2014 WSOP Main Event just concluded

[old_tony]

Haven't seen a thread on this, but it was just decided.

For the second straight year they played the first hours of the final table on ESPN2 and because my DVR was only recording the showings on ESPN, I missed it again.

In the final hand, Martin Jacobson from Sweden just flopped a set of 10s and has won. He entered the final table short stacked and played brilliantly.

He was down to seven big blinds at Hand No. 145. He won it all on Hand No. 328. He survived something like 20 all-ins at the final table, the majority of which were not called.

But as I mentioned, they ****ed me out of seeing all the Monday action, then listed the program tonight as just being from 8-10 central time. It ran another two hours with the guide showing "SportsCenter," so since I wasn't watching live I missed the hour between 10 and 11 before catching the last hour live. They just **** over people who have been recording it all through for the last three months.

 

[SnarkShark]

I'm surprised they still broadcast it. It was entertaining the first year, then got boring quickly.

Is that barrel of laughs Norman Chad still doing commentary?

 

[JackReacher]

Sounds like horrific planning on your part.

And yeah, Chad is still doing commentary. But I really liked hearing from Antonio Esfandiari. He was excellent; talking you through each player's hand, what his options were, what he was likely to do, etc. That had to have been draining, though. But great commentary from him.

Pretty brutal for the Newhouse guy to finish 9th two years in a row. I mean, the $730K payday will help him get over it, but that's tough.

 

[Matt1735]

I thought Antonio was excellent as well.

Newhouse got what he deserved. He said in the interview he thought he was beat, and was just trying to make a play. He wasn't short-stacked by any means and you should never make a play when all the cards are out and you think you are beat.

 

[bigpern23]

I haven't had the time to watch much coverage this year, but I disagree with SnarkShark that it got boring quickly. If anything, I think the coverage has vastly improved since Moneymaker's win and, if you enjoy watching poker at all, it's great.

I get it if you simply think watching other people play cards is boring. But it certainly hasn't gotten more boring.

 

[Rockbottom]

The hole cam changed the way poker is broadcast. Now we can see the cards as it happens, along with odds to win, chip counts, etc. It is damn near interactive.

rb

 

[JackReacher]

I found it pretty entertaining, but I love poker. I remember back in like 2006 when Jaime Gold, I think, won and I paid $25 to watch the final table on ESPN PPV. Stayed up till around 6 a.m. watching it. And that was without the hole card cam.

Now, they show you the cards and put the telecast on 30-minute delay. Which brings in a fascinating aspect of the players having people in the crowd watching the telecast and relaying information to them during breaks.

 

[bigpern23]

I found it pretty entertaining, but I love poker. I remember back in like 2006 when Jaime Gold, I think, won and I paid $25 to watch the final table on ESPN PPV. Stayed up till around 6 a.m. watching it. And that was without the hole card cam.

Now, they show you the cards and put the telecast on 30-minute delay. Which brings in a fascinating aspect of the players having people in the crowd watching the telecast and relaying information to them during breaks.

I'm assuming they didn't use the hole cam for the live broadcast? I know it's been around since Moneymaker's win.

Jamie Gold may be the ****tiest winner I've ever seen. From what I hear, he's pretty much blown his payday.

 

[JackReacher]

This year? Yeah, they used the card cam. Put the telecast on 30-minute delay. No card cam in 2006.

 

[bigpern23]

Sorry, I was unclear. I was just asking for clarification that you meant no hole cam during live broadcast in 2006. When I first read it, I thought you meant they didn't have the hole cam at all in 2006 and I knew I remembered it during Moneymaker's win (and each subsequent year). Then I realized that the ESPN PPV broadcast you mentioned was the live broadcast.

 

[SnarkShark]

I haven't had the time to watch much coverage this year, but I disagree with SnarkShark that it got boring quickly. If anything, I think the coverage has vastly improved since Moneymaker's win and, if you enjoy watching poker at all, it's great.

I get it if you simply think watching other people play cards is boring. But it certainly hasn't gotten more boring.

Yeah, it wasn't about the setup of the coverage. It was about watching people playing cards on television.

 

[playthrough]

I stumbled onto it last night while channel-surfing. Hadn't watched poker on TV years but Antonio kept me glued. Great analysis.

 

[old_tony]

Sounds like horrific planning on your part.

That helps a lot. Thanks!

 

[old_tony]

So what's more impressive? Winning it all once or making the final table in back-to-back years?

 

[JackReacher]

Who would you rather be: the guy who makes the final table twice in a row and finishes in 9th place both times, or the guy who wins it once?

 

[old_tony]

Who would you rather be: the guy who makes the final table twice in a row and finishes in 9th place both times, or the guy who wins it once?

Well, I'd rather be Mark Newhouse than Jamie Gold.

But for now I'd rather be Martin Jacobsen than Newhouse.

That still doesn't answer the question.

 

[JackReacher]

I'm guessing it's more of a longshot to make the final table twice in a row than to win it once.

Jaime Gold won like $8M didn't he? I think Newhouse won around $1.5M combined for both 9th place finishes. I'll take the larger dollar amount, but that's just me.

 

[old_tony]

I'm guessing it's more of a longshot to make the final table twice in a row than to win it once.

Jaime Gold won like $8M didn't he? I think Newhouse won around $1.5M combined for both 9th place finishes. I'll take the larger dollar amount, but that's just me.

I've heard something to the effect that Gold has blown through all of his money. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that he sold his bracelet at auction for some $66K. That makes me think it's true.

Now that I have looked it up, Gold won $12 million for the main event in 2006. His career total earnings are $12,257,442.

Newhouse's career earnings are $3,451,736.

I would not be surprised if Newhouse eventually passes Gold's total within the next five years. And there's no doubt in my mind that Newhouse is worth more as far as current endorsements would go.

 

[JackReacher]

Fair enough when discussing those people personally. But I'd much rather win the whole joint once than finish 9th twice in a row. I'd question the sanity of those who say otherwise. Unless $10M+ isn't life-changing money to you. Then, it's about the challenge. But yeah. I'll take the most cash, please.

 

[playthrough]

Who would you rather be: the guy who makes the final table twice in a row and finishes in 9th place both times, or the guy who wins it once?

Back-to-back final tables is a nice feat, a bracelet is forever.