... the WSOP reportedly has serious intention of playing the 2008 $10k NLH Championship down to a final table in July, then reconvening three months later as these nine new millionaires play down to a winner. The intent being lots of build-up to a near-live final table on ESPN.
... here are a few more quasi-confirmed “facts” regarding a major potential schedule change mid-main event:
- No decision is final yet, but on the big pro-con list, the left side of the board has it all but locked up.
- Television ratings are the driving force behind this idea.
- It was essential, however, that the integrity of the game be protected and blind structures unaltered, no matter what ESPN says.
- “Plausibly live” is the buzzphrase for what they’re trying to create...
- The final table will be played over two days — from the final 9 to 2, and then heads-up the next day...
- Timing will be carefully coordinated so most people will be watching to see who will win, not how one wins (the Olympics broadcast model)
- All final tableists will be paid 9th place money in July and will have their return trips to Vegas comped.
1) ESPN would be able to show normal edited broadcasts of the tournament days leading up to the final table;
2) ESPN and Harrah's would have months to extensively promote the event and the players; and
3) people wouldn't know who won before they watched it.
Can't the players object to that? I mean, every finalist can watch all the broadcasts to find out as much as possible about how the other guys are playing...?
ReplyDeleteAnd they can't possibly make a live broadcast of the final table with hole-card-cams, especially if heads-up is moved to the next day?!
My impression is that only the heads-up portion would actually be live, and that the rest would be quickly edited for broadcast ("plausibly live").
ReplyDeleteIf this proves popular peoples' concerns about it could prove unimportant: the hole-card cam created the poker boom; in a smaller way this could also be good for poker.
BJ Nemeth makes a thorough argument for this, that I agree with, here: http://urlbrief.com/27abce
ReplyDeleteThe poker-watching public that made poker popular enjoys the action. They like big pots. They don't like watching people fold.
ReplyDeleteYou like watching live poker because you're an obsessed poker fan. You enjoy the nuances. You enjoy the strategy. Apparently, watching 10 folds in a row will be exciting for you. I would venture to guess that you're in the minority.
It'll be interesting to see if this helps poker or kills it. You can make a case for both, though I think one side is stronger.
I don't think there are going to be 10 folds in a row during heads-up, which is, I believe, the only part of the broadcast that would be live. The rest will apparently be edited down quickly from the previous day.
ReplyDelete"But as of today, Harrah’s official statement is one of denial. They say rumors are rumors, and the dates of the WSOP stand as originally released."
ReplyDeleteSource: poker writer Jennifer Newell, in a comment on an April 7, 2008 Pokerati post.
Fuller post on Harrah's denial: http://urlbrief.com/8df97c
ReplyDelete"Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack on WSOP radio just now had no comment, and said there was no announcement about the final table at this time."
ReplyDeletehttp://urlbrief.com/275519
From the comment on the Pokerati post about Harrah's denial (http://urlbrief.com/8df97c):
ReplyDelete"Just want to say that I saw some of the evidence that sparked the rumors, and it looked very much like Harrah’s would move in that direction.
Personally, I think they were very close and probably couldn’t agree on a few last-minute details and ran out of time to do it this year. The closer the WSOP gets, the less time it gives players to plan for it and deal with it. I’d be willing to bet that the live final table is likely at the 2009 WSOP."
and
"I do know as of two weeks ago, Harrah’s/WSOP was still debating whether to proceed with a live heads-up match in October or November at a time dictated by ESPN."
The best coverage of this yet is an article by Jennifer Newell at PokerWorks. The following suggests it wouldn't be live: "Final nine players would compete on Sunday, November 9th, and final two players would compete on Monday evening, November 10th. The broadcast would hit ESPN at 9pm EST on Tuesday, November 11th." Her conclusion is that "There will be no live main event final table in 2008." Read the article at http://urlbrief.com/0826e8.
ReplyDeleteKnowledgeable industry observers commenting at http://urlbrief.com/a50b9c believe it will happen in 2008.
ReplyDeleteTom Schneider has a good editorial about this at Pokerati: http://urlbrief.com/f1d920
ReplyDeleteThe latest I've read about this is that the WSOP Players Advisory Council opposes it.
ReplyDelete