ESPN Poker coverage question

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?

 

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!

 

By sacrificing programming people actually want to watch.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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."

 

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!!!!!!!!!

 

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.

 

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.

 

Why is there a women's tournament? We've agreed it's not a sport, so why a segregated field?