Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Revamped Face the Ace Returns to NBC

Let's attending at Face the Ace in comestible terms. If it comes to the accepted crop of poker television shows, NBC's Face the Ace is like a angle bandage on a Vegas buffet. It ability attending aperitive from distant with those barbecue marks and the little chopped chives brindled on top, but already you dig in, it's cold, underseasoned, and in atrocious charge of some acid. The aboriginal two episodes of Face the Ace were universally reviled, and, thankfully, afore the appearance alternate in its approved Saturday afternoon time aperture this accomplished weekend, the producers affianced in a bit of retooling for the broadcast. The results? Far beneath cringe-worthy moments but we're still far from "Must-See TV." Let's alarm it a adequate dish, but not one we're dying to try again.

Advertisement

Rummy Royal

One of the best decisions that was fabricated abaft the scenes of Face the Ace was to access Ali Nejad's attendance onscreen while ascent aback some of Steve Schrippa's (painfully unfunny) badinage with the contestants. Added Ali Nejad is consistently a acceptable affair if it comes to poker television -- he's smart, articulate, and with his added gig as the articulation of Poker Afterwards Dark, he's acceptable a accustomed articulation to admirers if it comes to commentary.

This week's adventure aswell had a far added outgoing, active adversary in Adam Erlich. Sharing the actuality that he already approved out for The Apprentice was a acceptable move but absolute that he'd apprehend the book "How to be a TV Contestant" afore actualization on the appearance didn't absolutely attach him to the admirers any further. Although his personality belted on grating, and he tended to the artificial while casting in those reraises, Erlich was arch and abecedarian aloft the antecedent contestants if it came to chatting up the pros and talking the admirers through his anticipation process.

Chris Ferguson and Phil Gordon, the episode's two featured "Aces," were acutely adequate in foreground of the camera and their badinage with Erlich was bland and friendly. This was a credible advance from accomplished episodes in which babble was awkward at best. Remember if Phil Ivey attempted to babble up an absolutely star-struck Jonathan Nygaard?

Production aswell denticulate credibility by throwing some absorbing aliment crumbs to affect altercation amid the pros and the contestants. We abstruse about Ferguson's history with aboriginal online poker, and Gordon's credible new career as a llama farmer. He owns two, Dalai Llama and Barack Ollama.

The admirers aswell appeared far added affianced this week, or at atomic added liquored up. Inviting the contestant's supporters to army about the table during all-in situations created added ball and astriction while the army alleged for all-ins and booed if anyone folded. One disorderly beholder even shouted "Roshambo for 200!" at accepted rock-paper-scissors aficionado Phil Gordon.

Erlich was assured at the table and afterwards accepting his money in with the best duke and accident several times to Chris Ferguson, he was assuredly able to appear out on top, acrimonious up $40,000 for his win. Afterwards chief to let it ride, he sat down adjoin Phil Gordon in his $200,000 match. Gordon was decidedly conflicted over his role as “dream killer.

absolutely boxy to sit over here. I wish you to win but I still accept to play my best,” Gordon said.

Ultimately, Erlich got the blow of his chips in with {A-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} adjoin Gordon’s {J-Clubs}{9-Hearts}, but Gordon hit average brace on the {Q-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}{7-Clubs} flop. Erlich couldn’t acquisition an ace on the {10-Diamonds} about-face or the {5-Spades} river, and his $40,000 went up in smoke abrogation the abecedarian to avenue the set empty-handed but adroit in defeat.

Despite some abundant improvements, if it comes down to it, the superior of Face the Ace absolutely hinges on the allure amid the contestants and the pros they play. Unfortunately for viewers, a draw that is traveling to hit every time.

No comments: