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| Not to worry: Nicole Sullivan would storm back from fifth place to win the damn game. |
There's nothing more fun than watching your favorite celebrities play poker on cable television, right? Well...not exactly. Nevertheless, there are probably even less productive uses of an hour of time than watching Celebrity Poker Showdown (although I'd be hard-pressed to name them). So although I'd rather spend an hour watching football (or, for that matter, reading a book), I give Celebrity Poker Showdown a reluctant thumbs up.
The problem with Celebrity
Poker is the same as the problem with any game show that has a
"celebrity" edition. Part of the appeal of watching a game show is that
when ordinary folks are playing, you know that the cash and/or prizes they
win will probably make a difference in their lives. On the other hand,
does anyone really care if some celebrity wins $50,000 for their favorite
charity (even if it is Alley Cat Allies)? That having been said,
Celebrity Poker is not without its appeal. It's faster-paced
than a Devils hockey game, and the celebrity banter usually includes
one or two notable exchanges. We get an opening sequence that looks
almost like it belongs at the beginning of the ABC Movie Of The Week,
circa 1967. We also get a host and a commentator to give us perspective
on what is going on (keep in mind that this is not rocket science or
even professional football, however - this is a simple card game, so
their insights are about as enlightening as that of someone doing color
commentary on a four-year-old's game of snakes and ladders). The celebrities
for the episode which I screened were Michael Ian Black, Peter Facinelli, Hank
Azaria, Mo Gaffney, and Nicole Sullivan. The men alone are worth the price of
admission: one is driven to conclude that if these metrosexuals are examples
of the type of manhood upon which this country must depend, we are in
deep trouble (although it would explain the presence of pink hand lotion
in an increasing number of men's public restrooms). The two female
players (Nicole Sullivan in particular) deliver the most entertainment
value here. Hank Azaria, who insists on doing a bad Jack Nicholson
impression, is mercifully the first player eliminated. Celebrity Poker
is based on a casino game called Texas No Limit Hold 'Em Poker. This
is a variant of poker in which two cards are dealt to each player. A
round of betting follows; there is a "blind" which represents the
minimum a player must bet in each round. After the first round of
betting, three cards are placed face-up in the middle of the table. These
are common cards from which each player forms his/her best hand. Another
round of betting follows. Another card is placed face-up, then
another round of betting follows. Finally, a fifth card is placed face-up.
Another round of betting follows. The winner is the player with the best
hand (of the players who have not yet folded). In this particular game,
Nicole Sullivan lost the first two hands, and soon found herself in
fifth place with only $2800 remaining. In a crucial hand, she bet all
her chips (going "all in") and won the hand. Not too long afterwards,
she took the lead, and never really looked back once she was in the lead.
At one point, she had an inferior hand, but was able to bluff her way
to victory. Most of the time, however, she folded when the the situation
called for a fold, but used superior hands to her advantage. In one
such case, Peter Facinelli went all in, enabling her to win the game
(see video clip). In the end, Nicole Sullivan
one $50,000 for her charity, Alley
Cat Allies, a charity devoted to reducing the feral/stray cat population
by trapping, spaying and neutering them. She also won an opportunity
to return to Celebrity Poker for the final round (which airs
January 13th). This episode of Celebrity Poker, which will
probably air in reruns at some point, is recommended viewing for all
Nicole Sullivan fans, who got to see a side of Ms. Sullivan (qua
shrewd card player) never seen before in her public persona. And -
who knows - you may even become an ardent fan of Celebrity Poker
(although it does not seem likely, unless you also like to watch paint
dry). Video clips (in Windows Media 8.0
format):
Poker face? Nicole Sullivan looks pleased with herself, even
though she has the weaker hand.