WSOP $50k Players Championship - *Spoiler Alert*

[SniperD5]

Anybody else watch this? My Thoughts:

1) I fuckin HATE that they go 5 days playing a variety of 8 different games, and make it a NLHE final table just for better TV. Fuck that. Real poker players want to watch them play all the variations. I couldn't care less about Hold'em anymore, I've grown to dislike the game actually. I would much rather see all the games, even if it's only a hand here or there because they edit the shit out of it for TV.

2) I feel bad for Phil Helmuth. This WSOP he got THREE 2nd places, all in non-hold'em events, and it just seems that the poker gods don't want people to know that he's not just a NLHE player. This event he was up something like 16M to 2M chips when it was down to 2 players, and he lost 3 huge flush draws in a row, and he ends up the bridemaid again. Just sucks for him. I know he bitches a lot, but I still think he's one of the best all-time poker players out there. You can't not be one of the best when you hold the record for most WSOP bracelets, most WSOP cashes, and most WSOP final tables. He's a fuckin machine, and probably the best overall TOURNAMENT poker player out there.

[Trann]

Yeah, I watched it just to see the PH collapse. I read about him pushing on all those draws and not catching a single one. Granted, they were draws but still, I felt bad for the guy, too.

No so much for you, though: be sure to fatten up that wallet before tomorrow night.

[SniperD5]

No worries about me, I'll be playing your PS3 about 45 minutes into the tourney. Make sure to have Portal II ready for me to conitnue where I left off last time.

I can make my money in the cash game as per usual at your place.

[Trann]

PS3 will be humming. Kids are looking forward to it.

Though we have a Bomber game to observe, too.

[Quads]

bad+ly

[SniperD5]

2) I feel bad for Phil Helmuth.

bad+ly

If this is what you're referring to, then you are mistaken:

linky (http://www.drgrammar.org/frequently-asked-questions#20)

Bad or Badly?
We use bad (an adjective) with linking verbs such as is, seems, feels, looks, or appears.
Example: "I feel bad that I missed the concert."
We use the adverb badly with action verbs.
Example: "He smells badly." This sentence means he can't detect the smell of his girlfriend's perfume, but "He smells bad" means he needs to shower and use deodorant.



If you meant something else, please explain.

[Shadow]

I agree on all counts. I watched in on DVR last night. I didn't know who won in advance and was rooting for Phil. He pretty much dominated that final table. He had luck like me in that event - none. Not catching any of those huge draws is exactly my M.O. I am not a fan of the way he acts, but I hope it's mostly for TV.

I also hate the fact that they change the final table to all NLHE. Bullshit. It took 8 different games to get there, it should take 8 games to get the bracelet. And like the OP, I want to see other games, not just HE.

[timsta007]

While from a poker player's perspective, I agree with you guys about the format of the event and they shouldn't change to NLHE for the final table. However, from a business perspective, it just doesn't work to televise a limit game. To the average watcher it is boring, and boring doesn't get good ratings, and doesn't make money. It sucks, but you can't ask a network to televise something that won't make them money.

Personally, I think they should keep the format the same through the final table, and if it doesn't work for TV, don't televise it. The problem is that now, with so many people playing poker, getting great final table with lots of established pro players that have previously had publicity on TV is just too lucrative to the TV stations not to televise it. Sucks, but that's the way it goes.

[SniperD5]

I completely understand that, but I also think that there is a bit of room for televised poker to be aimed at real poker players. When they were airing the "live" WSOP Main event top 27 (or however many it was), they weren't showing hole cards unless the hand went to the flop. When they got down to 10, only around 10% of the hands made it to a flop, and they also showed ALL hands, not just the big ones for TV. They didn't need to use up around 12 hours of TV time to air this, especially since the average viewer doesn't want to see hours of "Raise, fold around, three bet, fold, no flop = no hole cards, etc". That's what it was for so many hours, but as a "real" poker player (pretty sure you all know what I mean here), I enjoyed watching it, because it showed how much strategy there was in just stealing blinds, picking your spots, making the odd three bet, etc.

The $50k poker players championship is the "main event" for the pros, and it's a tournament designed for real poker players, so they should air it for real poker players and not change it for media. I think it's a cop out by the WSOP to change it to NLHE just so they can get better ratings. Fuck that, the players earned their spot at the final table by playing a week of solid mixed games, let them finish it right, and give the real fans something different than the same old boring bullshit that is televised NLHE.

/rant

[Wedge Rock]

They could make the FT all the games and only air the hold'em with a sprinkling of big pots in other games.

Show it for what it is, don't dumb it down for the masses. Its poker, why are you cow-towing to non-poker players?

[Quads]

If you meant something else, please explain.

My bad. :(

[2_hotty]

Show it for what it is, don't dumb it down for the masses. Its poker, why are you cow-towing to non-poker players?

Because if it was just poker players that watched it, it would be off the air.

I don't mind the format that much really. Its not like the introduce a whole new game just for the final table.

Also, I don't feel bad for Helmuth at all. Fuck that guy. I laughed when he lost. He's a dick at the table, and I root for him to lose every time he's on. He still won over a million for that 2nd place. The way he played that 8,2 hand was terrible. Shoving for 8 mill into a 500k bet with an 8 high flush draw?? Brilliant.

[Quads]

Also, I don't feel bad for Helmuth at all. Fuck that guy. I laughed when he lost. He's a dick at the table, and I root for him to lose every time he's on. He still won over a million for that 2nd place. The way he played that 8,2 hand was terrible. Shoving for 8 mill into a 500k bet with an 8 high flush draw?? Brilliant.

X Elevendy Trillion

[dolson42]

While from a poker player's perspective, I agree with you guys about the format of the event and they shouldn't change to NLHE for the final table. However, from a business perspective, it just doesn't work to televise a limit game. To the average watcher it is boring, and boring doesn't get good ratings, and doesn't make money. It sucks, but you can't ask a network to televise something that won't make them money.

Personally, I think they should keep the format the same through the final table, and if it doesn't work for TV, don't televise it. The problem is that now, with so many people playing poker, getting great final table with lots of established pro players that have previously had publicity on TV is just too lucrative to the TV stations not to televise it. Sucks, but that's the way it goes.

Even from a business perspective - the blinds at this level (day 5) are going to be high enough that even the limit games are going to have some fireworks.

[timsta007]

Even from a business perspective - the blinds at this level (day 5) are going to be high enough that even the limit games are going to have some fireworks.

It's not about action or all-ins. It's about the agerage joe's ability to understand the game, the strategy, and for it to hold his attention. Even with chips flying, too many people are changing the channel when any of the 7-stud variation games are on (which is 60% of the time). Plus limit is boring unless you really understand the finer points of strategy, even for holdem.