The TV Dilemma

We have had some really great final tables so far this year at the WSOP. In my four years at the Rio, I can’t remember more than one Final Table per year with the Star Power we have had so far on three different occasions.

Our latest ‘big shot’ table included Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, John Juanda, and PLO whizzes David Benyamine, Phil ‘OMG Clay Aiken’ Galfond, and Kirill Gerasimov. This table had 28 WSOP bracelets to its credit….a number larger than any final table I can recall upon first inspection.

Unfortunately, ESPN is on their annual dark time here at the WSOP. Every year, ESPN comes out at the beginning of the series, films a few events, and then leaves until the $50k HORSE (or around there). In the last couple years, viewers have missed out on a couple big moments, but overall, the ESPN viewing audience probably feels like it got plenty.

But, this year, the so-called ‘year of the pro’ has produced some fantastic final tables, including the Matusow/Lindgren/Greenstein/Be nyamine/Tony G/Schneider/Lisandro final table we had earlier in the week. It would be interesting to see how these final tables would play out on TV. Sure, you have big names, but you also have games that the viewing public at large doesn’t understand. The Matusow table mentioned above was in Deuce to Seven Draw, a game that, at best would be mildly confusing to the average poker fan. I can just hear the following in dens across America “Wait, you man they get to draw new cards? When do they go all in??”

So, we have had some great final tables at the WSOP this year. If the schedule could be modified so the TV could stay here while the events that are more likely to be big name events ($5k + rebuys does tend to limit the field), it would be interesting to see if it clicked. Would the US viewing public rather watch players they know play a game they don’t understand, or watch nine players they don’t know play a game they know a lot about.