Helping Hands

I have been keeping up with the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event coverage on ESPN. I never watch them live, only picking them up on YouTube later -- much better without the commercials.

They’ve been rolling out a couple of episodes every Sunday, having gotten through eight so far. The last one this week finished partway through Day 6 with 51 players remaining.

I marvel at how good Lon McEachern and Norman Chad continue to be with their commentary. They do especially well pitching things in such a way that different kinds of viewers -- from the most casual fans to hardcore strategy-nerds -- can find something to focus on and enjoy. They work in plenty of grins, too, and I find myself genuinely laughing out loud a couple of times per hour either at the more overt jokes or sly “inside baseball” references occasionally snuck into the proceedings.

The first episode this week (Episode 7) began with the start of Day 6 and an interesting situation involving the player Jason McConnon. Returning to a about 25 big blinds, McConnon had brought to the feature table a “cheat sheet” ostensibly offering guidance for when to push or fold a short stack with certain hands in certain spots. You know, kind of a helping hand (pun intended).

Kenny Hallaert was sitting to McConnon’s left and mentioned to McConnon before they started how he wouldn’t be able to use the sheets during a hand. (Hallaert, who went on to make the November Nine, is a tournament director himself, likely to know something about the issue.) Then during the very first hand McConnon picked up ace-queen offsuit and pulled out the sheets to take a look. That led to a visit to the table by Tournament Director Jack Effel and a ruling that McConnon had to put his notes away while playing his hand.

There’s an article over on PokerNews today reviewing the situation and highlighting some of the WSOP’s rules that are pertinent. It actually sounds like a bit of a judgment call, though just stepping back from this particular situation I prefer players not using notes or other helpers during hands. On the broadcast Norman Chad offers a similar take as a humorous rant (made even funnier when his teleprompter “fails” him as he’s trying to finish).

The situation reminds a little of my teaching days when it did happen (rarely, but now and then) that I’d catch students trying to cheat in various ways. I’m vaguely recalling a little joke I’d make whenever passing out exams. I’d say something like, “Put your books away -- all you need is a pencil... and your brain.”

Back when I was teaching full-time, I didn’t have to deal with students being constantly online with smartphones and/or laptops, of course. Now that’s become part of the reality of the classroom, greatly affecting many instructors’ approaches to teaching and testing -- changing the pedagogical “game,” so to speak.

Some teachers ask students to put away all their electronics, kind of reverting back to a more “primitive” or even exotic-seeming situation of just simply talking to one another, perhaps with a book open and a pen and pad nearby for note-taking. I’d kind of like poker to be played that way, too -- with the phones and iPads put away and players interacting minus such interference.

But that’s not our world anymore, so I understand as well those who wouldn’t want to play that way.

Image: “110725-G-EM820-800,” US Coast Guard Academy. Public domain.

2014 WSOP Main Event Final Table Hole Cards (Complete)

As I did in 2012 and 2013, I’ve once more gone through the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event to chronicle all of the hole cards shown during ESPN’s broadcast. Unlike in the past, you can find this year’s list over on PokerNews in a handy table form with the added bonus of links to each of the hand reports. I have also added the players’ positions, something I didn’t do in past years.

Here it is: “Complete List of All Hole Cards Shown During the 2014 WSOP Main Event Final Table.”

This year ESPN handled the hole card thing a little differently, although some may not have realized it. In the past they’d only show hole cards after a hand completed, and only of the players who were still in the pot at the very end. This time they’d show cards whenever a player entered a pot voluntarily from the start of the hand.

Thus there was no guesswork when watching the hands regarding what cards players held, which changed the nature of the commentary quite a bit. I saw a lot of divisive commentary on Twitter on Monday and Tuesday nights about Antonio Esfandiari’s analyses. While I only listened to it in bits and pieces as I gathered hands today, I’m gonna say he, Lon McEachern, and Norman Chad all acquitted themselves just fine once again on that front -- a very challenging task, really.

While there could be errors in my list -- there were 328 hands all told -- I think it’s likely more accurate than my lists from the past two years, in part because I was able to use both my DVR recording and some backup from WatchESPN online to help with a few hands my recording didn’t catch. If you can believe it, I actually used an old school VCR before, which made putting the list together a lot more taxing.

Anyhow, I hope the list will be of use to some looking to analyze more deeply the play at the 2014 WSOP ME final table. Excuse me now if I step away from the keyboard for a while, as my fingers are tired and brain is a big bowl of mush at the moment.

2013 WSOP Main Event Final Table Hole Cards (Complete)

“We had a technical error,” explained Lon McEachern somewhere around 2:30 a.m. my time, Tuesday morning, as the final table of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event continued six-handed.

McEachern was explaining how on the previous hand -- one on which a short-stacked Amir Lehavot had shoved all in and gotten no callers -- the graphics showing players’ cards afterwards had incorrectly displayed what Lehavot and Sylvain Loosli (who folded the big blind) had (Hand #150). McEachern paused a moment, then added one last comment regarding the error before moving on.

