Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

X-Posting in NVG and Tournament Circuit.


Ty Stewart, Director of Sponsorship and Marketing for the World Series of Poker has this idea for the WSOP. I don’t like it much unless somebody adds 3 or 4 million dollars to the final table payouts on top of the prizepool contributed by the players.

[ QUOTE ]
They have a brief discussion about the 2008 World Series of Poker, for which Ty has a blockbuster idea.
He wants to broadcast the Main Event final table LIVE.
WITH HOLE CARDS.
The idea would be to play down to the final table and then adjourn the Series. All the other episodes of the Main Event would air and TV would have a couple months to get to know the players. Then they would reconvene and play a sequestered final table and the later portion of the final table would be broadcast live. The audience would see every player's cards and commentators would be able to analyze the strategy in real time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Linky

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

Lame. Sounds too much like a reality show, like the Apprentice or something.

Plus, how long do they think the final table would last?

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

No chance if I was at the Final table would I want this, jesus I have to wait months to get my hands on life changing cash that I paid to win? This isnt a WSOP Freeroll where I loose nothing, I am in the hole 10K and waiting to get my cash.

Terrible Idea he should be shot

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

what if they paid everyone 9th place money before you left...???

I kind of like the idea...anything that makes poker bigger on TV...gets more fish in the pond...

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

I like the idea, but not for the final 9.

The HEADS-UP match, and ONLY the heads-up match, should be saved for live TV with a 2-month break and presented "Mark Burnett" style.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

I think the primary problem with this idea is that it would allow extensive training/learning by the players who happen to make the final table and aren't very good, thereby minimizing the equity of the better players. Additionally, one of the skills employed at the final table is using the knowledge you acquired during the tournament about the particular players, and this would go out the window because in many cases I think you would be facing a totally different player a few months later.

If they want to broadcast it live with hole cards, just broadcast it live with hole cards on PPV. Or on ESPN. Do they really think anyone is currently watching the ME Final Table broadcast without already knowing who won?

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

If they are going to do it that way, then do it without the delay to edit and show the earlier parts of the ME. With the popularity of poker, they could probably get the necessary audience showing it live with hole cards on ESPN, probably on a weekend with an earlier starting time. I am not sure how they handle commercial breaks though.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

The break is the dumbest idea ever. A person loses all momentum they might have gained and the feeling of the other person.

People will have time to adjust their game, etc.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

Sequester the FT and broadcast the FT live on PPV with hole cards

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

Let the viewers vote off the players they don't like. This has all kinds of potential. Of course none of this will work in real life.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

what if a player dies/life insurance problems

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

Except that more monkeying around with large tournaments (hasn't ESPN done enough of this with the WSOP?) for the 'betterment of poker' actually has nothing to do with making poker better. I has to do with making more $$$ on television shows.

...reality-programming phenomenon on the order of Survivor, American Idol, or Cake Decorating with the Stars...

So...turning the WSOP into something like 'reality-programming' is a good thing for who? Certainly not the players in the tournament!

Unlike other professional sports, poker does not require an audience to exist. Sure it needs exposure to 'recruit' new players into the pool, but poker shows and recognized 'TV' poker players (not to dismiss their skills, it's just that you have to have a cast to have a show) only really make money for the producers of the shows and to a smaller degree the 'TV' players themselves.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

This is so dumb, people would have months to actually learn how to play once at the final table.

Post deleted by Mat Sklansky
 

Update on the possible plan
 

More details on the plan:

[ QUOTE ]
And I understand why the idea of a live final-table broadcast is controversial. Televising poker live adds a significant amount of complexity to the proceedings. Ty mentioned to me that he's not in favor of separating fans from the action - the live webcasts of some final tables from the 2007 WSOP was a new experience and one from which Harrah's learned many things - and therefore would sequester the entire room. Players, fans, and attending media would all be squestered and communication devices would be removed. (I'm not sure why media would want to be present if they couldn't communicate, especially because they'd be seeing LESS than if they watched it on TV, but I understand how everyone has to be locked down.)
.
Another complexity involves broadcast time. Stewart told me in an e-mail that he does "not believe that ESPN will dedicate more than a three hour window to the stunt" or "that a mainstream audience will have interest watching for a period longer than that anyway." This might lead someone to conclude that they'd need to jack up the blinds and antes super-high to force the action into a watchable time period.
.
He assured me that Harrah's had no such thing in mind. Everyone in the process is trying to develop a formula of starting play before the broadcast hits the air, "flash editing" to catch up, and going live for the final stages in a reasonable broadcast window. Stewart didn't come out and say, "We'll never under any circumstances alter the blind structure for TV" - though maybe he'll read this and tell me just that - but it sounds like the goal is to arrange the broadcast to fit around the natural Main Event endgame, and not the other way around.



[/ QUOTE ]

Link to update

Re: Update on the possible plan
 

It might work. I don't like the 2 month delay idea though. Then all the amateurs would quit there jobs and play poker tournaments full time, read every book, and hire coaches at $300/hour. If they flash edit the early final table, they could flash edit the rest or show it later.

If the idea is to show the last 3 hours or so, they would have to accept some variance, in that it could take anywhere in the 1-6 hour range, although the endpoint would be less likely. Presumably they would add commericial breaks.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

the 2 hour ESPN HD 2007 ME FT was quite enough for me, thank you very much......I think this is final proof that Harrah's/WSOP Marketing needs massive help

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

Great - so the FT guys have months to go away and analyze eachothers play and make changes to their own.

Ridiculous

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

What if a player was unable to play because of something like being in the hospital etc, would they wait for him to recover and then play or would he be able to let another player of his choice play?

What about players who fly half way around the world to play? They have to return home then come back?

Would Harrahs pay interest on the money they are holding when they pay up? And how about royalties to the players for this crap.

Re: Ty Stewart\'s \"Blockbuster\" idea for 2008 WSOP
 

[ QUOTE ]


Ty Stewart, Director of Sponsorship and Marketing

[/ QUOTE ]

Does he know a flush beats a straight?