The sixth show was a ' director's cut' that includes excerpts from the action from the previous five days, interspersed with talking heads commentary from the participants. By the end of the fifth show, a winner is determined. Each week the players vied for a $120,000 winner-takes-all prize pool, with each paying a $20,000 buy-in. The series was originally structured as a series of week-long No Limit Texas hold 'em mini-tournaments for six top poker professionals. (The table talk occasionally reveals that the 'week-long' series is taped in one long session.)
Commentator Ali Nejad's commentary is limited, allowing viewers to hear much of the table talk among the players, all of whom are miked. The Poker After Dark format featured an 'intimate look at one table as it develops over the week.' Blinds start at $100/$200 and slowly escalate.
