GSN created waves in the poker world when they decided to do away with one half of the High Stakes Poker broadcasting duo after firing A.J. Benza. The move was not only a shock to Benza who publicly complained on his blog about it, but it was also a shock to fans of the show since Benza and fellow co-host Gabe Kaplan played quite well off each other.
According to many sources, GSN dumped Benza because they were looking to bring in an attractive female co-hostess. At the time, rumors were swirling that poker pro Vanessa Rousso was the first choice by the network to fill Benza’s shoes. Eventually, GSN would state that Rousso was not going to host HSP so former World Poker Tour hostess Shana Hiatt become another name thrown into the mix.
However, we now know that Hiatt won’t be the hostess either since it has been reported that poker pro Kara Scott will become the new commentator on High Stakes Poker. Scott is one of the rising female professional players since she has earned $453,000 of her $500,000 career winnings in the last years and she’s also finished within the top 250 players in the last two WSOP Main Events. In addition to her playing exploits, Scott has also done broadcasting work for the European Poker Tour and Poker Night Live.
The only thing that is standing in the way of Kara Scott being officially announced as the new HSP hostess is that she needs to obtain a permit which would allow her to work in the United States. Without this permit, it would be illegal for Scott to work as the new HSP hostess according to US laws. But it’s almost a given that Kara Scott will be able to get this permit since GSN is counting on it.
Tags: News, Poker Pop Culture, TV
