High Stakes Poker Gabe Kaplan
High Stakes Poker Season 8 Debuts Wed.; Gabe Kaplan & AJ Benza Are Back. Posted by 5 days ago. High Stakes Poker Season 8 Debuts Wed.; Gabe Kaplan & AJ. Gabriel Weston Kaplan (born March 31, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, and professional poker player. He played the eponymous teacher in the 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. He later became a professional poker player and a commentator for the series High Stakes Poker on GSN. In addition to his poker playing, Kaplan was a frequent commentator at major poker events. He was the host for Game Show Network’s High Stakes Poker, being replaced by Norm MacDonald in 2011.
When it aired on the Game Show Network (GSN) from 2006-11, High Stakes Poker cemented its legacy as one of the most popular poker shows ever made through its 98-episode run. Now, after a near-decade hiatus, the show is set to return this Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on PokerGO.
Not only is the show, which recorded earlier this year at PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino, once again helmed by the original producer and Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani, news broke earlier this week that the show’s original hosts Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza would return for commentary duties. New episodes are slated to air every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
A.J. Benza & @GabeKaplan return to High Stakes Poker as hosts of the ALL NEW Season 8!
— PokerGO (@PokerGO)
“It’s been nine years since new episodes of the legendary ‘High Stakes Poker’ series have been created,” Eskandani told TheWrap in their mainstream preview of the show. “With this show being such a favorite among fans, it was important to us to capture the exhilarating spirit of the game in a way that makes it come to life through each viewer’s screen. When our audience tunes in, we want them to feel the energy of each player in the game, and we’ve worked faithfully to make that happen.”
The cash games will be played either $200/$400 or $400/$800 no-limit hold’em with a big blind ante in play.
For the first episode of Season 8, the game will be 400/$800 NLH with a minimum buy-in of $200,000. The lineup includes Tom Dwan, Jean-Robert Bellande, Rick Salomon, Nick Petrangelo, Brandon Steven, former MLB pitcher Michael Schwimer, and Bryn Kenney, who is one of a few poker pros making their High Stakes Poker debut.
Here’s a look at those who will be playing in Season 8 as revealed by the trailer:
- Phil Ivey
- Tom Dwan
- Jean-Robert Bellande
- Bryn Kenney
- Rick Salomon
- Chamath Palihapitiya
- Brandon Steven
- Nick Petrangelo
- Phil Hellmuth
- Doug Polk
- Michael Schwimer
- Brandon Adams
- James Bord
- Lazaro Hernandez
- Damien LeForbes
- Jake Daniels
- Lynne Ji
Remember, the show is only available to PokerGO subscribers. If you’re not currently subscribed, you can get a monthly subscription for $14.99, a three-month plan for $29.99, and an annual subscription for $99.99.
*Images courtesy of PokerGO.
