High Stakes Poker Season 7 Week 2

A few observations after watching the second week.

1. Norm really sucks at this. Right out of the box he declares a "gift" to one of the players as though there were no chance the player with the best hand would throw it away--which, of course, he does. He has no understanding that the player has a very small flush and worried about a higher one. Then, 2 minutes later, he doesn't even realize David Peat has flopped a set, declaring he's being "trapped.". Just absolutely awful.

2.Perhaps the worst player ever seen on High Stakes Poker, a fellow named " Croak ", throws away the best hand I think four times in the first 20 minutes of the show. Shortly thereafter, right before a break, he tells the dealer she's supposed to be dealing him winning hands, completely unaware that that is precisely what she has been doing.

3.Norm decides to enlighten us that normally these pros won't play poker against one another in Vegas, preferring to feed on visiting businessman. Then we have to listen to pro vs.businessman analysis far too much. Ugh.

4.Norm's analysis about " plans " and "stone-cold bluffs" and predictions about what might happen next make you wonder whether the guy has ever played poker. Make your own list of Norm's nuggets--absolute cringe-worthy analysis. They are everywhere. I have really begun to resent these people for ruining what used to be a " don't miss " hour of TV.

A few observations after watching the second week.

1. Norm really sucks at this. Right out of the box he declares a "gift" to one of the players as though there were no chance the player with the best hand would throw it away--which, of course, he does. He has no understanding that the player has a very small flush and worried about a higher one. Then, 2 minutes later, he doesn't even realize David Peat has flopped a set, declaring he's being "trapped.". Just absolutely awful.

Can't understand the 'trapped' comment from Norm. The show is edited. Norm made that statement after the entire season played out. Do the producers have such a minimal knowledge of poker, they can't realize Norm's comment was the complete opposite of reality? Peat flopped Trip 5's vs. KK. Peat was the one who was trapping. Makes you wonder who works backstage and how much they know about the game...

2.Perhaps the worst player ever seen on High Stakes Poker, a fellow named " Croak ", throws away the best hand I think four times in the first 20 minutes of the show. Shortly thereafter, right before a break, he tells the dealer she's supposed to be dealing him winning hands, completely unaware that that is precisely what she has been doing.

Croak is definitely up there with the worst players ever on High Stakes Poker. Although Jerry Buss gave away the most tells I've ever seen on the show, he still outplayed Croak. But what do you expect from a guy who made his millions shaping rubber bands into circus animals and what not?

3.Norm decides to enlighten us that normally these pros won't play poker against one another in Vegas, preferring to feed on visiting businessman. Then we have to listen to pro vs.businessman analysis far too much. Ugh.

This comment was particularly asinine considering the public viewing of such high stakes games, that being, THIS SHOW, was more or less dominated by pros only the previous seven seasons, playing exclusively against one another heads up in pots as the millionaire novices played nits on the sideline.

4.Norm's analysis about " plans " and "stone-cold bluffs" and predictions about what might happen next make you wonder whether the guy has ever played poker. Make your own list of Norm's nuggets--absolute cringe-worthy analysis. They are everywhere. I have really begun to resent these people for ruining what used to be a " don't miss " hour of TV.

I'm going to watch this week with the sound off. After that, with the sound to see if there is anything of value added. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Yes--new season. Saturday at 8PM on GSN ( repeated at 11PM on Saturday ).