Live At The Bike - IS DEAD

[aislephive]

[ QUOTE ]
It failed because the concept was flawed. The commentary consisted of constant (and repetitive) poker lessons given by two unknown players. The talk was non-stop and frequently argumentative. It did not help that it was the same cast of players night after night.

High Stakes poker has good commentators - a witty and knowledgeable color man and a play by play guy who does not pretend to know anything. Poker after dark has a pretty good format too, with very little commentating. Both shows make the poker game the star of the show rather than the commentators. Both shows mic the players so you can hear what they are saying.

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You couldn't be much farther off if you tried.

The commentary, at least when it was Dave and Bart every night, was top notch. I'd take those two over AJ Benza and Gabe Kaplan any day of the week.

I'm not sure how business was going for LATB after they changed the show to subscription only, but when they were showing 10-20nl every night with the same cast and characters it was my favorite time watching LATB. When they switched it to predominantly 5/10 with unknown players and the absence of Dave is when the show went downhill, for me.

The reason that HSP and PAD are successful has more to do with super high stakes and tables full of poker superstars than the commentating. Not to mention the shows are on popular tv networks.

People who complained about paying $15 a month to watch the show and access the archives are pathetic. It was well worth the money and it was worth it just to support the show. It's a measly 15 dollars for christ sake, deal with it.

[luck=skill]

[ QUOTE ]
The reason that HSP and PAD are successful has more to do with super high stakes and tables full of poker superstars than the commentating. Not to mention the shows are on popular tv networks.

People who complained about paying $15 a month to watch the show and access the archives are pathetic. It was well worth the money and it was worth it just to support the show. It's a measly 15 dollars for christ sake, deal with it.

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goodbye LATB was a good show imo worth the money

[Farfenugen]

This is very dissapointing to hear.

LOL @ everyone having expert commentary on why the show died.

[UncleKraut]

This is the begininng of the end. Poker is dead. 6 more months max.

[RydenStoompala]

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It truly astounds me how many 2+2ers are so intuitive, business minded, tech savvy and omnipotent

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Very badly written, Barry, but I think I know what you meant. For the record I forgot more business savvy than anyone at the Bike ever had before breakfast this morning. In terms of a true comparrison, the way the Bike has treated its customers since the self-destruction of the web cast ranks right up there with the decisions made by the morons at Coke when they decided to change the flavor of the world's most popular softdrink. There may be people less capable of operating a broadcasting enterprise in the universe, somewhere, but as yet they have not surfaced.

I have more than an inkling of what it took to run that show. The answer? Not a hell of a lot. Not a lot of money, at least not by my standards. Not a lot of tallent, with the odd exception. And not much effort. I'm sure people like Bart and some of the employees behind the scenes put work into it, but I'm guessing they did it on a shoestring.

There would be little use in considering any of the posters here omnipotent since David Sklansky did not post a reply. I wish he would.

Watching the same ten gits dry heaving their way through bankrollls day after day was not good television, but occassionally there was a gem and those brief moments were what made the monthly vig worthwhile. For example, anytime real cash game pros like Barry Greenstein or Gabe Thaylor were in the game, it elevated the enetertainment value considerably. It's too bad Mike got his lunch eaten in the dying moments of the program and then the show got flushed. It would have been cool watching his mom take back the keys to the Bentley.

Thanks for the insight on how much sweat and blood went into Live at the Bike. I'm sure the people who actually tried to make it work, who hopefully were not booted to the side like another action addict with a bad credit line, are appreciative of your support. We who paid the bills, however, think it may have been run by less-than-thoughtful business people. I mean congratulations...it's 2007 and they lost money on poker!

[realjaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It truly astounds me how many 2+2ers are so intuitive, business minded, tech savvy and omnipotent

[/ QUOTE ]

Very badly written, Barry, but I think I know what you meant. For the record I forgot more business savvy than anyone at the Bike ever had before breakfast this morning. In terms of a true comparrison, the way the Bike has treated its customers since the self-destruction of the web cast ranks right up there with the decisions made by the morons at Coke when they decided to change the flavor of the world's most popular softdrink. There may be people less capable of operating a broadcasting enterprise in the universe, somewhere, but as yet they have not surfaced.

I have more than an inkling of what it took to run that show. The answer? Not a hell of a lot. Not a lot of money, at least not by my standards. Not a lot of tallent, with the odd exception. And not much effort. I'm sure people like Bart and some of the employees behind the scenes put work into it, but I'm guessing they did it on a shoestring.

There would be little use in considering any of the posters here omnipotent since David Sklansky did not post a reply. I wish he would.

Watching the same ten gits dry heaving their way through bankrollls day after day was not good television, but occassionally there was a gem and those brief moments were what made the monthly vig worthwhile. For example, anytime real cash game pros like Barry Greenstein or Gabe Thaylor were in the game, it elevated the enetertainment value considerably. It's too bad Mike got his lunch eaten in the dying moments of the program and then the show got flushed. It would have been cool watching his mom take back the keys to the Bentley.

Thanks for the insight on how much sweat and blood went into Live at the Bike. I'm sure the people who actually tried to make it work, who hopefully were not booted to the side like another action addict with a bad credit line, are appreciative of your support. We who paid the bills, however, think it may have been run by less-than-thoughtful business people. I mean congratulations...it's 2007 and they lost money on poker!

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Well said.

[LrdNikon]

Archive subscription is now only $9.95

[r0eKY]

i was a long to watcher and i stopped watching when the fat curly hair guy became a regular and dave left. So bart it looks like bart said to him self im to ugly to ever get a tv job, but he was the best poker commentator ever.

i would love to just buy the whole 2 years 1 price. or pay 10 bucks and DL all of the good one's. Anyway to Dl WM recorder perhaps?

[NLfool]

I was a subsriber and it was ok watching on my PC but how do I get it on my Ipod. It's one of the main reason I stopped subscribing

[BartHanson]

[ QUOTE ]
i was a long to watcher and i stopped watching when the fat curly hair guy became a regular and dave left. So bart it looks like bart said to him self im to ugly to ever get a tv job, but he was the best poker commentator ever.

i would love to just buy the whole 2 years 1 price. or pay 10 bucks and DL all of the good one's. Anyway to Dl WM recorder perhaps?

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the warm words. Fortunately for you I guess you may never see this mug on TV. Since the demise of L@TB I have actively been searching for other poker commentary gigs but have had no success. It frustrates me beyond belief that new projects pop up and I don't even get a chance to audition for roles. As poker sponsorship exits so it seems do a lot of mid budgeted poker programs. I again turn to this forum to ask advice and help from anyone that has poker programming contacts. Many people have written that I am their favorite poker commentator. If you'd like to see me do more work in the industry please help me out. You can PM me or post suggestions.

Thanks,

Bart