Sucks Now.

Yep.

The poker action is better, but it almost seems rigged in favor of some people who have done well in the past this season (putting Michael Ian Black at the same table with people who wouldn't have done well against him even if he didn't keep getting cards he needed, for example).

And the new set with the audience closer to the action seems to encourage people to talk more to the crowd... which kind of ruins the tone. Shut up and play, Greg Behrendt.

They haven't figured out how to balance the Katrina relief theme with the stuff that makes us actually want to watch the show, so it either seems way too serious and uptight or like they're not taking what happened to the people of New Orleans seriously enough. They need to figure out a good place somewhere in the middle.

And Phil Gordon was a better host for this show. Hellmuth is obviously better at poker... but Gordon was better at doing improv with Dave Foley.

Also... Dave looks like he aged about ten years now that he shaved. He needs his goatee back. If nothing else, to draw attention away from the fact that he and the Poker Brat both have weak chins.