World Series Of Poker
May 02, 2004
What happens in this year's World Series of Poker is definitely not staying in Las Vegas. In addition to drawing many more players to the tables, the 35th annual edition of poker tournament -- which Harrah's Entertainment now owns and operates -- is attracting a lot more television attention.
ESPN's presence, for instance, is impossible to miss at this year's World Series. The sports network's crews were once content to stop by and film the final day of the championship, then air it months later.
Not anymore. This year, ESPN will film final table action at 13 of the World Series' tournaments. All that film will be shipped back to New York and edited into 22 shows that will air on the cable sports network beginning in June. The network aired seven programs from last year's World Series, all of them from the final tournament event.
Poker tournaments on other cable networks, such as the Travel Channel, have also done well in the past couple of years.
The growing interest in poker tournaments, both as a participant and as a spectator event, helps explain why Harrah's officials were willing to spend millions to buy the World Series tournament.
Just how big the poker tournament market could be to Harrah's is evident in the series' final entry list.
The final event, a $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas hold'em tournament that has traditionally given the winner bragging rights as the world's greatest poker player, may produce 2,000 entries this year. Tournament spokesman Nolan Dalla said it will "conservatively" attract at least 1,500 entries, compared with 830 a year ago.
Much of the growth is attributable to a long series of satellite tournaments on the Internet and at casinos elsewhere. Those venues offer players a chance to earn a $10,00 buy-in for as little as about $40. A single poker Web site this year qualified more than 200 entries.
The increase in entries also means an increase in the final pot, when the finalists will split between $20 million and $25 million, maybe more. Such numbers help ensure television's growing interest in poker tournaments.
Bob Chesterman, coordinating producer for ESPN's Original Entertainment Department, would not talk about his network's investment in this year's coverage, although he agreed, "We've put a lot more into this year's production than ever before.
For this year's series, a section of the tournament area on the second floor has been turned into a television studio that looks suited for a session of "Meet the Press."
There will be 22 floor-level and overhead cameras and a high-tech lighting system exploring every nook and cranny of the tournament's final table action. A specially designed table was ordered and delivered, where spectators will be able to watch the games from bleachers surrounding the raised playing area.
The final table took about six weeks to put together at a cost of "thousands of dollars" because of internal technology and wiring associated with the built-in mini-cams, tournament officials said.
The built-in technology will allow TV viewers to see more of the action than players at the table.
Cameras at the edge of the table, for instance, will give a view of "hole" cards. Another addition this year will be the "rabbit cam," which is designed to let viewers see what card a player would have received if only he had decided to call or raise another player's bet. With the "rabbit cam" all the dealer has to do is slide the card over a camera inset under glass on the tabletop.
"Things like this create suspense and inflate the entertainment factor," Chesterman said. For the first time television is giving games other than no-limit hold'em some close-up attention, too.
Games such as seven-card stud and Omaha hold 'em should be big hits with a TV audience, Chesterman said. But games such as razz might be a bit more of a gamble, he added.
Former World Series of Poker director Eric Drache believes all the new TV attention being given to poker tournaments is bound to fuel further growth of all poker tournaments, not just the event.
"There are a lot of stud players out there, but all the attention has been given to no-limit hold'em, which is fine because you can see what the results have been. A lot more people are playing. Giving stud more time in front of the cameras is going to produce the same kind of result." But what about televised poker's future, maybe a reality show based on poker?
"The 22 hours that we have scheduled based on this year's World Series is an amazing amount of programming to do," Chesterman said. "That's the thing about poker -- it is reality TV. You don't have to put anything else around it. People are very interested in the game, how it's played, the winning, the being eliminated. I'm not sure how much interest there might be once you take people away from the game."
Years ago, the casino founder Benny Binion predicted the World Series final could eventually get as many as maybe 50 players competing for the money and the recognition it offers.
May 02, 2004
What happens in this year's World Series of Poker is definitely not staying in Las Vegas. In addition to drawing many more players to the tables, the 35th annual edition of poker tournament -- which Harrah's Entertainment now owns and operates -- is attracting a lot more television attention.
ESPN's presence, for instance, is impossible to miss at this year's World Series. The sports network's crews were once content to stop by and film the final day of the championship, then air it months later.
Not anymore. This year, ESPN will film final table action at 13 of the World Series' tournaments. All that film will be shipped back to New York and edited into 22 shows that will air on the cable sports network beginning in June. The network aired seven programs from last year's World Series, all of them from the final tournament event.
