What Aren't You Getting From Your WSOP Coverage...?

[BarronVangorToth]

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There's no reason CP can't have someone at the table texting the info to someone at a computer who can easily and quickly update the website.

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While my experience at high-level events is limited, at the recent Foxwoods WPT event months ago, four or five sites did physically have someone at the table with a notebook jotting down details and then running off to their laptop in the corner. So, while I can see a hand occasionally getting mixed up (a suit here, a "blank" card there), you're right, IF you have a hand breakdown, it should be accurate (or as accurate as can be: i.e. the flop had two clubs and a diamond and the cards were King-Queen-Five, etc. etc.)

[BarronVangorToth]

Since you mentioned Nath...

Another thing: do you think coverage should go in-depth into people that no one (relatively) knows about? Like with Schneids, for example, he was played up as almost some random kid who borrowed the money off buddies for a spin ... and yet we all know he's a top-level player who's been dominating online games for quite some time and is far from some random-kid-who-took-a-shot. Is that really irksome ... or par for the course?

[ohkanada]

If you read Jerrod's blog (2nd place going into todays 3k limit final), he jokes that he is the invisible person. I don't believe he has been mentioned at all except for chip positions. Now on the 1st day I understand that, but after he goes into the 2nd day as the chip leader one would think cardplayer could find a place to mention him during day 2.

Ken

[Kevmath]

In Blair Rodman's recent blog entry, he was bemoaning the fact that Card Player was only giving chip counts of the "usual media darlings", while ignoring the long time pros that Mike Paulle could list like it was nothing.

[MicroBob]

I think covering such goings-on in such a hectic environment has to be way more difficult than I can even imagine.

All the long-hours of some of those events, etc etc.
How many people does CP have running around trying to pull this off?


I suspect most people who follow it only care about the media-darlings, and maybe a friend or two of theirs who is in it.


I imagine it's very tough to do the work on the non-famous types.
They don't wear name-tags. They get moved from one table to another.
"Johnny Chan goes all-in against some unknown with a big chip-stack in seat 4" has to be what they are seeing a lot of.


Name-tags would probably help in this regard.
I think it's something to consider.


Then they could walk around at the main-event and update the chip-counts from each table of every player.
This would take work of course. But I think a lot of people would appreciate it.


Lots of people ask stuff about how they can get updates on their friend who is playing in the main-event on day 1B.
Ummm, unless he's already famous OR he builds a huge stack there will be zero updates on him. Zero.


I knew this ahead of time and set up somebody with the password for my blog so that I could provide updates for my family and friends every hour or so by stepping away from the table for a quick phone-call.
People who were following me in the main-event really seemed to enjoy it (even though I didn't really do much to be excited about).


I think there will be 8,000 people at the main-event this year. Many of those players will be total unknowns with family and friends who would be extremely interested in following along on the web.


I also envision a live broadcast of this with different reporters on wireless mic's in different areas of the room. They would pass back and forth to each other and give chip-stack updates of the 'media darlings' as well as the total unknowns (if they had name-tags).
Kind of tossing back and forth to each other like they do in a radio broacast of a NASCAR race.


I haven't listened to any of the coverage so far. But I am guessing they haven't done anything that elaborate yet.

[BarronVangorToth]

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If you read Jerrod's blog (2nd place going into todays 3k limit final), he jokes that he is the invisible person.

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This is entirely possible -- as MicroBob writes above, players aren't wearing nametags (it is a great idea IF everyone would agree to it) and with players moving around, even if you have down that "John Smith" is table 45 seat 6, by the time you get back to that table, it's a girl sitting in that seat -- and clearly not John Smith.

That's sadly why someone mostly gets known at these events by doing something silly. You can be sure if you jumped on your chair and did the cabbage patch for a minute after winning a hand, someone would ask you your name ... but, then again, you get moved and no one remembers you as the cabbage patch guy.