“For those keeping logs at home.”

Ha. What kind of maniac does something like that? Keep logs of poker hands off of a television show. Nuts!

Not going to preface this with too much more other than to say after making a similar post last year chronicling all of the hole cards from the marathon 2012 WSOP Main Event final table, I hadn’t really intended to do so again but somehow here we are.

As those who watched the show know, ESPN displayed hole cards after each hand of the players who were still involved, which this year always meant only two players’ hands were shown.

They missed a few more hands this time than they did last year, both because of the occasional “technical error” and a few instances of not getting back to a hand quickly enough after a commercial break or simply not picking up the hole cards. In those cases you’ll see below an “X” representing cards that were not shown.

Like last year, I’m following the hand numbering from PokerNews’ live reporting. The winner of the hand is listed first. And of course, any mistakes in the transcribing here are all mine.

2013 WSOP MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE: DAY ONE

Level 35
1. Lehavot 7h 5h, Benefield Kh 4d
2. McLaughlin Ah Ad, Tran Ks 7s
3. Benefield Ac 6c, Loosli 9s 2s
4. Tran Qd X, Brummelhuis Js 4d
5. Newhouse Qs Qc, McLaughlin Ks Kc
6. Riess Ah Jc, Tran As 2h
7. Lehavot Ks Kh, Newhouse Ah Qc
8. McLaughlin 5s 5h, Newhouse Qh 10d
9. Farber Kh Qs, Tran As 9d
10. Riess 8s 8h, McLaughlin 7d 7c
11. Tran Js 10d, Farber 7h 6c
12. Benefield Ks 9s, Loosli Kd Jh
13. Brummelhuis As Ac, Benefield 10h 10d

Level 36
14. Benefield Ah Ks, Riess Ad Qh
15. Tran 10c 9c, Riess Qc 10h
16. Lehavot Ac 3c, Brummelhuis As 10h
17. Farber Ad Kd, McLaughlin 9c 2c
18. Loosli Ah 8c, Tran Jh 10s
19. Tran Kd 7d, McLaughlin Ad 9c
20. Loosli Ah Ks, Farber Jh 3h
21. McLaughlin Ah 10d, Loosli Ks 10d
22. Loosli Ah Ks, Lehavot Ad 2d
23. McLaughlin 7h 7d, Newhouse 6h 5c
24. Benefield Ah Qd, Lehavot 6h 6d
25. Farber Ks Kh, Tran Jc 10d
26. Tran Ks Qh, McLaughlin Ac Qc
27. Farber Ah Qh, Tran Ac 2h
28. Loosli Jh Jc, Benefield 4d 3h
29. McLaughlin Ks Jh, Lehavot Ah Kc
30. Lehavot Qs Jd, Loosli 9h 6s
31. Tran Ad Qh, McLaughlin Ah 10d
32. Loosli As Ad, Newhouse Jd 9h
33. Tran Ah 10d, Riess Ks 5h
34. Tran Kc Jc, Lehavot 10c 7d
35. Riess Ah Qc, McLaughlin Ks 10s
*36. Riess As Kh, Newhouse 9s 9c
37. Farber Ac Qs, Benefield 6s X
*38. Farber Ac Kd, Benefield Ks 2s
39. Loosli X X, Farber X X
40. Brummelhuis Ad 7c, Tran Qh 6c
41. Lehavot Kd Kc, Loosli 8c 7h
42. Farber 9h 8h, Lehavot 8c 2s
43. Lehavot Qs Qd, Brummelhuis Ac 3d
44. Riess Ah Qc, Tran Ad Qd (split pot)
45. Riess Ac Ks, McLaughlin Ah 10c
46. Riess As Jd, Loosli Qh Js
47. Riess 4s 4h, Brummelhuis Qh Jh
48. Tran Ah 8d, Riess 10h 4d
49. Farber 9d 8h, Lehavot 5h 4h
50. Lehavot 9c 7d, McLaughlin Qs 7h
51. McLaughlin Ks 2c, Tran Qh 2h
52. Farber X X, McLaughlin X X
53. Brummelhuis 9h 9d, Riess Ad Qd
54. Loosli Kh Qh, Tran Qs 5c
*55. Riess Ac Ah, Brummelhuis 9d 9c
56. Loosli Ks Kh, Tran Kc 10s
57. Farber As 5h, McLaughlin Kc 5d
58. Loosli 6s 6c, McLaughlin Kc Js
59. McLaughlin Ac Qd, Riess Ad Jc

