The changing of the guard on the commentary team of High Stakes Poker is no small thing. Gabe Kaplan’s retirement from the highly rated show shocked many when it happened, but having been replaced by Nick Schulman, will we miss Kaplan more than we currently think, or has he foreseen the future of poker broadcasting by stepping down?
A History of Humor
Gabe Kaplan is, for many poker fans, the definitive poker ‘color’ commentator, a man whose job it has been for ten seasons of High Stakes Poker, to bring the game to life by describing the action on the ‘off beat’. Often irreverent, always hilarious, Kaplan’s acid-dry sense of humor was given free rein on High Stakes Poker and it benefitted the programme immensely.
Kaplan’s humor was always perfectly suited to the pace of a poker game. Take a look at this clip of him in action on television. Once you recover from the visual shock of the state of the microphone, appreciate how easily Kaplan has the audience in the palm of his hand. His use of timing, pace, and in particular, exhibiting his incredible range of vocal trickery with the beneficial juxtaposition of his lugubrious style.
Kaplan’s comedy was not only limited to live stand-up. From there, he became a bona fide star of television.
Welcome Back, Kaplan
It should come as no surprise to fans of the 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter that Gabe Kaplan became such a comedic genius on High Stakes Poker. His background in stand-up comedy was write larger than life into the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, where Kaplan played the titular character, a teacher who returns to his own high school to teach but find a set of unruly kids in some serious need of the life lessons only he is equipped to give.
Featuring some of the biggest stars in the world of future Hollywood movies, Kaplan’s show it very much was. His slow, arch style dovetailed beautifully with a cast of younger actors whose enthusiastic set-ups were nonchalantly knocked out of the park by Kaplan, who seemed forever to have a wry smile in place.
This sketch sees the soon-to-be star of Grease, John Travolta strutting his stuff on Welcome Back, Kotter as Kaplan, always in control, makes the audience fall about simply by the deft timing of his facial expressions. It is a masterclass in understated comedy genius.
Kaplan Steps Down
Gabe Kaplan’s time on High Stakes Poker came to end earlier this season, but when his resignation came about, it was on air. This was to prevent the star producer, Mori Eskandani, from talking him out of it. It’s an emotional listen as the action is put to one side for Kaplan to step down, to co-host AJ Benza’s dismay.
Gabe Kaplan could describe one hand featuring Daniel Negreanu and make Kid Poker sound like a mob boss. He could describe Phil Ivey’s minute actions better than anyone and while the man himself believes he needed to step down to let someone “who knows these players” carry on in his place, his is a seat which will never be truly filled.
Gabe Kaplan exits stage left, to applause from all corners of the poker world.