[BarronVangorToth]

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Lots of people ask stuff about how they can get updates on their friend who is playing in the main-event on day 1B.
Ummm, unless he's already famous OR he builds a huge stack there will be zero updates on him. Zero.

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I went into WPT Foxwoods hoping to rectify the Schneids situation by specifically covering some 2+2 guys playing in the event. I ran into this same problem from Barry as he came in and asked me how X, Y, and Z were doing -- and I couldn't pick them out of the crowd. I knew Joe Tall.



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I knew this ahead of time and set up somebody with the password for my blog so that I could provide updates for my family and friends every hour or so by stepping away from the table for a quick phone-call.

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Good idea.


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I think there will be 8,000 people at the main-event this year. Many of those players will be total unknowns with family and friends who would be extremely interested in following along on the web.

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Agreed. And part of the problem is the number of people able to do the reporting. Sites (although I imagine not CardPlayer or PokerWire) have limited badges which they're allowed to have. So expecting even 20 guys running around from a number of different sites to catch every big hand, then know the names, then relay the information -- all while missing all other action -- is problematic, especially in the early stages. It's especially troubling asking for the loser of a big hand's name. Guy X wins a massive pot -- he's all too happy to say he's Bill Johnson from Chicago. But asking the guy who just got one-outed to state his name and place of origin isn't the best way to make friends.



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I haven't listened to any of the coverage so far. But I am guessing they haven't done anything that elaborate yet.

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No, they haven't, but it's another great idea if it's able to be implemented.

[WoolyHat]

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Of course all that may be that I just can't find their crap in the improved web design

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Actually, I think this is huge. I could really go to town here, but in a nut shell, I just think they should fire their web designer, it's awful. Whatever the content of the coverage the presentation needs a huge overhaul. Get a usability specialist involved or, at the very least, a competent web designer.

Also, I live in Europe so most the events happen over night here. It might sound quite sad, but I actually quite like reviewing the events as they unfolded when I get up in the morning. This is close to impossible on CardPlayer's site, since all the most recent news (i.e. the results) is right at the start / top. Without some clever obscuring of the screen every time I click a link, I have no hope.. So, having two formats to the updates would be great:

- One like it is now, with the most up-to-date news right at the top for following the event as it happens.

- A second "review mode," where I can follow the event from the start and not have to worry about scrolling to the bottom of the page without catch a glimpse of the spoilers at the top.

I know this isn't quite what you are asking, but I think it's important... it's something that could be fixed about the coverage very easily, without having to worry about the politics imposed by Harrah's.

[benza13]

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Since you mentioned Nath...

Another thing: do you think coverage should go in-depth into people that no one (relatively) knows about? Like with Schneids, for example, he was played up as almost some random kid who borrowed the money off buddies for a spin ... and yet we all know he's a top-level player who's been dominating online games for quite some time and is far from some random-kid-who-took-a-shot. Is that really irksome ... or par for the course?

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If someone is an "unknown" to CardPlayer, I would like to see them get his/her name before making updates, I understand this could be difficult every time, but it would be really nice. As far as in-depth coverage, I am guessing this is more related to TV and Radio where they are going to do something to make these unknowns more interesting. I wouldn't want them to lie, and the situation with Schneids you described doesn't sound too good. You would think that if they are going to cover someone a little more in depth that they would do some research on them and say that they are a successful internet player, or whatever.

[BarronVangorToth]

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I know this isn't quite what you are asking, but I think it's important... it's something that could be fixed about the coverage very easily, without having to worry about the politics imposed by Harrah's.

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It's a big point, though, and certainly falls into the realm of things you'd like to see improved with the coverage. Again, whether feasible or not is another story. When you consider how much of the audience isn't watching in "real time" (even if someone is in the same time zone doesn't mean they are sitting at their computer hitting 'refresh' every five seconds) I can see that as a huge annoyance having all information start with the newest on top, as you'll see, I don't know, "Josh Arieh busted out!" when the last thing you read the night before was how he was the chip-leader. Kind of a letdown...