Level 37
60. Lehavot As Kd, Loosli Ac 5d
61. Tran Jd 4d, Riess Qh 6d
62. Riess Kh 10h, Loosli 6s 5h
63. Riess X X, McLaughlin X X
64. McLaughlin 10c 6c, Lehavot Ah 9s
65. Loosli X X, Farber Jd 9c
66. Tran Jd 5c, Loosli Kc 7h
67. Riess Ac Kc, Farber 9d 8c
68. Riess 10s 10d, Tran As 4d
69. Farber Qs Jh, McLaughlin Ac Kc
70. Loosli As Js, McLaughlin 4h 4s
71. Tran Qs Jd, McLaughlin 10d 6s
72. Lehavot Ah 7h, Tran Qd 10s
73. Loosli Kh Kc, Tran Ah 5c
74. McLaughlin Ac 10h, Lehavot 7h 6s
75. Lehavot 5h 3h, McLaughlin X X
76. McLaughlin As 3h, Tran Qh 10d
77. McLaughlin 8d 7h, Riess 4s 4h
78. Farber Ad 5d, Lehavot 7d 7c
79. Loosli Kc Qh, Farber Kd Qd
80. Loosli 3s 3h, McLaughlin Ah Kd
81. Farber Qc Jc, McLaughlin X X
82. Lehavot Ah 5s, Tran 8h 4h
83. Lehavot Ah Ad, Farber 8h 6c
84. Tran Kh 2s, Loosli Qc 5c
85. Riess Jd 2h, Loosli Qh 5h
86. Riess As Ad, Lehavot Ah 8c
87. Farber Ad Qd, Lehavot Kd Jc
88. Farber 4h 4c, Tran 10c 3s
89. Loosli Kh 10d, Farber 5c 4h
90. McLaughlin Ac Qd, Loosli 7h 4c
91. Riess Ks 6s, Loosli Kd Js
92. McLaughlin 10s 7s, Lehavot 4c 2s
93. McLaughlin X X, Lehavot Qd 4h
94. Riess Ah 7s, Tran Jd 9s
95. Tran Kd 3c, Lehavot Qc 10s
96. Lehavot Qh Js, Loosli Kc 8d
97. Riess Ac 10s, Lehavot 6d 2d
98. Farber Kd Jd, Tran Qs Js
99. McLaughlin 3d 3h, Lehavot 9c 2c
100. Riess 3h 3c, Farber Kh 10s
101. McLaughlin Kd 6d, Loosli As 5c
102. Lehavot Js 10d, Loosli As 5c
103. Farber 9h 7s, Riess 7h 4h
104. Riess Ac Qs, Loosli 10d 9h
105. Farber 10s 10h, Loosli Kh 2h
106. Farber 4s 4c, Tran Kd Js
107. Farber 6s 6d, Tran Ac Qd

Level 38
108. Tran Ah Kh, Loosli Qs 5d
109. Tran Kd Jh, Farber 6d 6c
110. Tran Kh Qc, Loosli 9s 9c
111. Lehavot Kh 5c, McLaughlin Jd 9h
112. Loosli Ad 2d, Tran Ac 6s
113. McLaughlin Ah Kh, Tran Ad 7s
114. McLaughlin Ac 4d, Loosli Jc 9d
115. Loosli Ac Qs, McLaughlin Ah 4h
116. Riess Jh Jd, McLaughlin 10c 9c
117. Lehavot Qs 9h, McLaughlin 3c 2s
118. Lehavot 8d 8c, Riess Kd Jc
119. Riess 3s 3d, Farber 8c 5s
120. Loosli Ks 7d, Farber 8s 2s
121. McLaughlin Ad 9c, Riess Ks Jc
122. Farber 5c 4c, Lehavot 7d 2s
123. Tran Ad Jh, McLaughlin Js 8h
124. McLaughlin Jd 8h, Tran Jc 3h
125. Riess As 10d, Farber Qd Js
126. Farber Kd Kh, Tran Ah 6h
127. McLaughlin Ac Kd, Riess As 10d
128. Lehavot As 3d, Riess Jd 4h
129. Lehavot Kc 8s, McLaughlin 7c 6d
130. Loosli Qs Qd, Farber Ac 7c
131. McLaughlin Ah Jc, Farber 4s 3d
132. Tran Ac 5d, Loosli Ks 8c
133. Loosli Kd Kc, Farber Ah 4h
134. Riess 5d 4h, Lehavot Jc 8s
135. McLaughlin X X, Lehavot 10s 5d
136. Tran Ad 3d, McLaughlin Qs 10s
137. McLaughlin Qh Js, Loosli 10d 4c
138. McLaughlin Ad Jc, Loosli 10d 9c
139. McLaughlin Qh Jh, Riess 8c 8s
140. Farber Qd 8d, Lehavot Qc 10h
141. McLaughlin 9s 7s, Loosli 8h 6h
142. Tran Js 7h, McLaughlin Qs 3h
143. Lehavot Ac Qh, Farber Kc 7d
144. Tran Qd Jd, Loosli X X
145. Riess Qc 6c, Loosli 10h 2c
146. Loosli Kd 3d, Lehavot 10d 8c
147. Loosli As 9c, McLaughlin 9s 4h
148. McLaughlin 5h 4h, Tran 10d 9h
149. Farber X X, Tran Qc Js
150. Lehavot X X, Loosli X X
151. Riess Ks 10d, Farber Ac 2c
152. McLaughlin Ad 4d, Lehavot Qh 7s
153. McLaughlin X X, Lehavot 8c 7h
154. Tran Kd 8d, McLaughlin 4d 2h
155. Farber As 10d, McLaughlin 9d 8h
156. McLaughlin Ks Qc, Loosli 9c 7d
*157. Farber As Ah, McLaughlin Ks Kc
158. Riess Ac 8s, Lehavot Kc 7s
159. Lehavot Ks Qs, Farber Kc 4c
160. Riess Qs X, Farber 7s 4s
*161. Farber Ks Qh, Tran Ah 7s
162. Lehavot X X, Riess X X
163. Farber Ks Jh, Lehavot Qs 5c
164. Lehavot Js Jd, Riess Ac 6s
165. Riess Jc X, Loosli 3h 2d
166. Riess Kd 5s, Loosli 10s 4d

