Squid Game was an incredible Korean show, and we definitely took note of the aspects of that show that created drama and excitement
Game of Gold from GGPoker is the hot new poker show that the entire community has been buzzing about. With nine episodes already out, only a couple more are left before the show concludes for its very first season.
While most poker fans have been keeping up with the latest episodes published on the operator’s YouTube channel, we decided to dig under the surface and get some information about the main inspiration for the Game of Gold and — in particular — how Squid Game fits into the picture.
If you are not up to date, when asked about the very specific amount ($456,000) that the show’s winner would receive, Daniel Negreanu said Squid Game inspired it. This hugely popular Korean fictional show revolved around the idea of a winner-takes-all concept (albeit with much higher stakes): Player 456, a former gambling addict who competes in the Squid Games.
We started debating hands and talking trash … suddenly, somebody in the room suggested that having a camera in our waiting room would be hilarious
Naturally, this piqued our interest, so we reached out to Spunky Hwang, the GGPoker Creative Director and the Executive Producer for Game of Gold. Hwang revealed some secrets about the show while adding a few more to look forward to.
Hwang confirmed what Negreanu had already alluded to: Yes, Squid Game was an inspiration for the show, and it had been hinted at ahead of the players signing up for it.
“Yes, Squid Game was an incredible Korean show, and we definitely took note of the aspects of that show that created drama and excitement,” Hwang told us. When asked if there were more Easter Eggs for fans of Game of Gold to look out for Hwang, they didn’t want to give much away since the show had not finished airing.
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
But fans and viewers should look out for “an in-your-face moment” before the series ends, highlighting the Squid Game love.
Hwang went on to say that they were planning the concept for the show around a year ahead of its first episode, which will drop on November 10. The concept was born while filming a different show featuring Hwang, Daniel Negreanu, David Williams, Ali Nejad, and Brent Hanks.
“During production, we had a lot of time waiting around,” Hwang told pokerfuse. “We were stuck in a waiting room, forced to watch the final table of a poker game for about 10 hours. After a while, we were bored and just started debating hands and talking trash about the broadcast we watched. Suddenly, somebody in the room suggested that having a camera in our waiting room would be hilarious for others to check out, and I 100% agreed.”
“That was one of the inspirations for the Game of Gold format and how it could work really well,” Hwang said.
Exciting Game of Gold Season Finale Is Upon Us
The Game of Gold has been an exciting journey, and things are about to get even better as we approach the final stretch.
Who will walk away with the prize of $456,000, and how will the final tournament play out? What is the ‘in your face’ moment we will witness? And could the rumors be true that a final table may play out during WSOP Paradise?
Luckily, we will not have to wait long to have these questions revealed, as the final episode should air on Monday, December 4, which coincides with the WSOP Paradise stop getting underway.
As always, there is anticipation of seeing how things will end, but also some disappointment that there will be no new episodes to look forward to in the immediate future.
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
The good news for all poker fans is that it seems Season 2 is already in the works, and we can expect it to be even better.
We are confident the team behind the scenes took every opportunity to learn from the first season, and with this being such a novel concept, there were probably many interesting lessons along the way.
But all that is in the future.
For now, we can look forward to the final episode and the reactions from the players and the poker community. While Game of Gold may not be perfect, it helped create a buzz unlike anything we have seen in recent years, and we can probably all agree that the poker world needs more things like this.
