High Stakes Poker Records Huge Ratings
GSN recently announced that the number of people tuning in to its hit show, High Stakes Poker, has increased substantially over past seasons, as episodes of Season 6 are aired.
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| Photo source: PokerStarsBlog |
GSN's High Stakes Poker saw viewer numbers soaring in its latest run, season 6. According to Game Show Network's viewing figures, the show has seen an increase of 27% among adults aged 18 through 49. Among adults aged 25 to 54, the increase is 25%, with a slightly larger increase of 29% for men within that age group.
The positive trend in audience numbers largely puts an end to speculation that revisions to the show's format would cause its popularity to fall.
The replacement of A.J. Benza by Canadian born presenter Kara Scott was viewed by some as a risky strategy, but apparently fans must have decided that Gabe Kaplan could manage by himself in the commentary booth.
All-star line-up contributes to popularity boost
Among the reasons cited by GSN's management for the show's increasing popularity is the all-star lineup booked for this season. Vice President of Programming and Development at GSN, David Schiff, commented: "We have some of the biggest names in poker this season, including more international players, and the viewers are clearly responding to the outstanding game play."
One of the show's most popular faces, Daniel Negreanu (pictured right), had high praise for the changing face of the show: "High Stakes Poker has evolved a great deal from Season 1, and in Season 6 the level of play has reached new heights. I imagine the viewers who get a glimpse into some of these great poker minds are also learning a lot about the game."
Earlier seasons of the show included a number of wealthy amateur players, such as LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss, hedge fund manager Mike Baxter and Simpsons co-creator, Sam Simon. No such amateurs have appeared to date in Season 6, although Allan Meltzer is tipped to join the table in a later episode.
