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Jokers in the pack From:
By Catriona Mathewson and Marcus Casey
September 28, 2005
WHEN Ten went looking for a comedian with a mind for maths and a head for poker, the short list was remarkably ... well, short.
In fact it probably only had one name on it - Adam Spencer, former Triple J breakfast host.
"I don't know if I was the best person for the job. I was the only one," jokes Spencer, who will co-host Australia's first free-to-air foray into TV poker.
The craze is spreading across the world from the US and UK (which has two dedicated pay poker channels) and is gaining momentum here.
The 12 one-hour episodes of Joker Poker were filmed at Star City two weeks ago and air at about 10.30pm Saturday nights - depending on the movie beforehand.
It pits 40 Australian comedians against each other in a battle of wits wrapped in gags to find a poker champ and give away $100,000 to charity.
Spencer provides the commentary throughout, alongside Australasia's top-ranked poker player Lee Nelson.
"I was worried we had to film so many episodes in such a short time because they took two-and-a-half hours," Spencer says.
"It was a big ask for the comedians to be funny while playing so many hands in such a short space of time, but it came out really well."
Spencer was a natural choice - he has a first class honours degree in pure mathematics and a passion for poker which has grown since the birth of daughter Ellie six months ago.
"I've always had a tremendous respect for the game because it fuses mathematics with a bit of luck and a massive dose of human psychology," Spencer says. "When I was up at three in the morning (with Ellie), putting her to sleep or feeding her, I'd just sit there with the laptop open playing against guys from the States."
Of course, being a mathematician, Spencer understands the odds involved in gambling and rarely plays for cash. His online adventures involve nothing but "play money".
Describing poker as the "fondue" of the 2000s, he is confident the show will find a strong following.
Joker Poker started with a basic lesson last Saturday night, explaining hands and terms such as "the flop" and "the river".
There will be more tidbits this Saturday night.
Co-host Nelson will show off an uncanny knack for spotting "tells" - subconscious behaviour patterns which indicate a player has a good hand.
"He'll say, 'Every time that guy's got a good hand he sighs and every time that guy's got a good hand he cracks a few jokes'," Spencer says. "And he was remarkably accurate."
Nelson has apparently studied meditation techniques to ensure he maintains a "poker face" when playing.
Comedians taking part in the series - ranging from rank amateurs to veterans - include Russell Gilbert, Hamish and Andy (who go head to head in the first show), Greg Fleet, Micky Meredith and Gabby Milgate.
* Joker Poker, Ten, Saturday, 11.20pm
What's on the cards
Poker TV shows are a phenomenon spreading across schedules like a virus, mainly on pay networks. Fox8 has begun production on a 10-part Crown Australian Celebrity Poker Challenge with a $100,000 prize for charity and is due to air later this year. A gritty drama series called Tilt recently ended on ESPN, which took the genre to another level.
Other programs on Foxtel/Optus include:
* World Poker Tour, Fox8, Friday, 10.30pm
* World Series Of Poker, ESPN, Tuesday, 7pm
* Celebrity Poker Showdown featuring Matthew Perry, Jennie Garth, Dave Navarro and others, Fox8, Thursday, 9.30pm
Fox Sports airs six other poker shows. In all more than 130 hours air each week on pay-TV.
Copyright 2005 News Limited. |
