2005 U.S. Poker Championship - Page 5

Lawman007 · #41 05-30-2006, 12:19 PM

I like the fact that they have a "featured table" and a "main table", both of which are equipped with the hole card cams. However, I don't understand why ESPN doesn't give a summary of the blinds, the bets and raises, the size of the pot, and how much is needed to call, like the WPT does. If ESPN would do that, the coverage would be much better, but it's still better than the WPT for all of the reasons that others have mentioned.

FGators · #42 05-30-2006, 12:25 PM

Lon McChearen (Sp?) needs to do a much better job of alerting the viewer of the raise sizes. They wouldnt even have to post the blinds if he says, "Haveson raises to 300, 3x the size of the big blind), or "after Haveson's raise its 200 back to Ivey"..

Phanekim · #43 05-30-2006, 12:30 PM

I thought coverage was engaging. As far as criticising pro play...i'm not quite sure.

dlk9s · #44 05-30-2006, 12:30 PM

I was at the USPC (not playing) and I can tell you that Funston was a goofball the entire time. He was hi-larious. I posted this once before, but to sum up what he was like, he called the floor over once to ask if a flush beat a straight before he made a betting decision.

I actually couldn't figure out if it was an act or if he really was that way.

Dids · #45 05-30-2006, 02:01 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Some strengths, e.g. people have pointed out that it's the early stages of a real tournament, so not an all-in fest. But also the usual ESPN weaknesses:
- The Chad
- Flitting (what I call ESPN's tendency to flit about the room covering various hands, even without hole card cams). Radical idea: try covering one table well instead of several badly.
- Not much focus on poker. It's short-attention-span theatre, by people not interested in poker, for people not interested in poker. E.g. they don't show folded hole cards. They may not even stop talking long enough to mention whether a player called or raised, or the amount. And what are the blinds? Radical idea: talk about the poker that's taking place, or show the info on the screen.

[/ QUOTE ]

Honestly- everything you suggest is exactly what I don't want to see. Serious poker coverage is boring. People talking and having fun and busting on eachother is what I really enjoyed about this.

I think this had so much more mass appeal than super intense coverage and analysis.

Triumph36 · #46 05-30-2006, 02:33 PM

I didn't see the whole show but Funston was so beyond bad and donkish that serious analysis would've looked so out of place, like having Marv Albert doing a Harlem Globetrotters game. I don't mind missing out on the sizes of the blinds or not seeing folded hole cards - actually, who cares about folded hole cards?

TimTimSalabim · #47 05-30-2006, 05:27 PM

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Does Brian Haveson know how to play poker? How do you lose 400BB with one pair (KK vs AA)?

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I'm pretty sure John Juanda knows how to play poker, yet your criticism would apply to him as well. The fact is, it was a good flop for both hands so they got all their money in. You can't win a tournament playing like a mouse.

PartySNGer · #48 05-30-2006, 05:35 PM

Did anyone notice early in episode one when 2 guys were all in with KQ v. Ax on a KxxA board and the the guy with the aces was saying "No king, no king anything else is OK" and then Ivey says "How 'bout a queen?" That was pretty hilarious, and maybe sad as well, that these guys can put up $10k and not know what they're trying to fade.

Sykes · #49 05-30-2006, 05:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does Brian Haveson know how to play poker? How do you lose 400BB with one pair (KK vs AA)?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty sure John Juanda knows how to play poker, yet your criticism would apply to him as well. The fact is, it was a good flop for both hands so they got all their money in. You can't win a tournament playing like a mouse.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf is a mouse?

You really expect me to believe that Juanda plays QQ/AK/JJ like this? Please.. give me a break.

TimTimSalabim · #50 05-30-2006, 06:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does Brian Haveson know how to play poker? How do you lose 400BB with one pair (KK vs AA)?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty sure John Juanda knows how to play poker, yet your criticism would apply to him as well. The fact is, it was a good flop for both hands so they got all their money in. You can't win a tournament playing like a mouse.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf is a mouse?

You really expect me to believe that Juanda plays QQ/AK/JJ like this? Please.. give me a break.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your original contention was how do you lose that much with one pair. My point is Juanda was risking the same (actually even more, since Haveson had him covered) with "just one pair". Or do you make that big a distinction between AA and KK? If so, then should Juanda have folded if he was holding KK instead of AA?

Anyway, your opponent checks to you on a flop of TT9 and you're holding KK, you check behind and let him outdraw you? No, you protect your hand because the pot has already gotten very big because of the preflop action, and the only hands you realistically have to worry about are AA and 99. And because Juanda didn't put in the last raise, AA seems even less likely. And you may even get called with QQ or JJ and double up. But even if your opponent folds, you still win a big pot.