WSOP on ESPN...

[Talking Poker]

So, I see they started airing the Main event tonight. That's cool, but what about all the preliminary tourneys? Seems kinda weird to air them out of order.

For example, tonight they were talking about Phil winning his 10th bracelet... won't it be a little weird when they air that, since anyone paying attention will know he is going to win it?

[Quint]

I heard it was because of ratings, but this doesn't make any sense to me since now the prelim events will be competing with the networks' Fall lineups. I'd much rather put my bigger event on at that time, but I'm not a TV exec.

As to tonights broadcast, kudos to Helmuth for not going broke in one of those first three hands, although I think any of those players could have broken him if they'd played differently.

[Talking Poker]

The guy with the Aces played his hand BADLY. He could have broken Phil for sure if he just reraised preflop.

[Dodoubled]

I agree with the absurdity of it all, but I think ESPN is just resigned to the notion that everyone who cares enough to watch poker on TV probably already knew what happened through another media outlet (i.e. CardPlayer). However, the fact that ESPN can actually SHOW what happened vs. just telling about it still makes it an extremely marketable venture. I, for one, will be curious to see how it plays out on TV.

Remember, this is the same station that broadcast the entire final table for a cost (and in our case, for free ), so I don't think it's worried about the lack of surprise. I think the draw is more, "OK, we know Phil won his 10th bracelet. But what kind of antics does he pull en route to winning it?" Or, "Wow. Is this Jamie Gold guy really as big a dick as people claim?" This is the kind of stuff that only TV can show, not some blog.

To me, that's the draw of poker on TV, not watching some amateur suck out a runner-runner flush against some pro.

EDIT: Unfortunately, I didn't see any shots of you, TP. But I was looking.

[Quint]

I remember Cardplayer reporting how funny Brad Garrett was while he was in it. Yucking it up at the table and yelling across the room to Doyle (only to be busted by Doyle's grandson). I'm surprised ESPN didn't give us more of that stuff like they have in years past.

[Talking Poker]

Really? Because I thought there was plenty.

In watching it, it seemed to me that they combined Days 1A and 1B into the first one hour episode and Days 1C and 1D were the second episode. That's 8773 people playing 14 hours of poker, showing in 2 hours ot tv time - minus commercials.

I realize it would be impossible to give much more coverage, especially for the early part of the tournament when it's complete insanity, but it just seemed weird to me to show people going all in in what looked like minutes, when for most of them, it was hours.

Also, Phil showed up nearly 2 hours late, but they made it look like he got there 5 minutes late, right when that first player busted.

[Quint]

I thought I read somewhere that they were going to do an hour long episode of each day 1, but I just looked through their website and can't find anything to confirm or deny this nor do I remember who was which day 1.

[jaeh00d]

i had been looking forward to watching this for a while now, and it crossed my mind and i remembered 15 mins before the end of the second episode it was Tuesday and it was on. I checked to see if they were going to do the usual and air repeats around 2-4AM...nothing...

I will catch them eventually...

[Kurn]

My 2 favorite TV poker moments so far:

1. Lisandro correctly tells that dork Friedman he's going to take his head off.

2. Snotty kindergarten kid Molina makes an absolutely moronic call and gets knocked out.

Where's Matusow now that we need him - "The kiddie game is down the street."

[Talking Poker]

I like Prahlad more than I like Lisandro, but both were out of line there. Prahlad kept his cool, at least, and the only thing he did wrong was say "I don't trust you." Asking for them to review the tape was fine. Lisandro totally overreacted though. You can't bring physical violence, or even threats of it, to the table. I'm surprised he didn't get a penalty.

That Molina kid is the biggest bitch I've ever seen at the table. It makes me ill to know his dumb ass won > $300k, but I can rest assured that his cockiness will get the best of him and he'll lose it all.

[lightfungus]

You know, part of me thinks Prahlad was just trying to get under Lisandro's skin from the beginning of that situation. He seemed too calm and his comments were stupidly out of place and it didn't really matter either way, so I'm suspicious. After all, could it hurt to ruffle the feathers of the other talented player at the table?

[Aequitas58]

I don't remember his name, but how about the creepy Carrot-Top looking guy talking to Allen Cunningham? LOL. Allen's facial expressions were priceless.

[Talking Poker]

Those were just his usual facial ticks.

[Kurn]

There's a huge difference between needling someone and publicly questioning their honesty and integrity. The former is gamesmanship. The latter is (as they say) fightin' words.

Whether its in the poker room, the living room, the bar room or out on the street, there are some things a man does not say to a man unless he's willing to put up his hands.

[melioris]

for those of you watching it, have they reached this change up discussed ? I am sure that ESPN will not edit it so that is it possible to know if a player knowingly benefited from this error, but somehow I wouldn't be surprised.

[Kurn]

If all Prahlad did was ask for them to review the tape, and then leave it to the floor, I'd agree. But he harped on it and basically accused Lisandro of being a cheat and a thief.

You can't bring physical violence, or even threats of it, to the table.

In a perfect world, I'd agree 100%. On the other hand, there are an awful lot of dinks out there who think its OK to say anything they want to you with no risk. I think you need to be able to let someone who's acting like Prahlad was know that he's close to crossing a line he may not want to cross.

But, maybe that's just my Klingon alter-ego talking.

[jillaj]

When you are tryin to continue to legitimize poker there is absolutely no room for it at all. It wasn't prison or on the streets. While Prahlad might have been needling him you can not have players threatning violence on other players no matter what is said. Now if this had happened at a cash game that wasn't affiliated with the wsop then I would say to each his own.

[Tony Cheval]

...let's see here, coverage on a major cable network, corporate advertising, thousands of players...you think the WSOP/B&M tournament poker needs 'legitimizing'?

[Kurn]

meh. ESPN obviously thought it was good TV.

And by the way, ESPN is not trying "legitimize" poker, its trying to profit from poker.

I'm going to say it again - publicly questioning someone's honesty and integrity is not "needling" him. If you can't say "f*ck" you shouldn't be allowed to call someone a cheater.

Besides, where was the friggin' dealer when the pot was short?

[Talking Poker]

Guess who I saw today?

He's smaller and just as annoyingly punkish looking in person.

[Tony Cheval]

Did you take his lollipop?