World Poker Tour: Season 2 DVD Review:

In recent years poker has become one of the fastest rising past times for what is estimated to be sixty million people in the U.S. alone. Online games are available so that players can get involved in the comfort of their own home, both for fun or money. Even more alarming has been the rise in popularity that poker has had as a spectator sport as well. There are a number of poker shows on television, including World Poker Tour, which has become The Travel Channel’s number one show. It isn’t hard to see why with the nonstop excitement that Season 2 of the show has.

The show is formatted so that there is a tournament every episode, each one held at different locations around the world. The show is hosted by the beautiful and mesmerizing Shana Hiatt, and commentators Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten. There is never a dull moment on the show that has all sorts of little goodies in between the action. Before the commercial breaks, which are removed for the luxury of DVD, there are poker tips, quizzes, and history lessons. Also during the show, there is time spent on player bios and often a quick tour of the hotel that is hosting the tournament. With all of these little bonuses it doesn’t matter if the tournament is exciting, which it always seems to be anyways. It is often so exciting that it is hard to believe the action hasn’t been staged.

As exciting as the show is to watch, with the high stakes involved, it seems as though it would be even more exciting in person as there are pulsating lights as the action takes place. There is also techno music added for television, especially during the exciting and pivotal decisions that the players must make. At times these effects can get somewhat irritating, especially when the lights flash on the player’s face.

One of the downsides of having a poker tournament on television, or DVD if you are looking at the counter, is that you can usually guess what is going to happen at the end by the amount of time there is left for each episode. The smart thing to do is just get lost in the episode and try not to keep track of time. All of the tournaments lead to one big game held in Las Vegas at the end of the season.

This eight disc set comes jam packed with fourteen tournaments and a whole bunch of extras as well, including "Poker Corner: WPT Championship Special" - a one-hour in-depth analysis with top players Annie Duke, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth, Jr. and a "Poker Takes Over Hollywood" featurette looking at Hollywood's fascination with poker. Even more exciting is the commentary on four of the tournaments by poker champs Daniel Negreanu, Phil "The Unibomber" Laak, Antonio Esfandiari and Erick Lindgren.

This set is great for any poker fan with more features and poker than any human being could consume in a short period of time. It is also great for someone who hasn’t learned all of the rules or tricks of the game yet and wants to study up a bit before entering a tournament themselves.



Ryan Izay