Presenting poker on tv or a stay stream isn’t any simple feat. Commentators not solely break down arms, talk about gamers, and replace match motion, however most significantly, should additionally discover a solution to make what can generally appear a bit boring truly attention-grabbing.
Positive, there are some explosive arms right here and there, however as any poker fan is aware of, there may be loads of mundane motion as nicely – to not point out the tanking – that may decelerate the motion.
Commentators like PokerStars’ James Hartigan should not solely have a information of the sport, however be adept at offering leisure worth and bridging the gaps between slowdowns and the essential moments to maintain viewers tuned in to occasions that may final for hours.
Hartigan has change into the most effective, forging a novel path after turning a background in radio right into a poker profession that has now reached virtually 15 years. And regardless of his time behind the mic, Hartigan can be happy to be enjoying extra in latest months, together with a deep run within the Corridor of Fame occasion this summer season.
“Sarcastically, I’ve performed extra within the final 12 months than I’ve within the final 12 years,” he says. “I’ve had the chance, since carrying the pink spade and changing into a PokerStars ambassador. Now after I’m not working within the sales space, after I’m not engaged on the stay streams on TV exhibits, I’m capable of go to stay occasions as a participant, at my stage. The way in which I celebrated my midlife disaster final summer season was, as a substitute of shopping for a Porsche, I purchased my method into the World Collection of Poker fundamental occasion.”
That zeal carries over to his work within the sport. The 49-year-old was available in Las Vegas for the North American Poker Tour at Resorts World to supply commentary and blend in some play of his personal. He spoke with Card Participant about his rise from school card video games to a profession in radio to being the voice of PokerStars occasions.
Celeb Interviews To Casinos
Initially from Carshalton, England, Hartigan attended Canterbury Christ Church College and earned levels in radio, movie and tv, and English literature. He then started working as broadcast journalist, together with stints as a movie critic for BBC Radio in Kent and later as a radio information anchor and leisure reporter.
When not discussing the newest movies or studying the information, Hartigan had been a leisure poker participant because the Nineteen Nineties. Whereas in school, he grew to become an everyday seven card stud participant after which a fan of Late Evening Poker, which started airing within the UK in 1999. The present was the primary on tv to point out gamers’ gap playing cards and featured regulars like Barny Boatman, Ram Vaswani, Anthony Holden, Al Alvarez, Victoria Coren, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, and even comic Ricky Gervais.
“That’s what launched me to carry’em and the concept of poker on TV,” he says. “That’s what actually form of bought me beginning up a house sport and had it going as a pastime as soon as once more.”
That ultimately led to broadcasting the sport when he was invited in 2004 by a public relations company to play a European Poker Tour occasion in Dover – a little bit of gonzo journalism that completely match together with his rekindled love of the sport.
“The tour had simply began,” he says. “They had been inviting journalists from excessive profile publications and broadcast shops to have the expertise of what a significant worldwide poker match is. I’m like, ‘Sure, thanks.’ I had no downside, luckily, convincing my editor this was truly a extremely necessary story. You bought this free journey, bought to play, and I’m like, ‘This can be a dream.’ This was the peak of the poker increase, a few 12 months after Moneymaker. So, it’s all over the place, it’s in motion pictures, it’s on TV.”
Whereas he didn’t rating any winnings, the broadcaster met your entire PokerStars group. He quickly went from superstar interview junkets, morning drive-time radio, and reporting on the day’s happenings to touring to casinos world wide and calling the motion within the sport’s new frontier.
“Within the months that adopted, because the poker increase continued into 2005, they out of the blue wished to begin making extra TV exhibits, and there weren’t lots of people doing poker commentary,” he says. “They put two and two collectively and made 5. Right here’s an expert broadcaster who is aware of the rating of arms. So let’s strive him out.”
“I did a display take a look at, bought the job, and for a couple of years after that, it was form of like a part-time gig. I used to be nonetheless primarily a radio presenter, however nonetheless did a little bit of poker commentary on the aspect. After which after I took over the EPT full time, when the tour began stay streaming, then after we had the PCA and the NAPT, it grew to become my full-time job. And right here we’re 14 years later and I’m nonetheless doing that.”
Manning The Mic
On the microphone, Hartigan is paired with longtime associate Joe Stapleton, and the 2 additionally host Poker within the Ears, which earned a International Poker Award for greatest podcast in 2022. Whereas poker followers may even see a seamless manufacturing on tv and on-line, occasions just like the EPT and NAPT function full manufacturing groups to carry the motion to viewers on tv and the PokerStars YouTube channel and different platforms.
In Las Vegas, Hartigan was available as gamers auditioned to be the “free cannon” on Stars’ Massive Recreation tv present, which airs on Fox Sports activities. The free cannon brings again that novice ingredient to televised poker that captivated gamers in the course of the Moneymaker increase. He believes this method can carry poker to an viewers that will not usually tune in.
