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The days of poker being a game played in the back room of a pub are long gone. The game has become incredibly popular, mainly due to the growth in online gambling. Television companies have not been slow to realize the popularity of poker and shows dedicated to the game have been introduced.
Plenty of dramas have included the playing of poker or other card games, so it’s in no way something viewers haven’t seen. But how do you create a successful poker TV-show that stands out from the rest that is available?
How to Create a successful Poker TV-Show
Feature Top Players
It is important that there are some top players taking part in the games that are broadcasted. It doesn’t have to be packed with the very best unless you have a truly massive budget to play with. Including players that poker fans will instantly recognize and be keen on playing will help attract an audience for the show.
A different format
Try to come up with something a little bit different. How about having a World Cup-style tournament? Rather than just being a player v player, it can be a country v country. That could help sell the series to plenty of nations around the world. With so much choice of online casinos now available, it should be easy to take inspiration from some of the many slot games and live casino games available.
A Knowledgeable Host
You can’t just have anyone host a television show about poker. Having a host who is either a current player or a former player is a good step to take. If there are any discussions about the games that are being played, they can make positive contributions, giving their own opinion on what is happening. That’s far better than having a presenter who doesn’t know anything about strategy or the players who are taking part. All they do is just read the autocue and wonder what the heck is being talked about.
Expert Pundits
Pundits are here, there and everywhere these days and can make a good living from their opinions. Getting some players, whether they are still on the circuit or not, onboard is extremely helpful. Find someone who can make controversial comments. That will help get your programme noticed, especially on social media. The more publicity the better as long as the comments don’t cross the line. More people will start tuning in to find out what the pundits are going to say next, is more controversy on the way?
Be Informative
The game of poker is attracting new players all the time. TV coverage helps with this but as anyone who has played the game knows, there is a lot to learn. If a television poker show can explain the ins and outs of the game to newcomers, then they will be even more keen to keep watching the show. They will realise that it’s not just a show where they can watch top-level poker but learn ways of improving their own game.
Get some Celebrities involved
We seem to be living in an age where celebrities rule the roost. There are plenty of celebrity versions of game shows and televised poker is no exception. Viewers just seem to love watching celebrities, even though they often have to be told exactly who they are. Hosting a celebrity series of a poker show can bring in new viewers. They might not be initially interested in watching a poker game but if all of a sudden, a soap star or someone off ‘The Only Way is Essex’ is playing, that interest will grow.
There are some celebrities that are actually very good at playing poker. Vicky Coren Mitchell has won big tournaments on the European Poker Tournament circuit and televised celebrity tournaments. She’s even a member of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. Other celebrities handy at the poker table include Rafael Nadal, Kevin Hart, Toby Maguire, and Michael Phelps.
Footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović already has links with online gambling, getting him involved with your show could certainly boost viewing figures. He previously turned down a big sponsorship deal with PokerStars, but he seems to be acquiring quite a few off-the-field interests at the moment.
Sponsorship
While on the subject of sponsorship deals, getting some for your television show would be a big step forward. Signing a deal with a well-known online gambling company would be a great idea. It shows that there is acceptance of your program from people inside the industry.
The online gambling company will be keen to see as many viewers as possible watching the show they are sponsoring. That means they will be carrying out plenty of publicity to ensure their customers tune in and hopefully attract new customers to their site.
