New Season of Poker After Dark

NBC's successful late-night poker show is back for another season. Poker After Dark begins Monday. The premise of the show is easy. Six players buy in for $20,000 in a winner take all format.

I've enjoyed Poker After Dark, not so much for the poker play, but the banter between the players. Sometimes PAD gets a group of players together that provides some good entertainment. I like watching Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak, though I think there are players out there who can't stand them. When they're in the show, it does its job in entertaining me for an hour.

PAD isn't going to teach me many new things about poker. There have been some interesting moves and comments that have helped, but in the end the show is for sheer entertainment purposes. There are some interesting matchups this year. I look forward to the "19th hole" with Gavin Smith, David Oppenheim, Erick Lindgren, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson and Daniel Negreanu. Actually, I look forward to anything with Ivey in it. He is definitely one of my favorite players and watch whenever I get the chance. It's his Atlantic City upbringing.

For those who watch PAD to get their Shana Hiatt fix, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is she has been replaced. The good news is its by Argentinian Marianela (left) who is nicknamed the Poker Princess. Hopefully, she can provide insight into the game that Shana was never able to do. Her questions at times were pretty lame and she really didn't have a clue for someone who was around poker as much as she was.

Here are the new matches that will take place during Poker After Dark's third season:

Match 21: Dream Table (Week of December 31)

Seat 1: Daniel Negreanu

Seat 2: Phil Hellmuth

Seat 3: Jennifer Harman

Seat 4: Mike Matusow

Seat 5: Scotty Nguyen

Seat 6: Ken Light

Match 22: 19th Hole (Week of January 7)

Seat 1: Gavin Smith

Seat 2: David Oppenheim

Seat 3: Erick Lindgren

Seat 4: Phil Ivey

Seat 5: Doyle Brunson

Seat 6: Daniel Negreanu

Match 23: Hecklers (Week of January 14)

Seat 1: Gavin Smith

Seat 2: Sam Grizzle

Seat 3: John-Robert Bellande

Seat 4: Mike Matusow

Seat 5: Shawn Sheikhan

Seat 6: Phil Hellmuth

Match 24: World Champions (Week of February 11)

Seat 1: Chris Ferguson (2000)

Seat 2: Johnny Chan (1987, 1988)

Seat 3: Berry Johnston (1986)

Seat 4: Jamie Gold (2006)

Seat 5: Phil Hellmuth (1989)

Seat 6: Huck Seed (1996)

Match 25: Cowboys (Week of February 18)

Seat 1: Doyle Brunson

Seat 2: Chris Ferguson

Seat 3: Chau Giang

Seat 4: Andy Bloch

Seat 5: Hoyt Corkins

Seat 6: Gabe Kaplan

Match 26: International (Week of February 25)

Seat 1: Patrik Antonius (Finland)

Seat 2: Johnny Chan (China)

Seat 3: Roland de Wolfe (England)

Seat 4: Daniel Negreanu (Canada)

Seat 5: Gus Hansen (Denmark)

Seat 6: John Juanda (Indonesia)

Match 27: Jam Up (Week of March 24)

Seat 1: David Williams

Seat 2: Howard Lederer

Seat 3: Mike Matusow

Seat 4: Barry Greenstein

Seat 5: Antonio Esfandiari

Seat 6: Eli Elezra

Match 28: Gus and the Ladies (Week of March 31)

Seat 1: Gus Hansen

Seat 2: Vanessa Rousso

Seat 3: J.J. Liu

Seat 4: Clonie Gowen

Seat 5: Beth Shak

Seat 6: Erica Schoenberg

Match 29: Love at First Raise (Week of May 12)

Seat 1: Jennifer Harman

Seat 2: David Benyamine

Seat 3: Jennifer Tilly

Seat 4: Marco Traniello

Seat 5: Erica Schoenberg

Seat 6: Phil Laak

Match 30: Commentators (Week of May 19)

Seat 1: Mark Gregorich

Seat 2: Chad Brown

Seat 3: Ali Nejad

Seat 4: Robert Williamson III

Seat 5: Phil Gordon

Seat 6: Howard Lederer