Level 39
167. Farber Ac 9d, Lehavot Jh 9h
168. Farber 9d 4c, Lehavot Qh 2c
169. Loosli Js 4c, Farber 8s 5s
*170. Riess Ac 10h, Loosli Qh 7c
*171. Riess 10c 10d, Lehavot 7s 7d

2013 WSOP MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE: DAY TWO

172. Riess Kd Qd, Farber 9d 3s
173. Farber Ac Qd, Riess 10c 2h
174. Riess Kh 10s, Farber As 8d
175. Farber Kd 5s, Riess 10s 7h
176. Riess Kd Jh, Farber 5h 2s
177. Farber Kh Qs, Riess 10c 6c
178. Riess Js 3h, Farber Kh 9c
179. Farber Kc 9h, Riess Jc 3h
180. Farber Kd 7c, Riess Qh 4s
181. Farber 9d 6d, Riess 9c 2h
182. Riess Js Jd, Farber 10h 9d
183. Farber Qs 3h, Riess 7h 3c
184. Riess 6s 4c, Farber Qh 2s
185. Riess Qd Qc, Farber Ad 8s
186. Farber Ad 9h, Riess Kh Qs
187. Riess 7s 6d, Farber Qc 3s
188. Riess Kh 9h, Farber 7c 2d
189. Farber 6s 3c, Riess Jh 7d
190. Riess 7h 4s, Farber Jc 5s
191. Riess Ah Ks, Farber 7c 4c
192. Farber Ah Qd, Riess 5s 2c
193. Riess 7s 6c, Farber Jh 7c
194. Farber Ah 7h, Riess Ks 6h
195. Farber 6d 5h, Riess Qh 7s
196. Riess Ah 3s, Farber 10c 8h
197. Farber As 2c, Riess Qh 3c
198. Riess X X, Farber X X
199. Riess 5s 2h, Farber Jd 4c
200. Riess 6c 5d, Farber Kd 6s
201. Farber Qc 10h, Riess 7s 6c
202. Riess 4h 4d, Farber Qd 3d
203. Riess Kd 2d, Karber Ks 2c
204. Riess Jh Jc, Farber Ac 4h
205. Farber Kh 10c, Riess Qc 8c
206. Farber Ad 3h, Riess Qs 10c
207. Riess Kc 6h, Farber Ks 8d
208. Farber 9c 2d, Riess Ks 6s
209. Riess 10c 5h, Farber 9s 8s
210. Farber As 7d, Riess Qd 6c
211. Riess 9d 8d, Farber 4d 2h
212. Riess Kd 6c, Farber 9h 3s
213. Riess Qh Jd, Farber 8s 3h
214. Riess 10d 8s, Farber 10c 8c
215. Riess 7s 3d, Farber Js 10s
216. Farber Ac Jd, Riess Ks 2d
217. Farber 5h 4d, Riess Kh 8h
218. Farber Ks Kh, Riess Jc 2d
219. Riess Kd 3h, Farber Jd 9d
220. Riess Ac Jd, Farber 5s 5h
221. Riess 8d 2d, Farber Jc 9h
222. Farber 10c 4c, Riess 6c 2h
223. Riess 3d 2d, Farber X X
224. Riess Ad Qs, Farber Kd 2s
225. Riess Ac 6d, Farber 9s 9h
226. Riess 10h 9d, Farber Js 5s
227. Riess Qs Qh, Farber 9d 2s
228. Riess 5c 3s, Farber Qs 5d
229. Farber Jc 10s, Riess Ks 10h

