Wsop Me 2008 Final Table

[Potomophobia 17]

In an attempt to get "Daniel's Poker Blog" back to poker, I'd like to make the following comments regarding the changes to this year's Main event.1) The 4 month delay.I'm not real fond of it, but not all that adverse to it as well. I'll probably never play in the ME, but I like watching it on TV. And being an old fart, I'm partial to tradition...... but hey.......times change and so do a lot of things. So I can live with it. The problem with the delay as I see it is that if you have unknowns playing, there really is no fan base to build on. There are no rivalries or known personalities that you can market.2) Marketing (hyping) young unknowns.With all due respect to the fine young players, how much is there really to say in an in-depth interview with a 20 something? All the players that I watched presented themselves well, and I was glad to see that. But really, by definition, young means just that. You haven't really done all that much in life for very long. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make for the most exciting television. Pardon me if I would rather watch poker hands than interviews with people who don't really have anything interesting to say.Which brings me to my last point.3) The SHOWI was disappointed. More than anything else by the "2 hand" Heads-Up match. I'm sure that everyone involved in the production worked their butts off. To turn that around at all in the time they had was a technical bitch. But that is not the point. The point is: "What does the final product look like?" In my opinion, it looked lame. There was some great poker being played, and we did not get to see it. Someone somewhere needs to decide just what the WSOP on TV is going to be. Will it be a poker show, or just another game show?Anyway........ flame away.(Edit)The biggest laugh I got was when Norman Chad mentioned that Dave "Chino" Rheem told him he was broke before the tournament started. Too funny. There is the guy who is "playing to represent the professionals" and was busto before the tourney even started AND is nicknamed after a prison.

[Nimue1995 1]

I found the commentators to be the most annoying part of the show. Norman Chad is an idiot!

[copernicus 0]

The whole thing was a bore. Go back to poker being poker and not a made for ESPN event.

[Sheiky 0]

The delayed final table seems to have increased television ratings massively so I would say it's definitely a good thing. As for the coverage, there's always been far too many interviews and side action for my liking, but i'm assuming that that's what every poker player thinks so it's no surprise. I actually think the ESPN coverage in general is really slick and makes for great viewing if you're not that bothered about the actual amounts of poker being played. As poker player's we're always going to feel annoyed at how it's an all-in fest and how Norman Chad is terrible at poker, but you've got to imagine it from the average viewers perspective. After all, the WSOP coverage isn't for people like us who post on poker forums (in my opinion), it's for ordinary Joe's that we won't to entice into on-line poker, and in that regard I think ESPN do a really good job. That said, I agree that the climax was very disappointing. Not just from a pure poker perspective either, the way it was produced left hardly any time for the end hand. The celebrations were over almost before they'd begun, and the recap of the rest of the series was totally misplaces I think.

[copernicus 0]

The delayed final table seems to have increased television ratings massively so I would say it's definitely a good thing. As for the coverage, there's always been far too many interviews and side action for my liking, but i'm assuming that that's what every poker player thinks so it's no surprise. I actually think the ESPN coverage in general is really slick and makes for great viewing if you're not that bothered about the actual amounts of poker being played. As poker player's we're always going to feel annoyed at how it's an all-in fest and how Norman Chad is terrible at poker, but you've got to imagine it from the average viewers perspective. After all, the WSOP coverage isn't for people like us who post on poker forums (in my opinion), it's for ordinary Joe's that we won't to entice into on-line poker, and in that regard I think ESPN do a really good job. That said, I agree that the climax was very disappointing. Not just from a pure poker perspective either, the way it was produced left hardly any time for the end hand. The celebrations were over almost before they'd begun, and the recap of the rest of the series was totally misplaces I think.

What we need to do is raise the money to produce a TV series, book, and interactive DVD of every hand of every player of a WPT event, where the number of participants is manageable.

[Balloon guy 158]

I liked the build up of watching the play up to the final table without knowing what was going to happen. Much better TV than the previous years in my opinion.The FT was what it was. Nothing can be done if they only play heads up for a short time. Just as nothing could be done about them playing head's up for 10 hours and they only show 10 hands.I also liked the FT players being able to get advice before they played the FT....on TAXES. Saved that Dane $5 million. Although I do love that he was cool with taking from the government, but once it was his turn to give, he bailed.

[PremiumBlend 0]

"The FT was what it was. Nothing can be done if they only play heads up for a short time. Just as nothing could be done about them playing head's up for 10 hours and they only show 10 hands."

They played 104 hands heads-up. That is not what I would call a short time. As was said above, these 104 hands were edited down to a paltry two.

[copernicus 0]

They played 104 hands heads-up. That is not what I would call a short time. As was said above, these 104 hands were edited down to a paltry two.

wow. thats ridiculous. why did it need to be cut to two hours? and what happened to the "live with delay". Id love to see DNs opinion since he influenced the decision.

