Amateur Hour
Once upon a time no limit Texas Hold 'Em was extremely popular with the mainstream public - going thru a boom - and producers thought why not pair this hot form of gambling with topless ladies in an effort to cash-in. It was at this moment that videos like 'Strip Poker Invitational' were born. Hosted by Carmen Electra with commentary team Sybil Azur & Jason Pardo, there's many cringe moments and very minimal titillation.
Let's start with the good. Good camera work, lighting present the cast, table, cards clearly. Requisite hole card cams. The ladies - Tracy Dali, Felicia Tang, Tiffany Lang, Heather Carolin, Aimee Sweet, Erica Allen (pro player Erica Schoenberg) - are nice looking. Winner's emotional reaction to winning the 50k up for grabs is genuine.
The bad? Amateur players means bad calls, too much checking and there's no getting around how uninteresting it is even with the nudity. The strip format leads to them all sitting topless. Nothing naughtier than a quick butt shot. Intro, interludes with Carman are disassociated from the main presentation. Likely filmed at a separate time, inserted without skill.
The ugly? When eliminated they go to the "lingerie lounge" for a vapid interview. Aggravating poker commentary. "She flopped a set of 7's". No it's trip 7's with two on the board and one in the hand. A separate hand sees an all-in on the turn with a queen high flush versus trips and the announcer incorrectly says the latter is gonna need quads to win on the river. Lastly Carmen never gets naked.
This 2004 title is a bust. Not a winning combo. I'm a poker fan and stumbled onto it by chance. It's the first of it's kind I've watched, but I know videos are out there that focus on the nudity as opposed to the actual game. If your intended purpose is to be aroused, I recommend you seek out one of those titles instead.
Let's start with the good. Good camera work, lighting present the cast, table, cards clearly. Requisite hole card cams. The ladies - Tracy Dali, Felicia Tang, Tiffany Lang, Heather Carolin, Aimee Sweet, Erica Allen (pro player Erica Schoenberg) - are nice looking. Winner's emotional reaction to winning the 50k up for grabs is genuine.
The bad? Amateur players means bad calls, too much checking and there's no getting around how uninteresting it is even with the nudity. The strip format leads to them all sitting topless. Nothing naughtier than a quick butt shot. Intro, interludes with Carman are disassociated from the main presentation. Likely filmed at a separate time, inserted without skill.
The ugly? When eliminated they go to the "lingerie lounge" for a vapid interview. Aggravating poker commentary. "She flopped a set of 7's". No it's trip 7's with two on the board and one in the hand. A separate hand sees an all-in on the turn with a queen high flush versus trips and the announcer incorrectly says the latter is gonna need quads to win on the river. Lastly Carmen never gets naked.
This 2004 title is a bust. Not a winning combo. I'm a poker fan and stumbled onto it by chance. It's the first of it's kind I've watched, but I know videos are out there that focus on the nudity as opposed to the actual game. If your intended purpose is to be aroused, I recommend you seek out one of those titles instead.
- refinedsugar
- Feb 6, 2024