For five more weeks anyway.

With the talk earlier about the various poker shows on ESPN and Travel Channel, I thought I'd let you guys know that the six-week Celebrity Poker Challenge on Bravo is underway, and it's quite entertaining. The celebs are playing with house money for charity (a total of $250,000 when it's all over) but they take it very seriously, they're good game players and the star power is pretty solid (Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle and David Schwimmer in the opener).

Next week, five cast members from The West Wing compete (Joshua Malina is listed as an executive producer, so that's probably more than a coincidence). As with most things Bravo, the show is rerun virtually every day, so there are plenty of chances to catch it.

I caught Celebrity Poker tonight since I need a poker fix before tomorrow night's World Poker Tour rerun. :-) It was barely tolerable, IMO. The commentators (Kevin Pollak and poker pro Phil Gordon) don't hold a candle to ESPN's World Series of Poker commentators (Phil McEachern and humor/sports writer Norman Chad) or WPT hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten. The hooting and hollering crowd turned me off as well.

There were some horrible calls by the players (Willie Garson's big call with a pair of deuces, an early call by David Schwimmer when Don Cheadle and one other person (Garson?) had a straight, Emily's all-in call with a pair of treys) but even the pros make those mistakes. Even I've made that type of mistake just once. ;-)

The celebrity lineups after game 2 drop off a bit. Here's what's in store for the next 4 shows.

Game 2--The West Wing spectacular, as Matt alluded to above. Timothy Busfield, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Martin Sheen, John Spencer.

Game 3--Hank Azaria, Michael Ian Black, Peter Facinelli, Mo Gaffney, Nicole Sullivan.

Game 4--Coolio, Shannon Elizabeth, Ron Livingston, Paul Rudd, Sarah Silverman.

Game 5--David Cross, Carrie Fisher, Tom Green, Mimi Rogers, Scott Stapp.

If we're calling this a game show (up for debate, as always), then 6'9" Phil Gordon would rank as the 2nd tallest host/co-host in history, three inches shorter than John Salley (I Can't Believe You Said That!).

This show is definitely watchable (though I was just as skeptical as anybody of the ads touting it as "the next big BRAVO thing"). However, I must say that the World Series of Poker was more slickly produced and was a much more rewarding series to watch - partly because it featured real people playing for (if not with) real money.

Some of those people on the World Series scared the bejeezus out of me. On the other hand, I'd smile at my fortune if I were greeted in a dark alley with Emily Procter, a deck of cards, and a table.

I heartily agree that the World Series of Poker program was much better in every significant aspect BUT the celeb factor. This show could really use those percentages alongside the cards to keep the clueless informed (at the very least a check mark at the end of the hand). I also like Kevin Pollack, but a little of him can go a long way for most people. (His out-of-nowhere Christopher Walken impression right out of the gate amused me.) Still, as merely a casual fan who'd probably get taken to the cleaners in a minute in a real game, I found it a terribly fun way to spend an hour.

Gee, Coolio's playing. What a shock! Still, other than him and a couple other publicity-hounds, a lot of these people are legitimate if not mega-watt showbizzers who almost certainly are there because they can play the game. I'm looking forward to the rest.

Kevin Pollack should leave the analyzation to Phil Gordon. Twice he said "that helps no one" (after the flop or the turn card) when in fact it gave someone a straight draw.

My longshot sleeper of the tournament has to be with Michael "Johnny BlueJeans" Ian Black.

And yes, some of the draws Garson was getting last night were unbelieveable. I surely thought Schwimmer would beat him with a pair of pocket Aces and the ace in the flop. Go figure.

-- JV

I would like to announce that I am developing a show for an unnamed cable network entitled Celebrity Solitaire.

Good poker play-by-play man or not... Kevin Pollack does have one thing that other poker commentators don't. An unbelieveable impression of Christopher Walken. Whow.

-- JV

Challenge over here are currently airing poker every night. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they're showing an imported World Poker Tour and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they're showing Celebrity Poker Club, an offshoot from cult Channel 4 Late Night Poker (now sadly axed).

It's very interesting to note the differences in style and presentation between the two shows. I notice lots of on screen graphics and facts in the US show and lots of detail with regards to chips and winnings. The UK show is far more quaint really - not much at all by way of graphics or details (the community cards, occasionally what's in the pot, er... that's it). Your commentators come across as rather sports orientated. We get the excitable Jesse May (best commentator of anything ever) and the Hendon Mob's very own Barney Boatman. There's no glitz or glamour involved really, just a darkish smokyish studio and the dealers - very different to the atmospheres on he final tables we see on WPT.

Both are valid approaches. For some reason I think I enjoy the intimacy of our domestic version more.