[rcgs59 15]

I would like to see the televised part of the final table be 4 hours1. All players elimnating hands should be showen, I think it was disrespectful not to show Kelly Kim's losing hand. To have him leave as he did was done out of poor taste2. Like everyone else showing 2 hands of HU play was awfull. Demidov did play wellenough to overtake the lead and lost it again. There many great plays missedI believe HU play should of been at least 1 hour time frame. 3. The commentators again are not that great, Norman Chad is not the best, sorryDaniel I really think you would of made a fantistic commentator as you know your pokeror Use Howard and Vince.4. The crew and producers did do a great job turning it over fast but, being someone who railed the audio and written accounts via the wsop web site. I am glad I did thatas I would of missed way too many great plays. 5. Even if the HU was live TV or Pay per view, it would be better.6. It would of been nice to see the post interview of the winner as well, in a 4 hour format I beleive it would of been better received.Was the wait good for poker --- yes perhaps it did build excitment, but some changes need to be made

[Lynbrook 0]

I would like to see the televised part of the final table be 4 hours1. All players elimnating hands should be showen, I think it was disrespectful not to show Kelly Kim's losing hand. To have him leave as he did was done out of poor taste2. Like everyone else showing 2 hands of HU play was awfull. Demidov did play wellenough to overtake the lead and lost it again. There many great plays missedI believe HU play should of been at least 1 hour time frame. 3. The commentators again are not that great, Norman Chad is not the best, sorryDaniel I really think you would of made a fantistic commentator as you know your pokeror Use Howard and Vince.4. The crew and producers did do a great job turning it over fast but, being someone who railed the audio and written accounts via the wsop web site. I am glad I did thatas I would of missed way too many great plays. 5. Even if the HU was live TV or Pay per view, it would be better.6. It would of been nice to see the post interview of the winner as well, in a 4 hour format I beleive it would of been better received.Was the wait good for poker --- yes perhaps it did build excitment, but some changes need to be made

I agree with most of what you guys are saying except the announcers. I love Norm and Lon. Its weird that they hired Norm in the first place, but now he's a staple and there would be many poker enthusiasts who would hate to see him go.I think I have an interesting idea. Play the final table on two days. The first day gets down to four players. The next day, they play till the end. This way, you could have two two-hour shows. You'd see a ton of more hands and you'd still air the show the very next day.Yay or nay??

[sc961 0]

For the most part, it was interesting watching until heads up.I can imagine the struggles it takes putting that together in an effort to get a good product for veiwing in a compressed time period.The televised portions have to be good for the non poker playing crowd as well as us. That's why we see and hear the two announcers. Although some of the content from shorty gets annoying, it's still decent.If they continue growing the veiwership, only good things can happen.

[copernicus 0]

I dont see that there was any build up of excitment. Me and the poker players I know forgot all about it until the week before and didnt even watch it until a few days later.

[vbnautilus 48]

I dont see that there was any build up of excitment. Me and the poker players I know forgot all about it until the week before and didnt even watch it until a few days later.

I agree, I was much more excited about it back in the summer.

[Balloon guy 158]

wow. thats ridiculous. why did it need to be cut to two hours? and what happened to the "live with delay". Id love to see DNs opinion since he influenced the decision.

I would like to see the televised part of the final table be 4 hours1. All players elimnating hands should be showen, I think it was disrespectful not to show Kelly Kim's losing hand. To have him leave as he did was done out of poor taste

Where's Jerry?

[Sheiky 0]

I agree with most of what you guys are saying except the announcers. I love Norm and Lon. Its weird that they hired Norm in the first place, but now he's a staple and there would be many poker enthusiasts who would hate to see him go.I think I have an interesting idea. Play the final table on two days. The first day gets down to four players. The next day, they play till the end. This way, you could have two two-hour shows. You'd see a ton of more hands and you'd still air the show the very next day.Yay or nay??

Too long tbh, I don't think I would even bother to watch it it was 4 hours long.

I dont see that there was any build up of excitment. Me and the poker players I know forgot all about it until the week before and didnt even watch it until a few days later.

I don't really think anyone inside the poker world really cared that much. I mean it received some attention, but none more so than what the final table normally did anyway. TV ratings are up a lot though apparently, so that's good.

[Franchise632 0]

I dont see that there was any build up of excitment. Me and the poker players I know forgot all about it until the week before and didnt even watch it until a few days later.

I think this is just because you are old...not anything due to lack of excitement I agree with everyone that didn't like the 2 HU hands...I don't understand the need to have them come back for another day to play HUI also think it is time to bring in a different color commentator...Norman Chad's jokes are all old and over done and he doesn't analyze situations well. There were several occasions when he would make a comment on a play and I would be like ...one that comes to mind is Demidov folding his K high flush...Chad was making it sound like it was a horrible fold...when if you look at the action an A was certainly a possible holding for his opponent to have. I am just really sick of Norman Chad.Overall I don't think this takes anything away from poker but I am not sure it adds a ton either...it will need to have a big name pro make the final table to get any real great buzz IMHO.

[dapokerbum 0]

I think this is just because you are old...not anything due to lack of excitement I agree with everyone that didn't like the 2 HU hands...I don't understand the need to have them come back for another day to play HUI also think it is time to bring in a different color commentator...Norman Chad's jokes are all old and over done and he doesn't analyze situations well. There were several occasions when he would make a comment on a play and I would be like ...one that comes to mind is Demidov folding his K high flush...Chad was making it sound like it was a horrible fold...when if you look at the action an A was certainly a possible holding for his opponent to have. I am just really sick of Norman Chad.Overall I don't think this takes anything away from poker but I am not sure it adds a ton either...it will need to have a big name pro make the final table to get any real great buzz IMHO.

I agree with this