WSOP Leftover: How Was Cheating Prevented with Live Coverage of the Final Table?

By: Dan Michalski – November 01, 2006

Marcus from I'm not sure where wrote in a while back wondering:

Dan,

Long time reader, first time writer. I was reading today about the PPV offering of ESPN of the final table tomorrow. My question is, how are they going to prevent people from watching the coverage and relaying the information to the players in the tourney. I'm sure that this has been thought out, but I have not seen any blogs or news explaining what all will be on the PPV (pocket cams, etc.) or if there will be a delay.

Any inside info?

Thanks,
Marcus

Marcus, that is a great question. And truth be told, I don't really know the answer. But I bet someone here does. I am thinking the live coverage had to be done on a 5- or 10-minute delay, similar to the various "live" events put on by Full Tilt and Fox Sports. I do know that the TV's showing the final table at the Rio simply didn't show what the hole-card cams were seeing.

Actually, if I recall, while listening to Phil Gordon in the media room, I DO seem to remember knowing when Jamie Gold was bluffing, and when Allen Cunningham ran into a very unlucky river. But since we were sitting some 100 years or more away from the action, I am not certain what sorta delay there was. Amy? Shrink? Jen B.? Do any of you have some hard facts on this? It's a relevant question as I expect/hope to see more "live" coverage in the future.

 
Tags: wsop 2006, final table, poker media, cheats
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I'd assume the hole card cams were streamed to a very secured area well separated from the action. That's usually the case for FSN's coverage, and I think it's almost certain Lon and Norman are not providing commentary as its happening. It doesn't seem that Lon's ever in Vegas, they usually only show Norman interviewing the winner.

Of course, those actually on the scene should certainly know what actually happened better than I could.

Kevin...

Kevmath – November 1, 2006 – 1:23am
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There is a very simple answer: The hole cards weren't shown for the PPV with Phil Gordon. The hole-cards cams were only used for the regular coverage weeks later with Lon and Norman.

CygnusTM – November 1, 2006 – 9:26am
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There is a very simple answer: The hole cards weren't shown for the PPV with Phil Gordon. The hole-cards cams were only used for the regular coverage weeks later with Lon and Norman.

tis true tis true

Poker Shrink – November 1, 2006 – 11:50am
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so there we have it. i knew i could count on the faithful PB readers (and writers).

Dan Michalski – November 1, 2006 – 12:58pm
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They should have shown some of those roshambo matches Gordon had while on the air.

Drizztdj – November 1, 2006 – 4:58pm
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They DID show the roshambo matches. That was like half the show. And Gordon said to his sidekick "Come on, be my bitch right now," referring to how he was about to beat him in high stakes roshambo. He wanted really high stakes, but his commentating partner wanted to keep the stakes low. It was awkward, and they were both horrible at covering the poker, constantly getting things wrong. And yeah, of course no hole cards were shown. That would have been insane.

The best part about the whole broadcast was just the crazy blueberries thing, with Jamie Gold eating from a HUGE BOWL of blueberries for the last few hours of the final table, which they totally cut out from the ESPN show. And when Norm interviewed him at the end on the PPV special Gold said that blueberries are probably the reason why he won and other such madness about blueberries. They cut that out, too.

Bobby Crosby – November 2, 2006 – 5:04am
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