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ESPN Poker coverage question

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Jim Tom Pinch, Oct 24, 2006.

  1. Jim Tom Pinch

    Jim Tom Pinch Active Member

    How does ESPN decide which WSOP events to televise? Hellmuth played a two final tables. Like him or hate him he's entertaining to watch. Neither, including the one he won, was televised, while several involving much less recognizable names were.

    Last year Johnny Chan's 10th bracelet event wasn't televised and I don't think Doyle Brunson's was either.

    I have no idea how hard it is to add an event on the fly for ESPN, but you'd think Brunson, Chan and Hellmuth would draw better ratings, which means more considering each episode will be aired 42,474 times.

    Any ideas?
     
  2. CentralIllinoisan

    CentralIllinoisan Active Member

    As for Hellmuth, aside from the main event, he avoids TV events as to assure a surmountable field in search of a 10th (and now won) bracelet. Fields for TV events have been larger than others.

    Also, events like 2-7 lowball and razz are harder games to understand, and do not suit TV coverage very well. Neither does Omaha, but ESPN feels obligated to show the final table because it is considered the Omaha world championship.

    As for this guy, I will be participating in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament next July, television coverage or no. I'm taking home a bracelet!
     
  3. rgd

    rgd Guest

    By sacrificing programming people actually want to watch.
     
  4. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    Sorry, but when I saw the thread title, I figured the first post would be, "Why do they bother showing poker?"
     
  5. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Yep, we need to see more bowling and college football replays.

    This stuff is insanely popular and it's captured people's imaginations.

    Has it peaked, as a fad? Probably.

    But you've got thousands of high school and college kids who want to be Danny N.

    Whether that's a good or bad thing is a topic for another thread.
     
  6. GB-Hack

    GB-Hack Active Member

    They showed Brunson winning the short-handed final table last year, and they're in the process of showing the lead-up events right now. For some reason they reversed the order of the programming this year, doing the satellite events first, then the main event. The coverage is going to finish soon, I think the last final table they'll show is from the legendary $50k H.O.R.S.E tournament. I'm pretty sure Hellmuth's tenth will be in there before they close out.
     
  7. Jim Tom Pinch

    Jim Tom Pinch Active Member

    I don't think so. They showed his celebration shot from it last night.

    To Ebby and Ally, Get over it. It's poker instead of World's Strongest Man, Street Ball and the lumberjack games. It's not like its pushing out college football. It makes for decent TV. I'm not watching it over the World Series, but it beats "Who wants to marry a rock star."
     
  8. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    Sorry, but I disagree. I'm not defending any of those other dreg shows you mentioned, but my thought is, if you can't put on something entertaining, then why even bother watching it. I'd get much more out of re-watching an episode of Star Trek than this crap. And I'll say it again....

    IT'S NOT A SPORT!!!!!!!!!
     
  9. Jim Tom Pinch

    Jim Tom Pinch Active Member

    I agree its not a sport. No question not a sport. For me it's like more like watching Jeopardy than an NFL. So while it would be more appropriate on the game show network, I'll watch it where they show it.
     
  10. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    To answer the original question...I believe ESPN in advance chose what they wanted to cover. I have no idea why they didn't do the women's tournament again (last year's catfighting was terrific), but I'm certain they got rid of razz and other non-hold'em tourneys because Average Joe Poker couldn't understand it. I don't agree with that-- if you're going to do it, do all the events. It contributes to the dumbing down of poker as just a no-limit all-in fest.

    As for whether it belongs on espn...I say it does. But I also think the shelf life of TV tournament poker is near its end. They need something fresher, like GSN's High Stakes Poker (no-limit cash game).
     
  11. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    There's no widely-played game in which sheer luck plays a greater part, than Razz.

    Champions are frequently embarassingly fortunate. The permutations and
    combinations involved are mindblowing.
     
  12. Why is there a women's tournament? We've agreed it's not a sport, so why a segregated field?
     
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