Level 40
230. Farber Kc Jd, Riess 9c 6c
231. Riess 4h 3h, Farber Ad 8c
232. Farber 4c 3c, Riess Qd 2c
233. Farber 7d 4d, Riess Kd Qs
234. Farber 9c 7c, Riess Qs Jc
235. Farber 3s 3h, Riess 4c 2c
236. Farber X X, Riess X X
237. Riess Ah 7s, Farber 8c 4h
238. Riess 8h 2h, Farber 9h 8d
239. Farber Qc 7c, Riess 9h 7h
240. Farber Ah 5c, Riess 9d 8d
241. Riess Ah 10d, Farber 6c 3s
242. Riess 8s 3s, Farber Qh 8c
243. Riess Qs 10c, Farber 8h 5c
244. Farber 5d 4d, Riess 6s 3d
245. Riess 8c 7d, Farber 10h 2c
246. Riess Ah 8d, Farber Jc 10d
247. Riess Kc Qs, Farber 6c 5d
248. Riess Js Jh, Farber Kc Jc
249. Riess 10d 5c, Farber 5h 3h
250. Farber Ac 9d, Riess 10h 3h
251. Farber Qs 6c, Riess 8s 7h
252. Riess As 3s, Farber 7h 2c
253. Farber Ah 10h, Riess 9h 5d
254. Riess 10d 9d, Farber Qh Jd
255. Riess Ks 9s, Farber 4s 3c
256. Riess Kh 7c, Farber 8c 4h
257. Riess Kh 5c, Farber 8s 5h
258. Farber Ac Kc, Riess 9h 7s
259. Farber Jd 9s, Riess Qs 4c
260. Riess Kd 7c, Farber 7d 4s
*261. Riess Ah Kh, Farber Qs 5s

*indicates elimination hand

No Need for Introductions

Listened in on the brief conference call today conducted by ESPN concerning next week’s WSOP Main Event final table. The call featured ESPN VP of Original Programming and Production Jamie Horowitz, commentators Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, and producer Dan Gotti of Poker PROductions fielding questions from what turned out to be just a small handful of reporters.

The call only lasted a little over 20 minutes, and really there wasn’t much in the way of news to come from it aside from a confirmation of the fact that the programs next week will again feature all Main Event final table hands shown on just a 15-minute delay. The procedure for showing hole cards will be the same as employed last year, with cards only shown after the hands conclude and only those players still involved at hand’s end having their cards revealed.

On Monday, November 4, the show will begin at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on ESPN2, which means cards are going in the air at 4:45 p.m. local time. They’ll play down from nine players to three and stop, then the last three players will return on Tuesday, November 5 with play resuming at 5:45 p.m. local time and the show getting underway at 6 p.m. Pacific/9 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Antonio Esfandiari will be providing analysis to assist McEachern and Chad, and Phil Hellmuth will be involved again, too, it sounds like.

That was about it, news-wise. There was some fun at the end of the call as reference was made to Chad’s WSOP final table from a year ago -- an event I had a chance to help cover -- as well as McEachern’s WSOP Circuit final table this week (he finished fourth in a WSOP-C prelim at Harveys Lake Tahoe).

“We’ve been trying to school the audience for years that it’s a game of skill,” complained Chad, joking that McEachern making a WSOP-C final table offered serious counter-evidence to that argument.

Earlier McEachern did make an interesting point about the effect of having a delayed final table and the whole “November Nine” format, something I’d been aware of but hadn’t thought too much about before.

He was responding to a question about players perhaps lacking personality and thus not being especially entertaining to watch. McEachern didn’t directly address that judgment, but did say that “a bonus” that has come from the delayed final table format is that it does, in fact, create conditions for the nine players to get to know one another during the intervening months, which can lead to more openness and interaction at the tables.

“The November Nine concept allows the players to spend a lot more time together,” said McEachern, noting how several who made it to the WSOP Europe in France were seen dining out or sight-seeing with each other. “So they get to know each other better, and I think that will help, as it were, ‘break the ice’ as we get to the final table.”

The shared experience of making the WSOP Main Event final table likely encourages a kind of bond, which in turn increases the chances that these guys are connecting during the nearly four-month delay. And while that may or may not translate into more table talk or entertaining-to-watch poker, I get what McEachern is saying.

For those of us for whom the poker will provide enough to keep us engaged, we aren’t worried so much about the players entertaining us in other ways. After all, if it goes nearly 400 hands like last year, it’s only reasonable to anticipate some down time.

2012 WSOP, Day 45: H.O.R.S.E. Play

Was another day off yesterday for your humble scribbler, the last I’ll have this summer.

I did follow what was happening at the WSOP yesterday during that Day “2a/2b” from which Gaelle Baumann of France emerged as the chip leader. Baumann did well in the Ladies event this summer, leading after Day 2 before ultimately finishing 14th. Seeing her as a front-runner in that event made me less surprised to see her at the top of the counts yesterday, but there’s a long way to go.