Poker tournaments on other cable networks, such as the Travel Channel, have also done well in the past couple of years.
The growing interest in poker tournaments, both as a participant and as a spectator event, helps explain why Harrah's officials were willing to spend millions to buy the World Series tournament.
Just how big the poker tournament market could be to Harrah's is evident in the series' final entry list.
The final event, a $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas hold'em tournament that has traditionally given the winner bragging rights as the world's greatest poker player, may produce 2,000 entries this year. Tournament spokesman Nolan Dalla said it will "conservatively" attract at least 1,500 entries, compared with 830 a year ago.
Much of the growth is attributable to a long series of satellite tournaments on the Internet and at casinos elsewhere. Those venues offer players a chance to earn a $10,00 buy-in for as little as about $40. A single poker Web site this year qualified more than 200 entries.
The increase in entries also means an increase in the final pot, when the finalists will split between $20 million and $25 million, maybe more. Such numbers help ensure television's growing interest in poker tournaments.
Bob Chesterman, coordinating producer for ESPN's Original Entertainment Department, would not talk about his network's investment in this year's coverage, although he agreed, "We've put a lot more into this year's production than ever before.
For this year's series, a section of the tournament area on the second floor has been turned into a television studio that looks suited for a session of "Meet the Press."
There will be 22 floor-level and overhead cameras and a high-tech lighting system exploring every nook and cranny of the tournament's final table action. A specially designed table was ordered and delivered, where spectators will be able to watch the games from bleachers surrounding the raised playing area.
The final table took about six weeks to put together at a cost of "thousands of dollars" because of internal technology and wiring associated with the built-in mini-cams, tournament officials said.
The built-in technology will allow TV viewers to see more of the action than players at the table.
Cameras at the edge of the table, for instance, will give a view of "hole" cards. Another addition this year will be the "rabbit cam," which is designed to let viewers see what card a player would have received if only he had decided to call or raise another player's bet. With the "rabbit cam" all the dealer has to do is slide the card over a camera inset under glass on the tabletop.
"Things like this create suspense and inflate the entertainment factor," Chesterman said. For the first time television is giving games other than no-limit hold'em some close-up attention, too.
Games such as seven-card stud and Omaha hold 'em should be big hits with a TV audience, Chesterman said. But games such as razz might be a bit more of a gamble, he added.
Former World Series of Poker director Eric Drache believes all the new TV attention being given to poker tournaments is bound to fuel further growth of all poker tournaments, not just the event.
"There are a lot of stud players out there, but all the attention has been given to no-limit hold'em, which is fine because you can see what the results have been. A lot more people are playing. Giving stud more time in front of the cameras is going to produce the same kind of result." But what about televised poker's future, maybe a reality show based on poker?
"The 22 hours that we have scheduled based on this year's World Series is an amazing amount of programming to do," Chesterman said. "That's the thing about poker -- it is reality TV. You don't have to put anything else around it. People are very interested in the game, how it's played, the winning, the being eliminated. I'm not sure how much interest there might be once you take people away from the game."
Years ago, the casino founder Benny Binion predicted the World Series final could eventually get as many as maybe 50 players competing for the money and the recognition it offers.
Pokerking thank you very much for the info, and participating in the thread.
Annie Duke vs Jennifer Harman
1 Annie Duke -112
2 Jennifer Harman +102
Todd Brunson vs Doyle Brunson
3 Todd Brunson -110
4 Doyle Brunson +100
Ben Affleck vs Leonardo DiCaprio
5 Ben Affleck -125
6 Leonardo DiCaprio +115
Erik Siedel vs Daniel Negraneau
7 Erik Siedel -117
8 Daniel Negraneau +107
Howard Lederer vs Annie Duke
9 Howard Lederer -135
10 Annie Duke +125
Phil Ivey vs Gus Hansen
11 Phil Ivey -112
12 Gus Hansen +102
Howard Lederer vs Barry Greenstein
13 Howard Lederer -114
14 Barry Greenstein +104
Phil Hellmuth vs Sam Grizzle
15 Phil Hellmuth -135
16 Sam Grizzle +125
Ben Affleck vs Matt Damon
17 Ben Affleck -120
18 Matt Damon +110
Mel Judah vs Huck Seed
19 Mel Judah -115
20 Huck Seed +105
Larry Flynt vs Ben Affleck
21 Larry Flynt -110
22 Ben Affleck +100
Johnny Chan vs Doyle Brunson
23 Johnny Chan -121
24 Doyle Brunson +111
Sam Farha vs Chris Moneymaker
25 Sam Farha -141
26 Chris Moneymaker +129
Chip Reese vs Lyle Berman
27 Chip Reese -132
28 Lyle Berman +122
John Juanda vs Daniel Negraneau
29 John Juanda -114
30 Daniel Negraneau +104
Bet against Ben Affleck in all 3 match-ups he should go south day one. Give me Sam Farha (even at -141) to beat Moneymaker easy.
