WSOP November Nine to Feature More Technology, Smaller Crowds
Coming up this Sunday is the resumption of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. The November Nine will become three on Sunday afternoon from the Rio’s Penn and Teller Theater and according to Communications Director Seth Palansky, fans can expect an increase in technology and a decrease in the number of spectators. The event will be streamed on a 15-minute delay on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com.
The pace of play should increase, as without the need to produce the November Nine festivities, tape changes and other television downtime should be diminished. Palansky explained, “From an audience perspective, you’ll feel much more engaged because they should be dealing cards throughout. We have breaks after every level and a dinner break on Sunday, but you won’t have as much of a lull as you’re used to having.”
Also making an appearance this year for those in attendance are stat-tracker graphics showing players’ stack size and bets. In the past, this information was periodically beamed onto massive projection screens in the theater, but this year, it will be more heavily integrated. There will also be a video produced for what Palansky called the November Nine’s “opening ceremonies” that will introduce spectators to each contestant.
In July, coverage of the WSOP Main Event aired on a 30-minute delay. This time around, that time period is slashed to 15 minutes, pushing the envelope for live poker. Palansky echoed, “We think the November Nine far eclipses anything else on the poker calendar in terms of being a spectacle and an event, so if there’s an event to air nearly live, this would be it. From an integrity standpoint, it has an equal effect on everyone. Everyone has access to the same information.”
Interestingly, PocketFives learned that the plan all along was not to air the November Nine on a 15-minute delay. However, after impressive ratings and positive feedback in July, the decision was made to devote a considerable number of hours to the Main Event’s conclusion this month, all on a 15-minute delay.
“It definitely was not the plan,” Palansky told PocketFives this week. “But coming off the summer and seeing what was transpiring with the taped shows, it was something that ESPN pushed for and we supported. Poker is a great mind game and a live environment really allows you to see that. There’s some criticism because the non-poker community doesn’t understand what’s going on since the hole cards aren’t shown until the end, so it can be off-putting to them. A poker aficionado, however, looks at it and plays along.”
In 2010, the November Nine weekend was paused when two players remained for a one-day break. This year, the cards will stop flying when three players are left standing. On the rationale for the change, Palansky remarked, “The TV folks like to ensure that there will be some suspense or drama. ESPN has given us the window on their biggest network in primetime and they want to make sure there’s something to show. With three people, it changes things enough.”
Last year, heads-up play between Jonathan Duhamel (pictured) and John $JMONEY$Racener lasted about 90 minutes. This year, a smaller crowd may be on-hand to witness our next champion since fans can simply relax on their couches and watch the final table from home. By the same token, fewer members of the media may make their way to Sin City. Here’s the schedule:
Sunday, November 6th at 3:30pm ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
The final nine players will be trimmed to three
Tuesday, November 8th at 9:00pm ET on ESPN and ESPN3.com
The final three players will battle down to a winner
We’ve heard several industry insiders say that the dearth of poker sponsors may lead to more near-real-time broadcasts like the one this weekend. “It’s too soon to tell what the future of poker on TV will be,” Palansky admitted. “I don’t think live poker for any event at any time works, but for final tables, there’s an argument to be made. We’re doing the $1 million buy-in event at the 2012 WSOP and that seems like a pretty cool event that will only have a couple of tables. It might be a good candidate to air in a live format.”
Palansky added that the packaged, or more traditional, shows can be easily replayed on ESPN’s family of networks, which is vital for the WSOP’s brand. Needless to say, the future of poker tournaments on television is very much up in the air.
Read more about the 2011 WSOP November Nine.
