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</a>When people are watching such programs as "High Stakes Poker" on GSN or the annual National Heads Up Poker Championship, many wonder what qualifications that the analyst, Gabe Kaplan, has to be sitting in that seat. While he is known more for his acting credentials and stand up comedy, Kaplan actually has a long and successful career in the poker world under his belt as well.
Born in 1945 in Brooklyn, NY, Gabe actually didn't want to be either a poker player or an actor. His first passion was baseball and, as a high school player, his skills were good enough that many believed he could go to the major leagues. After trying to break through the minor league ranks for a few years, Kaplan finally learned that he lacked the baseball tools to make it very far. He went to work in the hotel industry, where his comedy bug was first fed.
After watching the stand up comedians that worked the hotel, Kaplan convinced himself that he could do that as well. He honed a routine that took him across the country to comedy clubs and college campuses and led to his breakout appearances on television's "Tonight Show" in the early 1970's. This only fueled his fires to write a comedy show based on his experiences in high school, which became "Welcome Back, Kotter" in 1975. The series ran for four seasons to widespread acclaim but, even then, another force was beginning to draw Gabe into its grasp.
While still working on "Welcome Back, Kotter", Kaplan found an outlet for his competitive side with the game of poker. His first reported appearance at the World Series of Poker was in 1978 and he has been involved with the game of poker, at the minimum, since that time. Two short years later in 1980, Gabe found himself at the final table of the $10,000 Championship Event, where he finished in sixth place to the eventual champion, the legendary Stu Ungar. Two other legends of the game, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss, were also participants at that table.
By far Gabe's greatest poker success came at an event that, while in its time was considered one of the great tournaments around, doesn't exist anymore. Early in 1980, Kaplan was the champion of the $10,000 Main Event of Amarillo Slim's Superbowl of Poker and he was a constant presence at the tournament during its existence. Subsequent trips to Amarillo Slim's tournament earned Gabe two more victories (in 1983 and 1984 in the same event, Ace-to-Five Lowball) and a third place finish in 1982 in the $10K event.
While continuing to work as an actor and comedian, Kaplan has continued to be seen at the poker tables in many events. He has cashed in nine tournaments at the World Series of Poker (coming just short of winning a bracelet in 2005 in Limit Hold 'Em in finishing second to Dan Schmiech) and has also cashed in three World Poker Tour events (finishing third at the 2004 Mirage Poker Showdown). All totaled, Gabe has taken in almost $1 million as a "part time" player in his career and probably has done very well in "private" games and high stakes play, where he is often seen playing nowadays.
While he has an good track record of success at the tables, Kaplan has achieved probably more acclaim for his commentary on poker. He has served as final table analyst at the World Series of Poker Championship Event and has also been seen on all three seasons of "High Stakes Poker" (with A. J. Benza) and contributed his knowledge of the players and expertise of the game in the two years of the National Heads Up Poker Championship and the Intercontinental Poker Championship. With the exposure of these shows, Kaplan has also ventured to the tables for special events such as "Poker After Dark" and the aforementioned "High Stakes Poker" and National Heads Up Championship
At the tables, Kaplan's style is difficult to ascertain. Because of his comedic background, he can be distracting the players with wit while taking them for the chips they have in front of them. He will normally be a straightforward player but has a very high level expertise in reading his opponents and pushing them off their hands. Put these all together and you can see why he has a nearly thirty year track record of success in the game of poker.
His poker commentating has earned rave reviews for the in-depth knowledge that he has of the players he is talking about. He also has the poker "chops" to be able to dissect the actions at the tables and isn't afraid to debate the merits of a particular play by even the best of the pros. These reasons (along with his comedic skills) continue to earn him acclaim in the poker commentating world, with some calling him quite underrated in the field.
While many celebrities have been coming to the poker world in the last few years, you can see that the "Godfather of Celebrity Poker Players" has to be Gabe! So the next time you see him commentating on the game you are watching on television, remember that Gabe Kaplan is more than just a poker announcer, he's also a true professional poker player.
