It’s definitely goes without saying that High Stakes Poker has been one of the most successful poker TV shows in history. The fact that HSP runs cash games instead of tournaments definitely sets it apart from most shows, and the broadcasting combination of A.J. Benza and Gabe Kaplan has been another reason for the show’s continued success. However, the Game Show Network recently announced that this duo will no longer be working together since A.J. Benza has been let go.
Apparently, GSN wants to bring in a younger, attractive female host to take Benza’s place on the show; there’s been no word on who this woman will be, though some speculated Vanessa Rouso. Benza was pretty outraged by GSN’s decision to fire him and said something on his blog about, “if you got the best pizza in town for 5 seasons, why add licorice to it?”
I think he definitely has a point here since Kaplan and Benza have played off of each other pretty well during the show’s first 5 seasons. Bringing in an entirely different person to take Benza’s place will definitely shake things up, and it might not end up being in a good way. All I know is that High Stakes Poker did fine in the past with just Benza and Kaplan doing the announcing.
Of course the suits at GSN probably think that the change will help draw a wider audience. And I can kind of see their point since so many men are drawn to the game of poker and the vast majority of them would probably rather see Vanessa Rouso’s face (for example) than Benza’s. If this move does end up attracting a bigger viewership then I guess it’s all good in the end.