1. Well, with Phil Gordon gone, there is now officially no reason to watch this show.

Phil Gordon set the bar very high; they could not have picked a worse replacement.

Posted at 8:19PM on Mar 22nd 2006 by wil

2. First of all, they could have chosen far worse replacements.

Fortunately, the format of the show will not give him the opportunity to be Phil-centric all the time. Plus Dave Foley will be able to shut him down any time he goes overboard reminding viewers of his nine WSOP bracelets and other achievements that make him such a legend in his own mind.

I'm sure the first few episodes will be rather awkward as he and Foley learn to work with each other. Just like restaurant reviewers wait a few weeks to review new restaurants, be fair and judge him by the third or fourth episodes.

That said, I think the difference is that Gordon seems to have a natural sense of humor while Hellmuth's is more of a forced humor. And I'm sure they did a test show to see how Foley and Hellmuth would work together and the producers must have seen something they liked to choose Hellmuth over the other contenders. Hellmuth did not get picked just because he's a big name, but that may have helped break a tie between him and someone who performed equally in the auditions.

And I really watch the show for Foley anyway. His commentary ("He loses to an Ace on the river, proving conclusively that there is no god and all life is random and meaningless.") along with the banter of some celebrities (Penn Jillette, Brad Garrett) are what make the show.

Finally, each season of the show is only six episodes anyway, so if after those six Hellmuth just doesn't work out, he can be replaced.

elf

Posted at 9:44PM on Mar 22nd 2006 by elf

3. Amen to what Wil said. Considering the highly variable skill levels of the players on that show, and Phil's penchant for criticizing other players and calling them idiots and such, this show is going to turn into a very unpleasant spectacle to watch. Unless you are into that sort of thing, which I am not.

Posted at 9:47PM on Mar 22nd 2006 by Dave Westbay

4. This could be an opportunity for Phil to work a bit of tarnish off his image. Since it won't be him on the losing end of the donkey plays perhaps his reactions will be a bit less animated and venomous.

I keep hearing that away from the tables he's a great guy. Hopefully the Losers Lounge is far enough from the felt.

Posted at 4:06AM on Mar 23rd 2006 by Loki

5. I predict the show getting yanked mid-season, or Foley quitting mid-season. The only possible reason to watch now would be for the comedy value of seeing how far PH can stick his leg into his mouth.

WTF were they thinking? Controversy = higher ratings?

Posted at 7:28AM on Mar 23rd 2006 by Sparky

6. Like him or not, Phil Hellmuth is still one of the most recognizable names / faces in professional poker. This is a move designed to generate more interest in Celebrity Poker Showdown, and I'm sure it will accomplish that by bringing more viewers.

Once there, however, what will they see? The unknown variable is how tough Hellmuth will be on the celebs. If he can strike a balance between charming and caustic, this could be a great show. I don't envy anyone trying to "replace" Phil Gordon, though - he is truly a classy player and commentator.

Prediction? Higher highs and lower lows on the Hellmuth-directed roller coaster. And a new guru next season.

Posted at 10:00AM on Mar 23rd 2006 by Rod

7. Phil Hellmuth as player and Phil Hellmuth as commentator/family man/all around good guy have to be two different people...Completely different. There's no other explanation for his being hired to sit across from Dave Foley.

The "post Annie Duke" incident, a televised apocalyptic meltdown, has to have the man on the seven-second-delay button shaking in his shoes; but remember, this time he's only talking about the game, not putting a huge portion of his ego on the line in the middle of it. Maybe he'll have something meaningful and informative to say about the games played.

And maybe a pair of jacks played through to the river with overcards on the board will cause a fit of apoplexy that will start him bleeding from the ears. We won't know until we see it, and you know at some point we're all going to get curious enough to watch it. The producers of the show know what they're doing.

Posted at 11:51AM on Mar 23rd 2006 by Frank

8. Celebrity Poker cannot get anymore boring then it already is, so bringing in Phil might actually spark some interest. I would love to see Phil come out and bash other players for doing incrediably stupid things like raising 20 chips in a 5000 dollar pot.

Without that kind of conflict the show has nothing. What is the point of watching it? To learn how to play poker? I think not, so it needs something else, and Phil if can be himself it might actually be entertaining. No one here can honestly tell me that watching actors crack lame jokes while playing extremely shitty poker is entertaining?

Posted at 7:14PM on Mar 28th 2006 by Steve