Celebrity Poker

Bravo is looking for a hot streak during its six-week run of Celebrity Poker, but it might reap better results from a single game of off-camera, 52-card pick-up. The show gathers any entertainer it can wrangle—from West Wing cast members to Coolio—in search of a card shark to emerge at the end of each hour. Kevin Pollack hams from the commentator table, flanked by professional card player and color man Phil Gordon, while players trash-talk over games of Texas Hold ’Em. Table cameras reveal each player’s hand before Gordon runs down their bluffing and betting options for the home audience. One cruel twist: Instead of playing for real money, mooching charities take home all the winnings. Without the skill of the World Series’ ESPN2 superstars or the free booze of Vegas, these amateurs don’t present a noticeable improvement over your own weekly poker nights—conversations stall, hands drag, and Pollack talks (and talks some more). For once, we’re not bluffing.