By the early evening, though, my attention had mostly turned to the $120 H.O.R.S.E. tourney over at the MGM. I’d thought about trying this one when I first arrived in Vegas three-plus weeks ago, but ended up skipping out on it. But this time I’d talked to my buds Mickey and Kevmath who both wanted to play, and PokerGrump said he’d probably come over to join in as well. We had also heard Norman Chad and Lon McEachern would be playing, too, all of which meant I couldn’t pass up the chance this time around.

Mickey, Kevmath, and I arrived early, spotting Chad and McEachern already there and chatting with a small circle of people near the front of the poker room. I’ve spoken with each before, although had never really introduced myself to either, and so took the opportunity to do so.

I spoke to McEachern first, and we talked about how the WSOP has gone thus far, including discussing the turnout for the Main Event and how each year the WSOP seems to find a way more or less to keep pace with the previous year. We also talked about Chad’s final table in Event No. 42, the $2,500 Omaha/8-Stud/8 tourney where he finished sixth. McEachern clearly got a kick out of following that one online as he’d yet to come to Vegas.

I then approached Chad. “You look familiar,” he said with a sidelong squint, and I explained to him how I’d been one of those hovering around the tables during Event No. 42 helping report on it all for PokerNews.

I told him how fun it was covering that event, and he agreed that playing with folks like Tom Schneider, Bryan Devonshire, and others helped make it so, kind of reiterating an idea he brought up in a Washington Post column a few weeks back titled “World Series of Poker: It’s time for civil behavior from the pokerati.” (My buddy Rich Ryan elaborated further on Chad’s argument in a PokerNews op-ed, “Norman Chad Whamboozled the Anti-Socialness of Poker.”)

Soon I was being recruited to take a picture of Chad, McEachern, and the group with whom they’d been talking, and Chad mentioned something about how I was playing the role of media again as I took the camera and snapped some shots. It wasn’t much longer after that we were all seated and the tourney began.

I drew a seat just to the left of PokerGrump and across the table from Kevmath. We began short-handed, then the seats filled to eight-handed, and we ultimately played nine-handed for much of the night.

I started fairly well, picking up pots in the hold’em and O/8 rounds including one Omaha hand in which I flopped quad kings and actually made a couple of bets. That put me above average early on, then Kevmath scooped an O/8 pot against me to put me back to the starting stack of 10,000. Made it to the first break (after five 20-minute levels) with 8,850.

During the break I chatted with Brian Ali, also playing in the tourney. Ali had won the WSOP Circuit event in Atlantic City that I’d help cover back in the spring of 2011, and so like Chad he, too, had a “you look familiar” moment with me once I’d introduced myself.

Ali had kind of run over that final table, knocking out nearly all of the opponents including a fellow named Jeff Frazier, and I told him how we reporters were all excited about the invitation to employ boxing metaphors. He said he loved all the reporting and of course the whole tourney was a great experience for him. Cool, friendly guy, and it was neat to take a few minutes to remember that week from a year-and-a-half ago with him.

Soon we were back at the tables. Ultimately they drew 64 players, which meant the top eight places paid and there was a cool $1,920 up top. The limits started to climb rapidly, and over the next few levels I let my stack dwindle until about 25 had busted. Finally a stud/8 hand arose in which I was all in by fourth street against four opponents, two of whom would be all in themselves by sixth.

I’d started [][] / , then picked up three low cards (including one club), meaning by the time seventh street was dealt I needed any club for a flush and was drawing to a 7-4-2-A low. But my last card was another deuce (not a club), and I think I was the only one of the five of us not to claim some share of the chips scattered all about the table in separate piles.

I played okay, I thought, although probably should’ve taken my chances a few times and played more hands, especially in the early rounds. Was definitely fun and different, and despite the fast-moving structure I still got to play three hours’ worth of poker without even coming close to the cash.

Bob had busted shortly before I did, and Mickey would shortly after, so we went over to the Stage Deli to grab sandwiches and visit for a while. I liked getting the chance to talk to Bob as he’s been out of town and we hadn’t been able to previously. As we ate, Kevmath DM’d me that he was down to three big bets and figured his exit to be imminent, and soon we were stepping back over to the poker room to see how he was doing.

By the time we’d gotten there, he’d run his stack back up to have average chips with 19 left. Bob would soon depart, but Mickey and I hung out to root Kevmath on and chat about various aspects of covering the WSOP.

When it comes to the PokerNews folks, me, Mickey, and Donnie Peters are pretty much the only ones left from 2008, the first year all three of us came to Vegas to help cover the WSOP for PN. In fact, I don’t think there’s anyone at all left from 2007, the first year PN covered the Series (when I did some behind-the-scenes stuff for them from home).

Kevmath finally busted in 14th, a few spots shy of the money, and the three of us walked back to the car continuing the conversation about coverage Mickey and I had begun.

