In another new feature for the BBO blog, I will be writing a monthly recap on some of the key happenings in the world of poker. I hope for these articles to be a one stop shop for poker fans looking for a concise recap each month.
Shulman Consulting the Poker Brat
Poker Brat Now Poker Coach
November Nine participant Jeff Shulman has brought Phil Hellmuth into the fold as a poker coach and adviser to help his preparation for the main event final table. No matter what you think of Hellmuth (I’m personally a big fan) having the most accomplished player in WSOP history in your ear can do nothing but help your cause (and Shulman’s a very talented player in his own right).
Already entering November’s final table as the antagonist, this news may ensure that few people outside of Shulman’s friends and family will be cheering for him come November 7th at the Rio (of course I’ll be rooting for him, as I can’t help but root for the guys wearing the proverbial black hat).
World Series of Poker Europe Underway
Two Bracelets for Kelly in 2009 with WSOPE Victory
Two events in, J.P. Kelly and Erik Cajelais now own freshly minted bracelets after winning the opening events of this year’s World Series of Poker Europe.
In the opening event of this year’s WSOPE, Kelly took home his second bracelet of 2009 and his career in the 1,000 pound no-limit hold ‘em event (he also won the 2009 $2,000 pot limit hold ‘em event in Las Vegas). The first British winner of a WSOPE event, Kelly further establishes himself as a hot name in poker circles and someone to be feared should you be seated at his table.
Respected as a formidable pro player, Cajelais’s first major tournament win in the 2,500 pound pot limit hold ‘em/pot limit Omaha event propels his career to a new level after falling just short at WSOP and WPT events in 2007.
2009 Nominees for Poker Hall of Fame Announced
Will Ivey Be Its Newest Member?
Nine of poker’s all time best players have been nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame and they are Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, “Action” Dan Harrington, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, and World Poker Tour co-host (along with accomplished poker player) Mike Sexton.
The 15 living Hall of Fame members and 15 poker journalists will vote on this year’s group of nominees, with a candidate needing to receive 75 percent of the vote to receive induction (with 1-2 players typically nominated each year).
Even in his young age (he would the youngest ever living Hall of Fame inductee by close to seven years) I believe Phil Ivey to be a very good bet to be chosen from this elite group of players with the other possible selection a toss up between Harrington (the most decorated WSOP main event player in history), Greenstein (a feared and accomplished tournament and cash game player), and Scotty Nguyen (winner of both the WSOP main event and the pro’s main event, the 2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. title).
Card Player Magazine Player of the Year Standings-Top 5
- Yevgeniy Timoshenko
- Eric Baldwin
- Vitaly Lunkin
- Cornal Andrew Cimpan
- Angel Guillen
Improving and Advancing Poker-Part Two
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009In the first part of this feature, I focused on ways to improve poker coverage. In this part, I will look more in the specifics of involving the viewer in a number of direct and indirect ways.
Enlighten the Viewers
An Appropriate Sponsor for the Wild Card Hand with its Wild Card Taste
One negative side effect from the invention of the hole card cam has been exposing the mystery of what players held and the subsequent analysis of figuring out the methods of the players.
An excellent new feature from ESPN’s broadcasts of this year’s World Series of Poker has been the mystery hand for viewers to predict what the showcase player held based on the events of a hand (though it can be painful to watch Norman Chad attempting to make funnies).
Viewers have seen the strategy behind Doyle Brunson showing off his poker instincts in picking off a bluffer with a small pair and Greg Raymer attempting to rake in a big pot with a made hand while being able to play along with them not knowing their hole cards.
More Tournaments Specifically Involving the Viewers
Amateur Vs. Pros A Great Concept for Me
A major reason for the poker boom were fans witnessing an amateur player like themselves in Chris Moneymaker taking home the main event title. If an accountant from Tennessee can win major money, why not the average fan?
Though the main event is a once a year event with a significant investment needed to buy-in (though most amateurs win satellite events that cost a fraction of the normal $10,000 price), I believe there is a market for events that feature amateur players and amateur players facing off against poker’s biggest names.
NBC and Full Tilt Poker recently created the Face the Ace series that combines elements of a game show with heads up poker. Online qualifiers square off against professional players in the Full Tilt family, with the chance to win $1,000,000 if they can defeat all three designated pros.
In past years Ultimate Bet hosted a made for television tournament (airing on Fox Sports Net) that featured the winners of online events to qualify for the television event and a $250,000 final table of the six winners of the preliminary events. Though this event did not draw enough interest to be renewed, I feel that a similar undertaking by the dominant media forces in poker like ESPN or NBC could succeed (especially if it receives any of the same promotion as ESPN’s airing of WSOP events).
With poker needing a boost thanks to interest in America having leveled of, combining two of America’s favorite things, money and television exposure, could possibly propel poker for a second (though likely not as significant) poker boom.
More WSOP and WPT Tie-Ins
Spread the Word of WPT with More People
The World Series of Poker spread their brand in the past few years with circuit events, but I think both major American poker bodies can do a better job of linking their name with the average poker player (especially in casinos).
Many local tournaments offer WSOP and WPT tournament spots as grand prizes. If these tournaments were to be sponsored/aided by the WSOP or WPT, participants in the tournaments and even fans in general may feel more of a connection to these events and in turn be more likely to tune in and see the final table broadcasts.
With fields in poker tournaments having stagnated, offering more spots in the field (which will increase prize money) and working with casinos across the country makes more marketing sense then selling any item that a WSOP or WPT logo can fit on.
Tags: Face the Ace, Jack Links Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker
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