ESPN taking WSOP down the WWE road w/ PPV, OK?

Sounds like it's going to be as equally successful an ESPN venture as is ESPN Mobile. :

 

Ring up P.T. Barnum: I think I'm going to plunk down the cash. (If I'm not there.)

I love to watch and play hold 'em so much (this is where I really, really diverge from my friends on here) that $24.95 is a small price to pay to see the final table unfold live. Rip away if you feel like it.

I wonder how they're going to do it. Will the PPV truly be live and risk people relaying signals to people sitting at the final table?

Will it be "nearly live" and risk someone going into the tank for 10 minutes until the feed catches up to the people at home so the person at the FT can get a signal from someone in the stands?

Will there be no hole cards shown, period, thus making the PPV look like an airing from 1994?

Will there be on one allowed to watch the FT live at the Rio?

An interesting development.

 

Christ, I'd rather watch two drunk guys fish. At least then you have a shot at seeing somebody fall out of the boat.

 

If I'm going to pay money to watch a live tournament, I want a seat at a table and $5K-$10K in chips to go with it.

 

The risk/reward ratio makes it right for ESPN to try this.
They're already televising the tournament, have their trucks there, cameras, etc. Why not give it a go for a year and see how it goes? It could be a failure, but if so, little harm done.

 

For those interested - here are the odds for this years main event and some analysis of the top players by Dr. Pauley (the best poker writer going)

http://www.lasvegasvegas.com/pokerblog/archives/002790.php

I like John Juanda and Hoyt Corkins at 1000-1 will get a $10 bet from me.

 

I'd rather watch the World Cup than watch poker live, and pay for it at the same time.

D'oh! Did I say that out loud?

 

Si.
Although I tend to have a lot of trouble typing it and making sense with it.

I hadn't thought of this. I would imagine for the live portion, the hole cards won't be visible. There is too much potential for abuse here.

 

Good news, Buck...


GSN is betting on High Stakes Poker as it premieres season three on January 15 at 9p. Staged at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, HSP 3 welcomes 14 new players as they play no limit Texas hold 'em. Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza will continue to call the action during the 13-week series, with Kaplan sitting in as a player for two episodes. HSP 3 will air on Mondays at 9p with encore airings on Mondays at 2a and Thursdays at 9p.

 

Sometimes, I feel like I'd pay to get it off ESPN.

 

Schmoe - how was watching it live?

 

Paid for the live PPV. Spent nearly 15 hours watching it. Loved it. Will do it again next summer.

Definitely not for everyone, though.