viewers a look into the evolution of a single poker table over the course of a week and has minimal commentary so that spectators can hear and assess table talk between the players. One of the most popular programs in Poker TV since its inception in 2007, Poker After Dark is a unique show that has had seven seasons as of mid-2011.

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Late Night Poker

This show, originally broadcast in the UK, is one of the best known Poker TV programs, in part because they were responsible for the introduction of the special cameras that revolutionized the Poker TV world. While the show was originally created between 1999 and 2002, it lead to the creation of several other programs, including Late Night Poker Ace, Late Night Poker Masters, and Celebrity Poker Club.

Million Dollar Cash Game

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This show is touted as being “Europe’s biggest ever televised cash game,” with a $100,000 minimum buy-in and no maximum amount that players can put down. Sponsored by Full Tilt Poker (who also sponsors Poker After Dark), Million Dollar Cash Game broke records and put itself on the Poker TV map in 2009 when it had a pot of over 1.1 million dollars– the largest in television history at the time.

High Stakes Poker

Like Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker is designed to follow a single game, rather than a tournament. Cash games followed by High Stakes Poker have buy-ins that range from $100,000 to $500,000 dollars, with some players opting to buy-in for a hefty million dollars. Like in other cash games, the players play for real money, and if they lose the amount that they’ve bought in for (or bought back in for), their cash is gone, making for some very intense action.

Poker TV has seen the creation of a great many other excellent poker shows, such as Poker Royale, Celebrity Poker Showdown, and Ultimate Poker Challenge, all of which air in the United States, La Notte del Poker and Pokermania, both native to Italy, and Poker Million, and Celebrity Poker Club, both created by United Kindom poker aficionados.

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Netflix is a full to the brim with great choices for your evening’s entertainment. There’s also plenty to pick from if you want something connected to poker, or even gambling in general. As poker players we also all secretly enjoy to watch the occasional piece of degen behaviour when it comes to gambling. There’s something here for everyone.

KidPoker – 2015

This is the Daniel Negreanu story filmed in documentary style after his induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. Charting his rise to the pinnacle of the game, we get to see a glimpse behind the scenes at exactly how it all came together.

We also learn how he maintains the best version of himself possible, because it’s no secret that Negreanu has come in for some stick about not being able to compete with the younger generation these days.

A great piece of cinema, even if you’re not a massive fan of the man himself. Worth a watch.

No Limit – 2006

This is a fun look into the world of high-stakes tournament action by two independent filmmakers. Made during the height of the poker boom we get to see the excitement behind what poker players are chasing day-after-day.

Big names from poker such as Mike Sexton and Doyle Brunson feature to give their opinions on the game that transformed their own lives.

Poker Shows On Television

Win It All – 2017

This Netflix original movie is a fictional comic look into the life of a gambling addict. Eddie Garrett, played by Jake Johnson, is rebuilding his life after gambling away $50,000 that wasn’t his. Things are going well until a friend arrives at his house with a duffel bag stuffed with bank notes, and asks him to take care of it while he goes to prison.

There’s not a great deal of poker in the movie, but the themes are all relevant to the gambling industry and there’s plenty of laughs.

Killing Them Softly – 2012

This all-star movie has it all. We have a mob protected poker game that is robbed by three nobodies and Brad Pitt is on the case to restore order as an enforcer. Ray Liotta and the Soprano’s James Gandolfini play big parts in the story of the mob’s efforts to show that they won’t be messed with.

Full on Hollywood blockbusters that touch on the gambling world are quite rare, especially starring names such as these. This is an excellent production and definitely one you shouldn’t miss.

Cold Deck – 2015

The Best Poker TV Shows Ever Made Pokerology.com

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This modern thriller is all about a compulsive gambler’s agreement to rob a high-stakes poker game hosted by a rich banker, Turk. Bobby is neck deep in a long losing streak and accepts an offer to pull off the heist from a local gangster.

After successfully getting away with the money, Turk is determined to get his revenge and Bobby is now in fear for his life.

Although cliché ridden, this is still a decent choice if you can ignore the cheesiness of the actual poker.