'Horseplayers' on ESQ TV -- Debuts 1/21, 10p ET

[Calzone Lord]

Poker tournaments had been televised on ESPN long before Poker caught fire.

What eventually made a difference was putting cameras underneath the table, which showed the cards each player was dealt.

This allowed for taking a painfully long and boring stretch of poker play, and editing it down to the most impactful and interesting hands. Also, placing the mathematical calculations showing what percent chance the hand had of eventually winning, and having a good, funny, commentator like Norman Chad were also major boosts.

In order for this show to be successful -- it has to be presented in a way that the viewer wants to understand and learn the strategy behind it.

I think the idea of following tournament players around isn't a good idea. It's been tried before by ESPN, they did an episode a few years back, and it was horrible TV.

It's easier for filming though, obviously.

Betting horses for a living is an extreme 'what you put in, is what you get out' type of game -- and it is played over the long run. Tournaments are more about chasing after longshots and trying to outscore people over a very limited amount of racing.

There was once a fairly major tournament won by a lady, and she claimed she did it by a mix of selecting gray horses or horses ridden by Shane Sellers. You can get lucky, catch fire, and win a tournament with virtually any off the wall method. However, you're going to get utterly destroyed if you tried to make a living as a bettor, doing that.

In Poker tournaments, you're going to be playing hundreds of hands in a day and making a ton more betting decisions. That reality reduces the luck factor. In horse racing tournaments, your options and opportunities are greatly reduced.