“Poker Night in America” continues to be on a roll. The popular poker television show now entering its second full season on the CBS Sports Network just wrapped up multiple days of filming at the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City. The main attraction included two action-packed days of high-stakes cash games which brought together an interesting mix of personalities, both from within the ranks of poker as well as movies, media, law, and high finance.
The first of two playing days included several well known players — most notably among them James Woods, the two-time Oscar-nominated actor and three-time Emmy Award winner. Noted film critic Richard Roeper, one of his table opponents, wasn’t able to offer his usual critique Wood’s play, since he himself sat in the game. This marked Woods’ first time to appear on “Poker Night in America.” Roeper played previously last year at the Turning Stone Casino in Upstate New York.
Linda Kenney Baden, the famous New York City criminal defense attorney perhaps best known for representing several famous athletes and celebrities (including record producer Phil Spector) also played on the show for the second time. She was joined at tableside by her equally famous husband, the well-known forensic pathologist Michael Baden.
Another famous New York sports personality, Craig Carton appeared on the set for a time. He’s best known as the co-host of the nationally-syndicated “Boomer and Carton Show,” which appears on WFAN-Radio and live most mornings on the CBS Sports Network. Carton was one of multiple players who came to the game with the support online site 888Poker, which also partners with “Poker Night in America” as the show’s official sponsor.
Speaking of 888Poker, one of the game’s most memorable moments was a relative newcomer to the poker scene, named Christine Pilcher who won a seat into the game via the popular online poker site operating in New Jersey. She began playing with just $10, won a series of events which earned her a seat in the televised big game, where she walked away with several thousands dollars in profit. Other players who sat in the game on day one included —Wendeen Eolis, Katie Stone, Jamie Kerstetter, Dan Shak, Jessica Dawley, and Steven McLoughlin.
Day two of cash game action was far more poker pro-centric. The lineup included — Shaun Deeb, Andrew Hanna, Matt Stout, Ken “Teach” Aldridge,Matt Glantz, Joe Malkin, Ebony Kenney, and Tyler Patterson.
Also filmed at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City was a “poker in the movies” retrospective, which included James Woods, Richard Roeper, and Ebony Kenney together in a roundtable discussion talking about some of the most memorable poker scenes from our favorite films. This special feature will be edited for later broadcast and will be shown throughout the rest of this year. The panel discussion was moderated by show host, Chris Hanson.
All the action from the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City was live streamed online on a 30-minute delay with hole cards shown. Both days were archived online, and can be viewed below. Highlights will be shown during the start of Season 3, expected to air beginning in July 2015.
More “Poker Night in America” stops will be taking place throughout the remainder of this year. Stay tuned for future shows and announcements.
Day 1 – action begins at 20:50
Day 2 – action begins at 46:25