As we drove back I thought about how fun the night had been, made more so by getting to hang out with all sorts of folks with whom I’ve shared a lot of this weird, fascinating poker-related journey over the past several years.

The journey continues today, as I get up from my seat and resume my usual role pacing around and between the tables, watching others try to build stacks and position themselves to make the money and perhaps a deep run in the 2012 WSOP Main Event.

Yesterday those making it through Days 1a and 1b all played together but separately, with 860 or so of them surviving to return for tomorrow’s Day 3. Today the 2,300 who made it out of Day 1c will be playing Day 2c, and I imagine something like 900 of them will still have chips after today’s five two-hour levels.

And from there more characters will emerge. And stories to tell.

Talkin’ WSOP on ESPN

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call conducted by the WSOP and ESPN in which the topic of discussion was the upcoming Main Event final table. Hard to believe that’ll finally be happening in a little over a week!

For a full write-up of the call (which lasted about 45 minutes), head to Betfair Poker where I’ve sorted out into topics most of the items that were discussed.

When my turn arose, I asked a couple of questions. The first was about the logo/patch situation. I mentioned in yesterday’s post how Full Tilt Poker has seven sponsored players among the November Nine, yet there is that WSOP rule regarding televised tables that limits sponsors to having just three players sport their logos.

I was curious about the issue because earlier in the week on “This Week in Poker” one of those seven players -- John Racener -- had indicated he was under the impression that all seven would be wearing Full Tilt patches. But Ty Stewart, VP of Harrah’s/WSOP, confirmed yesterday that the rule would certainly be enforced.

I noted yesterday how it seemed curious that even the players being sponsored by FTP didn’t know which three among them would be patched. On the same show, Victory Poker CEO Dan Fleyshman recognized Full Tilt Poker’s strategy here -- by not announcing early which three players will be representing the site, all seven players remain identified with Full Tilt Poker right up until the start of the final table.

I wonder, though, if this strategy might negatively affect the chances for the four players who will not be wearing FTP logos to score alternate deals?

I directed my second question to Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, the commentators for ESPN’s WSOP coverage. I asked them to talk about the fact that they’ve been doing this same gig for more than seven years now.

Since I didn’t cover that question over on Betfair, I thought I’d share their response here. McEachern was the first to answer.

“You know, honestly, as Norman has mentioned a number of times, it was his dream as a kid to sit around and watch people play poker,” McEachern cracked.

“That’s all of our dreams!” I said jokingly. “Yeah, exactly!” said McEachern with a laugh. Then came the real response.

“For myself,” said McEachern, “I was doing a lot of niche sports with ESPN for a number of years, and that was kind of my bailiwick to do some oddball sports. Baseball, football, basketball... that was all taken up. So when [the chance to cover the WSOP arose], I had the foothold. I was the only one at ESPN doing it.”

McEachern went on speak with humility about how the pair has yet to “screw it up” thus far, and in fact have “grown in the role” and gotten better as the years have passed.

This “right-place-right-time” theme was something Chad touched upon as well in his response.

“As far as the ‘poker boom’ goes and ESPN’s success with the World Series of Poker [is concerned], Lon and I are just passengers in the getaway car,” said Chad. “This all would have happened with or without us, and we just happened to be there and as Lon mentioned we haven’t screwed up.... We’ve somehow stayed there since it began in ’03, but it’s just happenstance. It was a piano falling out of the sky for me, and instead of crushing me it landed next to me. And I knew how to play the piano.”

I liked their responses, and especially Chad’s choice of metaphors. Made me think a lot about the good fortune I’ve enjoyed thus far writing about poker and the opportunities that have come my way. Also made me think a little about poker, too, and how luck so often plays an important role there.

Stewart then chimed in to add a few words of praise for McEachern and Chad, noting how in his opinion “their longevity is a testament to the fact that they’re the best and they’re true professionals.”

Stewart noted how he’d been with the WSOP for five years now, and how early on he “made the mistake” of checking out “Two Plus Two and some of those other crazy poker sites.” He saw how those sites do feature a lot of critical commentary on all things poker, but recognized that “people universally agree” that McEachern and Chad do a terrific job.

Of course, one doesn’t have to hunt around very long on Two Plus Two to find criticisms of ESPN and the commentators. But I think Stewart is basically right to point out that McEachern and Chad are liked by many, and on the whole do receive a lot more praise than censure. I know I am a fan of both, for sure.

Like I say, for more on the conference call, click on over to Betfair Poker.

Talking WSOP Main Event Final Table: ESPN Conference Call

Had a very enjoyable conversation with Jim McManus yesterday, whose new book, Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker, has finally come out this week. I wrote a little something about the book here last week. I’ve also been invited to review it for a couple of other places, and my interview of McManus will additionally be appearing on a website near you -- not this one -- in the not-too-distant future. (More on that to come!)

