ESPN Poker Coverage

[disjunction]

KVNSTV,

These issues are about 5 years old and have been discussed ad nauseum, so most likely your post won't get very many serious replies. As a poker community we've kind of come to terms with these antics. First of all, anyone who plays poker is either a novice playing a game, or else a pro playing a game for a living, so why get so upset about these things?

Second, Phil obviously has a variety of mental health issues so it's preferable to ignore him rather than pick on him for the 95th time. In fact, lots of poker pros act have never had a real job and like little children, so it's preferable to ignore all of them. As for bringing people to the game, any publicity is good publicity.

Third, there is something about gambling for large amounts of money against other people that will make you into a jerk if you're not careful. Doubly so with TV cameras, I'd imagine. Keep that in mind as you watch it on TV. I personally view it as a challenge to myself, but it's hard.

[Uppercut]

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People like Phil & Humberto make the game interesting.

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No they are not. Trust me.

[KVNSTV]

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like i said "please shut up and drink your tea" So you pony up 10,000 to enter into a main event and you expect everyone to be nice and not talk at the table, Obviously at that point let me give you some advice "poker is not for u" you don't belong at the poker table, you should be playing scrabble or chess, because talking and being obnoxious at the poker table is a part of the game and if you cannot handle it then you should not play

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No I very much expect people to attempt to annoy and upset me and put me off my game. I also expect there to be a line with which if they cross they will be punished for there actions.

From a televised entertainment point of view I would rather watch Hellmuth act a plank than 10 unknown scandies quietly riffling chips. Also from a playing point of view I want to sit at a table with a big name player to enhance the experience. Maybe because I'm not some cynical miserable arsehole who has forgotten what it was like to enjoy playing poker, and maybe this is the value TV is bringing to players entering tournaments theres clearly a lot more “celebrity” poker players to go round than there used to be. I’m a recreational player who loves to talk poker so I’m sorry if trying to find out other people opinions makes me an idiot and maybe I will have a nice cup of tea, it is nearly tiffin after all.

My point is that from admittedly a brief TV program the line appears to have been well an truly crossed, both by Hellmuth with the amount of time spent at the table grandstanding and by Brenes "good natured" taunting. You pay juice to enter the tournaments which is to cover costs which include the wages of the TD's and Dealers who are supposed to maintain a semblance of order. TV is clearly preventing the TD's and dealers from doing there job so why the [censored] don't they pony up some dough so that players get some value for the interference.

[dankhank]

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Hellmuth is funny to watch. Humberto makes my head hurt.

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YOU ARE AN IDIOT, DRINK YOUR TEA AND SHUT UP

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i agree with both these gentlemen

[craigmarq]

The way Phil actually acts is really weird. He acts really respectful when he first sits down, and shakes everyones hand and stuff. Then he starts critiquing everyones plays and acting like a complete douche. I definately enjoyed calling the clock on him every time he took too long to make a decision.


C

[Rushstreet07]

LOL @ Hellmuth for cashing 79K and losing over 100K to Ivey buying insurance on his hand... Ivey said "call me anytime you are at a final table I'll be here" and licked his lips...

[Ricky B]

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I’m in the UK so have been downloading the ESPN coverage from the web so forgive me if I’m a little behind the times. When something I see annoys me I often play a little game with myself to think of the word that is the exact polar opposite of what I’m seeing. Viewing Mr Hellmuths display in $3,000 NLHE tournament the first word to enter my head was humility.

He must be horrible to sit with at the final table or any table actually, as he said to Ben Fineman who dared to play a pot with him “It’s not about you Kid”. Annoying to have your spotlight moment completely railroaded by the ‘Superstar’ grand standing every call/fold/check and making terrible insurance bets with Phil Ivey. Ivey really is mugging him off as well, Hellmuth took some horrible odds and it all just made the game look so degenerated. Any way the self same “Kid” got crippled when he was a 3-1 favourite against another player and showed pure class by accepting the beat with a shake of his opponent’s hand. Phil might be the best NLHE tournament player in the world but he clearly has a lot to learn from the “Kid”.

The $5,000 pot limit Hold’em was clearly the worst of the all the shows so far for grandstanding. Whilst watching the antics of a certain Mr Brenes I played my little game again and the first word to enter my head was dignity. I remember one of the players at the table (Alan Cunningham) I think asking where his prop was? The final tables ESPN have chosen to show are clearly not the most star studied and obviously not the most interesting from a poker perspective (would love to see the 10K pot limit Omaha with Doyle and Antonius) so they must be choosing them for there entertainment value. Personally I would rather chew my own arms off than watch Humberto go through his act but I guess some people want to view this sort of thing.

I was interested in other people opinions on what the effect this kind of exposure has on poker? Other than being forced to sit next to some idiot dressed like superman or having some Muppet wave a shark in you face every five minutes is there any other negatives I have not considered? Is the TV coverage worth it? What does it give poker other than sponsorship for a very select few top tier players? After all the vast majority of players have to pay to sit down at the table, shouldn’t the event sponsors and TV people be adding to the prize pools?

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The final tables that ESPN covers is predetermined before the tournaments ever play out. ESPN gets maybe 20-25% of the events to show as part of their 2007 coverage (they're set up with a live audience around the table).

The other 75% of events were broadcast "live" but with a 1hr delay over the internet including hole card cams. The final table players were in total in seclusion (no live audience) for these events.

ESPN would have loved to have PH's bracelet #11 final table, but it played out as a live internet / sequestered event.

And yes, I agree, when I see Humberto & that damn shark, I instictively douse myself in gasoline & start looking for matches.