“I feel the important thing problem for what we do is knowing, who’s the viewers?” Hartigan says. “The Massive Recreation is a basic instance. The Massive Recreation I feel has real mainstream crossover enchantment. You’ve bought celebrities enjoying within the sport. Final 12 months, we had been very fortunate to have Michael Ian Black, Arden Cho, and Jen Tilly as somebody who straddles the leisure and poker world. That narrative, that concept of the free cannon, the everyperson taking up the professionals, it form of sport show-ifies poker.”
“You’re speaking to an viewers that’s, for need of a greater phrase, not poker literate. So, you need to converse to them in a method that’s not utilizing or overloading the dialog with poker converse and goes to show that viewers off. Should you’re doing a stay stream whether or not it’s the NAPT fundamental occasion in Las Vegas or an EPT occasion, you’re speaking to people who find themselves most likely extra established poker followers. They perceive the sport. They know what a three-bet is. They don’t want all the pieces defined to them. So you’ll be able to speak on their stage.”
Televised poker ought to take an entertainment-first method, he says, to succeed in extra gamers who may not spend a lot of their time analyzing arms or in a card room. That’s the method he and Stapleton attempt to convey.
“Clearly folks need to be taught one thing in the event you’ve bought an ideal professional alongside you within the sales space, like Sam Grafton analyzing the sport,” he says. “It’s nice that individuals can develop their sport, however… firstly must be leisure.”
Massive Moments
Just a few moments stick out in Hartigan’s thoughts from his twenty years the sport. Considered one of his fondest reminiscences was being within the commentary sales space for British tv presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell’s EPT London win in 2006. Because the voice of the tour and the primary to name the stay streams for the sequence, the EPT holds a particular place in his coronary heart and the Coren win for $941,513 actually stood out. She grew to become the primary lady to win an occasion on the tour and grabbed one other EPT win in 2014 for $660,947.
“I’ve all the time had an affinity with that tour,” he says. “To be there for the second when Victoria Coren grew to become the primary two-time winner, an unlikely two-time winner, however an extremely common two-time winner, an occasion that had mainstream crossover, as a result of Vicky’s an enormous superstar within the UK – that’s a standout second for me.”
One other of his fondest reminiscences was the primary time he labored with Stapleton, a slapstick comedian by day who bought his begin as a poker reporter for Card Participant earlier than discovering the commentary sales space. They had been first paired collectively in the course of the NAPT’s first run within the U.S. and Stapleton was unaware that he was being thought-about for a everlasting position.
“Joe didn’t know that he was being display examined,” he says. “He thought he was simply coming in to do some visitor commentary. I used to be like, ‘I like this man. I feel he’s bought one thing about him.’ So the very subsequent occasion we did, which I feel was on the Mohegan Solar in Connecticut, was the primary stay stream we ever did collectively. That was the start of a partnership that’s now lasted greater than a decade. I’m very joyful that we’ve been capable of construct that and make that relationship work.”
In a profession that has introduced him to a few of poker’s greatest levels, Hartigan has seen nearly all the pieces one might think about on the felt, so he is aware of what it takes to change into a poker professional.
“There’s loads of work that goes into it,” he says. “I’ve by no means had the will to make my dwelling enjoying poker. I perceive it appeals to lots of people, and I say good luck to them. What they should perceive is that this present day with folks’s understanding of sport concept, you need to put as a lot time into learning, working, reviewing, and studying as you do enjoying. If you wish to achieve success, if you wish to be aggressive, in the event you genuinely need to play this sport to earn cash, you need to work at it. It’s a job. You don’t simply stroll up, sit on the desk and [expect to win].”
Even skilled gamers well-versed within the sport can nonetheless face vital shedding streaks. He prefers being a commentator than counting on his abilities on the desk for a dwelling.
“That’s one thing I wouldn’t be capable to deal with,” he says of the sport’s variance. “That concept that if I’ve a foul day at work, a minimum of I do know I’m nonetheless going to receives a commission on the finish of it somewhat than shedding cash. However that’s one of many issues that appeals to me. There are individuals who need to play this sport professionally, can play this sport professionally, after which they sit proper subsequent to folks for whom it’s leisure. It’s enjoyable. It’s a pastime, and that’s what it should all the time be to me. And it’s a pastime I completely love.”
Wanting again on such a novel profession, does Hartigan ever miss these radio days and superstar interviews?
“It’s bizarre, I feel we all the time look again at our previous by rose-tinted spectacles, and I’ve days the place I’m like, ‘Oh, I miss that.’ After which I’ve days the place I’m like, ‘Why?’ This can be a a lot better gig.”
*Pictures courtesy of PokerStars – By Danny Maxwell, Joe Giron
