Old & New School Collide on "Poker After Dark"

Over the next few weeks, as the reboot of “Poker After Dark” gets closer and closer, Poker Central will prepare poker fans for the return of PAD in a variety of ways. From episode recaps from past seasons, which are currently streaming on PokerGO, to exclusive interviews with some of poker’s biggest names, Poker Central is here to get you ready for brand new episodes of “Poker After Dark” before the series returns on August 14.

Many of the players that will be headlining PokerGO’s “Poker After Dark” reboot will be returning to the show that helped make them poker stars. The galaxy of the poker world is primarily made up of those old school legends but poker’s newest star, Upswing Poker’s Doug Polk, is a big “Poker After Dark” fan and will likely be involved in the series reboot.

“When I was getting into poker, I really enjoyed watching the episodes,” Polk said about “Poker After Dark.” “The deep cash games, those moments were iconic. Some of those scenes were the best poker scenes we’ve ever seen. I hope more of the deep stacked stuff returns and I hope I can get an invitation to a couple of lineups.”

No matter where you fall on the poker spectrum, from three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner all the way to casual, recreational player, those early “Poker After Dark” moments certainly do stick out as iconic. The stakes, the action and maybe even most importantly the players, have been unmatched in televised poker since.

“Tom Dwan, obviously.” Polk said, when asked which players he’d love to see return to “Poker After Dark,” before adding, “I’d love to see Phil Ivey and some other big names. Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negeranu, Phil Hellmuth. A Hellmuth signature blow up would be especially epic in 2017.”

Polk went on to mention that those old school legends were and are still some of the best personalities in the game, something that his new age counterparts have seemed to lack. That contrast in approach is something that intrigues Polk and could create for some interesting dynamics on “Poker After Dark.”

“The New Age guys are more mathematical, they take a long time to think things over and while they may not be great for TV, it would be great to watch.” Polk said, before fanaticizing about the possibilities of having some of the world’s best young players on PAD. “Players like Fedor, Ben Sulsky, Isaac Haxton and then even Jake Schindler. Those guys are animals and willing to do pretty much anything, at any point.”

Those are all players that likely would have been front and center on “Poker After Dark” if the series had continued for the last decade but now, just a few weeks away from the reboot of the iconic series, the poker world may finally get a chance to see them. Doug Polk, while maybe more Fedor Holz than Phil Hellmuth, seamlessly combines the old and new school worlds and when they collide on “Poker After Dark,” streaming exclusively on PokerGO, Polk will surely be front and center.