From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Joker Poker |
 |
| Genre |
Poker |
| Presented by |
Lee Nelson
Adam Spencer
Mike Goldman |
| Country of origin |
 Australia |
| Language(s) |
English |
| No. of seasons |
2 |
|
Broadcast |
| Original channel |
Ten Network |
| Original run |
2005 – 2006 |
Joker Poker was a late night Australian poker program on Network Ten which aired in 2005 and 2006.
Series one was hosted by Adam Spencer, with series two hosted by Mike Goldman. Both
series were co-hosted by New Zealand poker pro Lee Nelson. The show was produced by
Australian Production Company Freehand Group.
The show featured Australian comedians playing no-limit Texas hold'em
poker. Four comedians compete in each episode on behalf of
their chosen charity. It was recorded in the high rollers' room of
Sydney's Star City
Casino for the first season and in a studio at Fox
Studios in Sydney for the second. The weekly winner donates
$5,000 to charity, while the series winner donates $25,000.
A New Zealand
version also aired in 2007.
Series
one
Joker Poker was the first locally produced poker
program to go to air in Australia. Hosted by Adam Spencer and Lee
Nelson, it featured 40 local comedians during the course of the
series. It aired on Saturday nights at 10:30pm.
Andy
Lee won the first series. The final players were Andy Lee,
Doctor Turf, Simon Kennedy and Jackie Loeb.
Charities
Star City Casino provided the $100,000 prize pool that was
distributed by the winners of each round and the two final tables
to the following charities:
- The Westmead Hospital
- The Heart Foundation
- Prince of Wales Foundation
- Canteen
- The Australian Red Cross
- Barnardos Australia
- The Mirrabel Foundation
- The Fred Hollows Foundation
- The Aids Trust of Australia
- Amnesty International
Series
two
Joker Poker returned in 2006, with Lee Nelson being
joined by Mike Goldman in place of Spencer. Series two consisted of
12 late night Joker Poker shows (airing on Wednesday
nights at 11:15pm), Sporting Joker Poker and Lee
Nelson Invitational specials, and four Celebrity Joker
Poker specials (airing Tuesday nights at 9.30pm).
Contestants
Comedians who appeared in series two included:
- Episode 1: Jean Kittson, Steve Bedwall, Rusty Berther, Greg
Fleet
- Episode 2: Anh Do, George
Kapiniaris, Lisa Ricketts, Josh Lawson
- Episode 3: Ben Hewett, Akmal Saleh, Fitzy, Mick Meredith
- Episode 4: Subby Valentine, Tommy Dean, Simon Kennedy, Bev
Killick
- Episode 5: Brendon Jones, Anthony Mir, Pommy Johnson, Rash
Ryder
- Episode 6: Chris Wainhouse, Russell Fletcher, Cindy Pan, Kip
Wightman
- Episode 7: Tahir Bilgic, Jason Gann, Bruno Lucia, Adam
Saunders
- Episode 8: Tim Smith, Cal Wilson, Damian Callinan, Ewan
Campbell
- Episode 9: Julian Schiller, Tony Moclair, Tanya Bulmer, Marty
Fields
- Episode 10: Gabby Milgate, Chris Franklin, Jackie Loeb, Mario
Dorio
- Final Table 1: Rusty Berther, Josh Lawson, Akmal Saleh, Subby
Valentine, Pommy Johnson
- Final Table 2: Chris Wainhouse, Julian Schiller, Damian
Callinan, Tahir Bilgic, Mario Doria
Celebrities who appeared on the Celebrity Joker Poker,
Sporting Joker Poker and Lee Nelson Invitational
specials included:
- Celebrity Joker Poker 1: Julia Zemiro, Nick
Giannopoulos, Mikey Robins, Tim Ferguson
- Celebrity Joker Poker 2: Brigitte Duclos, Daniel
McPherson, John Jarratt, Bree Amer
- Celebrity Joker Poker 3: Hamish Blake, Andy Lee,
Andrew G., Arj Barker
- Celebrity Joker Poker 4: Akmal Saleh, Kimberley
Davies, Ajay
Rochester, Tim Ferguson
- Sporting Joker Poker Special: Shane Heal, Matt Rogers, Robert
Dipierdomenico, Ryan Phelan, Steven Bradbury
- Lee Nelson Invitational: Lisa Ricketts, Fitzy, George
Kapiniaris, Cal Wilson, Erin McNaught
Charities
Wild Turkey
provided the $140,000 series prize pool that was distributed by the
winners of each round and the two final tables to the following
charities:
- Clown Doctors
- Amnesty International
- Matthew Talbot
- Variety Club
- Surf Life Saving Association
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne - specifically the
Genetics Department
- Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
- Trisha & The Reach Broadridge Fund
- Kids Help Line
- Bonnie Babes Foundation
- Challenge Kids with Cancer
New Zealand
version
The New Zealand
version of the show was hosted by Brooke Howard-Smith and co-hosted
by Lee Nelson. The two series of the New Zealand version of
Joker Poker (consisting of 12 episodes) began screening on
TV3 Sunday nights at 10:30pm from 10 February 2007. The series was
repeated on C4 with great results, airing on the following
Wednesday nights at 8:30pm beginning 13 February 2007.
Sponsors for the series were Pokerstars.net, Sky
City Casino and Wild
Turkey.
Contestants
Series
one
- Episode 1: Jamie Linehan, Angus MacDonald, Ali Williams, Ben
Boyce
- Episode 2: Craig Parker, Mark Ferguson, Che Fu, Pam
Corkery
- Episode 3: Tim Shadbolt, Raybon Kan, Aja Rock, Steve
Devine
- Episode 4: Peter Urlich, Hayley Holt, Elizabeth Gray, Monty
Betham
- Episode 5: John Afoa, Daniel Braid, George Pisi, Jeremy
Corbett
Series
two
- Episode 1: Amber Peebles, Dave Gibson, Nick Dwyer, Jamie
Carroll
- Episode 2: Dai Henwood, Teuila Blakely, Jessie Gurunathan, Phil
Bostwick
- Episode 3: Mark Williams, Dallas Tamaira, Mu (Chris Faiumu),
Devin Abrams
- Episode 4: Anna Scarlett, Temepara George, Sione Faumuina, Joe
Cotton
- Episode 5: Mikey Havoc, Simon Doull, Will Wallace, Chris
Belbin
Charities
External
links
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