Doubles Poker

My cable was installed three months ago, but because I’m an idiot, I only recently discovered that my package includes Game Show Network!  I ‘d been bemoaning my bad fortune, not being able to watch High Stakes Poker.  But lo and behold, while perusing through the stations, I was thrilled to find GSN clearly broadcasting Gabe Kaplan’s witty analysis.

Of course, I parked myself for the marathon.  But once complete, I was intrigued to learn of another poker program on GSN, Doubles Poker.  I’d never heard of it, and still, after one viewing, don’t necessarily grasp every detail.  But in essence, every hand has two players.  You play as a team.  One player executes pre-flop and turn action, while the other plays on the flop and on the river.  Each of them, while playing as a team, cannot discuss the hand with one another as the hand is in progress.  They must play their respective streets on their own.  The only exception seems to be a “timeout,” which is awarded a pre-designated number of times to each team, whereby the two players can step away and quietly discuss current hand strategy.

The two-player-per-hand dynamic gives rise to a unique new strategic element: How does my teammate expect me to play this hand?  Huck Seed and Annette Obrestad were the winners of the three-team table I watched.  How these teams are assembled is still unknown to me, but there must be a random element, as the Seed-Obrestad relationship was somewhat uncomfortable.  Despite their victory, there was an obvious disagreement during a particular hand, something not totally unusual, I would assume, given the tension of differing strategic ideas.  Obrestad would explain in the post-game interview that the argument stemmed from exactly that, a schism between the way she would play the hand versus the way Seed played the hand.  She checked the river when Seed clearly wanted her to bet, because, as she said, “I didn’t know what I was doing!  I would never have played the turn that way, so I was confused as to how to play the river.”

I love the idea of two great poker minds unintentionally butting heads while working toward the same goal.  There are so many successful ways to play this game.  With that in mind, I have a few suggestions for entertaining duos, so please GSN, take note:

–> Chris Ferguson and Mike Matusow

I like the idea of pairing a quiet math guy with a loud-mouth risk taker

–> Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan

I was trying to think of a new young-gun to pair with Doyle, but ultimately, it’d be great to see two old school guys unionize to try and give the kiddies what for.

–> Chris Moneymaker and Jamie Gold

I’d just like to see how quickly they can team-up to lose their whole stack.

–> Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey

No real reasoning.  It’d just be awesome

But, without doubt, I would most like to see…

–> Phil Hellmuth and Tom Dwan

How would this work?  Dwan would bet 140% of the pot on the turn, and Hellmuth would try and check-raise the river?  These two butt heads more often and more entertainingly than any two players in recent memory.  Their strategy on poker couldn’t be more different, and I have a hard time envisioning a victory, despite their combined brilliance.  But maybe I’m wrong!  I’d pay for the opportunity to find out!