There's no question that poker is hot right now. It seems like you can't turn on the TV without seeing something poker-related. Marry this with the even more popular act of watching celebrities, and you've got Celebrity Poker Showdown, which is the subject of this review for those that decided to ignore the title above.
Now, this isn't the type of poker you've seen in Westerns and such. It's Texas Hold'em. Not only that, it's No Limit Texas Hold'em poker. That means that, at any point in the game, the various various celebrities can be total idiots and put all of their money on the line, which is usually closely followed up with them getting their asses handed to them.
The format isn't too dissimilar to other poker shows on TV: five players, you've got the commentators talking about what the players are doing, and you've got wonderful little cameras right on the felt so that you can see everyone's hands all at the same time so that you can make your own armchair decisions on how everyone should or shouldn't play.
With all these similarities to everything else out there, why should you watch it? The celebrities are what set it apart from just your normal type of poker show. These aren't huge-as-Godzilla type of celebrities, like Tom Cruise or the Governator. No, these are mainly TV stars, such as West Wing folk, Matthew Perry, and Hank Azaria. That's good, too, because it means that they aren't so damn obsessed with their egos, and as such, there are some really interesting dynamics between the players and, more often than not, the audience.
Ultimately, however, this strength is also a weakness. Because the players change with each show, there is very little consistency between any of the episodes. For example, the first episode I saw was absolutely hilarious. The interaction between everyone was great, with Lauren Graham and Matthew Perry cracking me up for the entirety of the two-hour episode. In another episode, even though it had some cool people in it (Michael Ian Black and Norm MacDonald), the dynamic just wasn't there between almost anybody (although, on the poker side, it was a damn good game). It wasn't boring, per se, but it certainly wasn't nearly as entertaining. So far, more episodes that I've seen have been good than those that have sucked, and the inconsistency isn't really the show's fault; after all, without a script, it's hard to blame non-existant writers.
As an aside, I have to say that Matthew Perry is one of the funniest people alive. Both episodes that I've seen him in have been hilarious.
The hosts also help set the tone as well. First up is poker pro Phil Gordon, who provides the professional opinion on what the players are doing (right or wrong). He's also a wiz with figures, citing obscure figures that could quite possibly be wrong (but they sound damn impressive). The second host is Dave Foley, who is the anti-professional when it comes to the running commentary. He adds the "whimsy" to the game. Between the two of them, they provide an energetic and entertaining commentary; much better than other poker shows, which usually feature two experts whose excitement is on the same level as golf commentators.
One of the other problems I have with the show has to do with one of the hosts. Dave Foley is a funny guy. I'm not going to argue that. However, on the show, it seems like he tries just a bit too hard to be funny. You don't always have to go for a joke, Dave; sometimes, the best humor finds you, rather than the other way around.
One of the other things that I like about the show is that everyone is playing for their own particular charity. Even if they lose, their charity gets $5,000, and the champion of each game gets to play in the championship game, which means their charity can with the lion's share of the $250,000 prize money. You go celebrities, making the world a better place, one poker hand at a time!
All in all, Celebrity Poker Showdown is a really good show. It's a perfect blend of "reality" television (not the backstabbing kind, just the "this is what real life is" kind) and celebrity-obsessed television, with a little bit of "do some good for the world" thrown in for good measure. While it isn't perfect, it's more than worth checking out if you've got the time.