We talked a lot about the new book, as well poker writing in general. I had a list of questions and got through just about all of them, although I noticed afterwards one question had gone unasked. Since McManus is not only a person who has studied World Series of Poker history, but has helped write it and, in fact, is part of that history himself (having made the WSOP Main Event final table back in 2000), I had meant to ask him his thoughts regarding the current state of the WSOP Main Event, in particular his opinion on the delayed final table. But we’d gotten onto other things and that one fell through the cracks.

As it happened, around the time I was chatting with McManus, ESPN was having a conference call with the media to talk about the upcoming final table, which finally will be getting started in just a little over a week. George McNeilly, Senior Director of Corporate and Consumer Communications for ESPN, moderated the call, with Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, the WSOP show commentators, and Doug White, the Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions for ESPN, offering their thoughts and fielding the questions. I had a chance to listen to that call later on, thanks to our buds over at Pokerati.

Things began with McNeilly noting that there will be a live blog over on ESPN.com (kept by Andrew Feldman, I’m assuming), as well as a “poker pick’em” game with trivia questions about the final table. Chad noted early on that he was particularly focused on the storylines of Phil Ivey, Joe Cada (trying to become the youngest ME winner ever), and “the logger coming out of the woods,” Darvin Moon. Later on Chad would say the presence of these three players and their stories made this year’s FT the “most fascinating” for him “since we started doing it in 2003.” Later a reporter from The Washington Post tried to characterize these nine players as “one of the least charismatic groups you’ll ever see,” but both Chad and McEachern begged to differ.

The first questions concerned coaching -- it appears Jeff Shulman is the only one of the players thus far to have publicly acknowledged having hired a coach (Phil Hellmuth) -- and the effect of the delay. Then Stephen Murphy of Card Player asked an interesting question about that Phil Ivey hand aired earlier this week, the one in which Ivey mucked the winner at showdown.

“My first reaction was somehow something was wrong with the tape,” said Chad, who called it “a stunning thing to see.” McEachern added that Ivey’s gaffe proved “this [kind of mistake] does happen even to the best, because the grind tests every fiber of a player’s mind and spirit.” They added that as far as they knew, Ivey may not have known he had made the mistake until the show aired this week. Would they ask him about it? Of course, said Chad, who guessed that Ivey would probably say “‘Thank goodness it didn’t happen in the Big Game.’”

Midway through the call they took a break to give summaries of all nine players. One interesting point made by Chad was the fact that of these nine, there are three players in their 20s, three in their 30s, and three in their 40s and 50s. McEachern said he favors Eric Buchman to win it all, and Chad said he thought Moon would not bully the table with his big stack but instead play it conservatively so as to guarantee himself a finish in the top four or five.

Dan Cypra of Poker News Daily asked about the pros and cons of a Moon victory, as well as that of an Ivey win. McEachern said there was “a huge upside for both players winning,” speaking particularly of a Moneymaker-like effect should Moon take it down. “The stuff of storybooks,” said Chad of a possible Moon victory, sort of echoing himself from earlier ESPN broadcasts. Near the end of the call, they talked a bit more about Moon and the fact that he has yet to accept any sponsorship deals. Chad suspects he will ultimately take a one-day deal and be wearing a logo of some sort at the FT, though thinks it would be cool if he didn’t.

Gary Trask of Casino City Media asked about the production of the final table and whether ESPN had learned anything from last year. “We heard our fans loud and clear,” said Doug White, adding that they were “hoping to show a little bit more of heads-up play” this time around. Along those lines, we also heard reports yesterday -- not in the conference call, but elsewhere -- that ESPN Senior Producer Jamie Horowitz is saying that ESPN is reserving the possibility of extending its programming on Tuesday night (November 10) beyond the scheduled two hours so as to show more of heads-up play.

Answering another question, White said he did think the ratings for this year’s final table would exceed last year’s, and he also intimated that the plan for 2010 will likely be to follow a similar schedule as we saw this year, with a lot of shows devoted to the Main Event (and not so many to the prelims).

There will be no preview show this year, but as McEachern pointed out “we’ve already introduced all of the players to America already” and so ESPN won’t be taking away from showing hands in order to bother too much with that during the final table show. There will be a feature on Phil Ivey next Tuesday night on ESPN’s “E:60” show (at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time).

Those were the highlights. Not too much in the way of news, really, and in fact, the only real news of the day didn’t come from the conference call, but in that report in which Horowitz said they might show more than two hours of coverage on November 10.

I may well follow up with McManus to ask him his thoughts regarding the Main Event final table. I’m remembering that the year he made the ME final table -- 2000 -- where he finished fifth, Jeff Shulman also went deep, being eliminated in 7th. (The televised final table was six-handed that year, the last year before the switch to a nine-handed FT.)

In any event, I’m sure that like the rest of us, he, too, will be curious to see how this next chapter of “the story of poker” plays out.

Have a good weekend, all.