blonde poker forum

Not up to speed with this subject whatsoever.  Can someone please give me the lowdown reference channel numbers, times, programme content, etc.

Cheers.............

This website may be useful **********







Sorry Sharky, can't allow the link.

Channel 846 on sky, but you can also watch online using the link given by sharky_uk.
They televise online tourneys at 9pm and this normally finishes around 12.30.
Programme content when i am on is very good.  :D
PS Tonight Roy Houghton is on as a guest.

Sky Poker is a Channel, not a Show, & it is on Channel 846.

It is the "start up" for a complete channel devoted to Poker.

At present, it has two Shows.

1) "The Open", Live at 9pm until roughly Midnight each night. This is studio-based, & via magical technology, follows an Online Tournament being played at that time. 500 runners play the Event each night, as well as 400 or so in two smaller Tourneys, "Velocity" & "Scary". They use a Presenter and an Analyst. The Presenters include Helen Chamberlain, Richard Orford, Kara Scott & Johnny Gould (he's on tonight). The Analysts include Norman Pace (who also Presents), Carlo Citrone, & Ed Giddens. (Plus a doddery old codger). The show is pretty much repeated via a "loop" 24/7, interspersed with various & random poker footage which Sky record at Venues themselves. Players can play via their computer, or, if they prefer, on their TV via the Red Button. The Show helps to deliver players to the Sky Poker Online Cardroom, which is not part of any Network.

2) "Poker Week" is a largely Venue-Based weekly Poker Magazine, very similar in format to the old Poker 425. Johnny Gould & Dave "Compo" Compton are the anchormen, & Rhowena Colclough & myself are involved too. This airs twice daily on Channel 846, 3pm & 8.30pm. This weekend we were at Walsall, the previous show (still being shown) was from the APAT Event in Dublin. Poker Week also airs 4 or 5 times a week on Sky Sports, see Listings.

More shows are in the pipeline, news of which soon.

The Open can also be viewed via computer, on a broadband link.

Sky Poker have a website, you'll have to guess the URL, but it ain't that difficult. The Website now contains a "Blog" Tab, to which I contribute several things, including a Poker Week blog, & a "Dr Kendall's Surgery" (sigh....) for Viewers e-Mailed questions.

I should point out I'm "connected" with the Channel & Show, in that I work for both of them. (Best to always declare "self-interest).

www.ohgodnothimagainhe'sontvmorethanthatindestructable.com ???

Poker is a game of skill with a bit of luck. SkyPoker is about luck. gl.

You have been on tv more than me this week!  :D

Why does registration have to close so early?  It even said there was 2 minutes left to go for me tonight but there was no button to register.

As far as I am aware, Registration closes a minute or so before the Comp begins, unless it's full up (which it often is).

I'll ask the bigwigs the question.

It said that registration was still open but I couldn't get in tonight.

Ta for asking, I only seem to remember about 2 minutes before the off and by then it's too late :D

Hi there,

There is an current upper limit of 600 entrants for The Open. We have increased it from 550 to allow more players a chance to play. Entry closes either at 2100 or when we are full. In general. If everything is working.

There is a constant debate about number of players/chips/blind levels. We get a bit of stick about the 'luck'factor, but The Open is televised and we have a limited amount of time in which to watch the whole tournament from start to finish. At the moment, we are broadcasting a live three hour (and a bit) poker tournament every night and that's pretty much all we can manage, given our resources (and a crew on their feet for the whole time). The speed of blinds helps ensure we get off air at midnight or just after.

The channel obviously works hand in hand with the Sky Poker. com website and The Open is streamed live on the internet every night, as well as being available to watch on Channel 846. All fans of The Open have their own preferred way of playing and watching. I prefer to watch the stream and play on a laptop but a lot of people seem to like the interactive experience while listening to the commentators. I think we're looking into a way of providing some kind of picture in picture for interactive players, but I'm not fully up to speed on that one...

As far as new shows on the Sky Poker TV channel go, we hope to be launching a new magazine show for home players which will be on at eight thirty every week night and will be a chance for anyone who watches Sky Poker and plays poker on the web to get in touch, phone in or ask questions.

You can also contact me via Blonde if you have any questions. Although I spend most of my time fighting crime in Miami, I also do a bit of work for the channel.

Ah didn't think it may have been full, cheers for replying Miami Vic :)

One thing, it's a fast structure as you have touched upon, blinds go up fast, bets placed fast, tables move about quickly  - why is it so slow to deal the cards out :D  Has to be one of the slowest dealers in the business!

So that one of the old codgers who commentates can keep up......

They are looking at ways to speed up the "dealing".

Silly question but if you need more time why not start at 8pm

It's "technical reasons" really Phil.

In reality, it's just not possible for the technical team to go much beyond the current timetable, which is 3 hours, going on 4, 7 nights a week. There are 4 Camera persons stood up for 4 hours at a time, a Floor Manager, two Runners, an Assistant Producer, two Sound Engineers, a Producer, Director, Vision Mixer, Autocue Operator, Stopwatch Lady, Graphics chappie, & so on, not to mention the Presenter & Analyst.

They have two complete technical Teams, who work 3 days on, 3 days off, & I guess it's just not cost-effective to double that up to 4 Teams so that nightly shows can have a shift-change part way through.


At least, I think that's the logic.....;)

But you dont have to be there or show the 1st hour of the tourney....

At present, we do - it's a policy decision to show the start of the Tourney, Live. It may change soon, though......

Yep, re: "technical reasons" have to say it's a lot of concentrated live work for production team/crew, presenters/analysts and guests. With the technical problems which could, and occassionally do, arise, I believe everyone does a darn good job on "The Open" production-wise.

Silly sharky_uk, you should know by now that you are not allowed to link to sites that promote \'rival\' online poker rooms!!

(Apart from www.apat.com (http://www.apat.com) of course!!)

I like the structure, and apparently so do many others judging by the amount of runners they are getting night after night.  I'm not sure what the structure is like in some of the other tournaments offered through the site, but the open seems to be fit for purpose as it is, so why change it?

Quite right my friend. But sometimes we turn the other cheek, for the sake of a quiet life, or some other reason. Like when we ban someone, & they return under a new alias. Sometimes we look for a reason to allow these things. ;)