High Stakes Poker

Norm Macdonald, the stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer, is well known for his performance as a host in “High Stakes Poker”. Norm hosted the seventh season of the show, starting on February 26, 2011, by replacing Gabe Kaplan.

Norm Macdonald recently took his act to the next level with a stunning debut performance in Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, at 310 S. Troy St.  Norm gave his stand-up performance on May 4 and 5. He performed at 8 and 10:30 p.m. on both days.

Each ticket of the show cost $30 and could be purchased online too, and reservations could also be made by calling. Mark Ridley said he met Norm 25 years ago in L.A., and Ridley loved his performance and told him that they both should get to Michigan to play at Comedy Castle. So, after 25 years, they finally got a chance.

Macdonald has done a large number of television and movie performances, and has also hosted a variety of television shows. His imitations of Burt Reynolds, among others, are one of the best moments in the history of SNL.

At the annual Comedy Awards last week, he was a part of the Weekend Update revival with Colin Quinn and Chevy Chase, on Comedy Network.

Ridley said it best, about how McDonald’s suddenly the hottest thing around once again. The generation of TV buffs who watched him on SNL, and the newer ones who are familiar with him from his appearances on VH1, are all pleasantly surprised at his all-new avatar.

You can watch High Stakes Poker online to witness the charisma of the man behind the entire buzz.

If there ever was any doubt, it got cleared with the season 7 finale, which (not surprisingly) left many stones turned!

Johnny Chan remained crushed for most of the tournament, and never looked like he would be able to pull things off, the way he used to before. He had loads of experience to back him up though – the international player is the two times winner of WSOP (World Series of Poker). But, that’s history, I am referring to!

Or is it? Well, if you haven’t checked this out, download (if not all, at least the finale) installments of High Stakes Poker, and see for yourself what Johnny Chan has done in the last episode of the show. He not only pulled things off, he notched one of the biggest pots of season 7 – of $516,400!

Johnny started his poker career with a positive mindset; he knew most of the internationally reputed poker players have not faced Asian players, which he considered would work in his favor. And, has it not? He has acquired name and popularity in poker arena to last this age and time.

The recently concluded High Stakes Poker has further consolidated his presence in poker world. Ending the season on a high note, and leaving the table as an undeniable master; Johnny, along with the likes of Phil Galfond, Bill Klein and Eric Boneta, has roped in huge bucks just while High Stakes Poker seemed to be slipping away.

It wasn’t just for any other reason that Chan’s 1988 final match was featured in a Hollywood film Rounders, with him in a cameo role. We will await High Stakes Poker’s return!

When High Stakes Poker debuted on January 1, 2006, it was just another poker show for many. However, with each passing episode, the show carved for itself a niche as an extraordinary game show, where rules were redefined and ‘poker’ got synonymous with electrifying excitement. Now in its 7th season, the show has become a hot favorite among reality TV lovers, and has attained a cult status on the small screen.

So what is it that makes this show a league apart, from all its contemporaries? To start with, High Stakes Poker, despite being adherent to the basic format of the game, is an entirely revamped version of poker, which explains why viewers, once hooked to the show, just can’t take their eyes off the magic that unleashes. For instance, while most televised poker shows are played in a tournament setting with poker chips, this game is as real as it gets, with the chips being replaced by real money!

Moreover, when they say ‘high stakes’, they really mean it, since the players put in thousands of dollars at stakes, making the excitement factor reach a crescendo. The buy-in of the show is a sufficient proof of the show’s regality, with the minimum buy-in being as high as a record-breaking $200,000.  All through its seven-season run, the show has been hosted by poker pros, including Gabe Kaplan, who hosted the show for the first six seasons with A.J. Benza; and Kara Scott and Norm Macdonald, who are the current hosts.

You can download High Stakes Poker to step into this riveting milieu of intense competition, dreaded losses, and exuberant victories. Enjoy the game!