Last night's ESPN broadcast premiere of parts 7 & 8 of the 2006 WSOP Main Event gave many of poker's new cast of characters their first chunk of significant TV airtime. As we all know, when it comes to the WSOP broadcasts, good poker TV isn't always about amazing laydowns or stunning calls, but the personalities of the players themselves. Last night's installment featured a number of strong personas -- both newbie and veteran.
How did they all come off to the viewers at home? Here's my report card on the performances of some of last night's featured players.
Jamie Gold: B-
Surprisingly enough, Jamie Gold came off pretty decent on television. We only saw a few of his hands as he built up his significant chip lead over Day 5 and 6, but on the broadcast I witnessed three important things from Gold that likely led to his victory.
1. Jamie Gold caught a lot of cards.
2. Jamie Gold understands how to execute a well-timed bluff.
3. Jamie Gold knows how to sell his opponent on a hand.
Though Gold is quite a bold table-talker ("You don't want me to call, because if I call... I've got you") his bluff with 5-6 against Lowell Kim's A-J on a K-K-J flop was just a little bit brilliant. Granted, it was absoutely the perfect flop for the situation-- but Gold knew from observing his opponent, that Kim would not want to go broke in the Main Event on second pair. Using that knowledge, it was a good spot for Gold to check-raise Kim and represent a king in his hand along with the quip "this isn't the way you want to go out." Perfect read, perfect situation to act on it.
Richard Lee: A-
Richard Lee came off quiet and thoughtful in these two episodes, though we heard a few snippets of his San Antonio drawl come through while he played on the featured table. Facing a 400K bet, Lee made an amazing laydown, mucking his 8-9 on a K-9-8-4 board. His opponent had K-8 for a higher two pair. Had Lee called that turn bet and seen the hand through, he may have never made it to the final table.
Eric Molina: F
In 21-year old Molina, we have a new poster boy for immature, overconfident, know-it-all internet poker donkeys. You know that asshole who has such a lack of self-esteem that he finds the need to berate your every play in a $20 SNG? Molina is that asshole come to life. It was just agonizing to watch this punk knock off player after player after player, berating each one for their moves. Kudos to Jamie Gold for calling the F-bomb penalty on Molina. Watching that idiot slink away into the halls of the Rio to be blinded off at a crucial juncture of the tournament was such delicious revenge. I hope Eric Molina is utterly humiliated by his performance on television and is harassed in airports and malls for years to come. And, of course, like the internet donkey he is, Molina managed to lose all of his once-formidable stack by CALLING an all-in with only an open-ended straight draw. Young man, there's a biiiiiig difference between raising with a hand like that and calling an all-in with it. Hee-haw.
Leif Force: C-
Our first glimpse of Force came as he hid his face behind his mop of matted, greasy blonde hair. High-strung and goofy, Force's big moment came when he bellowed like a caveman as his A-K flopped an ace to suck out his opponent's K-K. Yeah, he pretty much came off like an idiot in the process, but I still have a soft spot for the Pothead of the WSOP.
Later today, I'll take a look at how some of poker's veteran players came off on the broadcast, including Humberto Brenes, Jeffrey Lisandro, and Prahlad Friedman.