wil.
Annie Duke vs Jennifer Harman
1 Annie Duke -112
2 Jennifer Harman +102
Todd Brunson vs Doyle Brunson
3 Todd Brunson -110
4 Doyle Brunson +100
Ben Affleck vs Leonardo DiCaprio
5 Ben Affleck -125
6 Leonardo DiCaprio +115
Erik Siedel vs Daniel Negraneau
7 Erik Siedel -117
8 Daniel Negraneau +107
Howard Lederer vs Annie Duke
9 Howard Lederer -135
10 Annie Duke +125
Phil Ivey vs Gus Hansen
11 Phil Ivey -112
12 Gus Hansen +102
Howard Lederer vs Barry Greenstein
13 Howard Lederer -114
14 Barry Greenstein +104
Phil Hellmuth vs Sam Grizzle
15 Phil Hellmuth -135
16 Sam Grizzle +125
Ben Affleck vs Matt Damon
17 Ben Affleck -120
18 Matt Damon +110
Mel Judah vs Huck Seed
19 Mel Judah -115
20 Huck Seed +105
Larry Flynt vs Ben Affleck
21 Larry Flynt -110
22 Ben Affleck +100
Johnny Chan vs Doyle Brunson
23 Johnny Chan -121
24 Doyle Brunson +111
Sam Farha vs Chris Moneymaker
25 Sam Farha -141
26 Chris Moneymaker +129
Chip Reese vs Lyle Berman
27 Chip Reese -132
28 Lyle Berman +122
John Juanda vs Daniel Negraneau
29 John Juanda -114
30 Daniel Negraneau +104
Bet against Ben Affleck in all 3 match-ups he should go south day one. Give me Sam Farha (even at -141) to beat Moneymaker easy.
wil.
all of this popularity of poker can be attributed to ONE person:
Chris Moneymaker
when he won it last year it showed that any "average joe" could win it. because he wasn't some "pro" but rather "dead money" that lead a ton of people to think they, too, could be the next person to win the WSOP.
last year their were 839 in the event. i will be stunned if this number is below 1,000 - and again - a lot of it is due to Moneymaker.
i do agree Farha -141 over "Money" is a solid play. might also go with Phil Ivey -112 in his matchup
Chris Moneymaker
when he won it last year it showed that any "average joe" could win it. because he wasn't some "pro" but rather "dead money" that lead a ton of people to think they, too, could be the next person to win the WSOP.
last year their were 839 in the event. i will be stunned if this number is below 1,000 - and again - a lot of it is due to Moneymaker.
i do agree Farha -141 over "Money" is a solid play. might also go with Phil Ivey -112 in his matchup
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Pinnacle is still adding players. They plan on having a field bet. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well until they have a complete list of players they choose to offer they should not offer wagering at all. As it stands now there are hundreds of players who could win where Pinnacle would get to keep ALL the money wagered. Poker Stars is sending at least 250 players on their own.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> How can you say they're ripping off players when they do head-to-head matchups <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm not talking about head to head matchups. I'm talking about their "odds to win" where 90% of the players aren't listed and can't be wagered on. What if they posted odds to win the world series (of baseball) and only listed the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, and Mariners, with no field bet?
Well until they have a complete list of players they choose to offer they should not offer wagering at all. As it stands now there are hundreds of players who could win where Pinnacle would get to keep ALL the money wagered. Poker Stars is sending at least 250 players on their own.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> How can you say they're ripping off players when they do head-to-head matchups <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm not talking about head to head matchups. I'm talking about their "odds to win" where 90% of the players aren't listed and can't be wagered on. What if they posted odds to win the world series (of baseball) and only listed the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, and Mariners, with no field bet?
