For the first time ever, the WSOP will show some sort of online or video coverage of all 58 gold bracelet events, with ESPN3 streaming the $25K Heads Up, $50K Poker Players Championship and the Main Event.
The online video coverage will be limited to a wide overhead shot of the entire table and its participants along with a flop camera will provide the visual sightlines, while audio from the event’s tournament announcer will describe the betting action as it occurs.
The wsop.com coverage will not involve any hole-card coverage. It will be delayed five minutes per gaming regulations, and be commentary-free (outside the announcer providing betting action). In essence, the coverage will allow those unable to witness the action in person, the ability to watch the event in similar fashion to spectators on-site.
On most days, two final tables will be streamed. The typical start times for these will be 2:30 or 3 p.m. Pacific time. The streams will last until the event concludes, and no video will be shown during the standard breaks in action. Beginning June 1 and running through July 7, there will be at least one stream a day except for June 2, June 7 and July 4-6, where no final tables are scheduled to be contested. All times and dates are subject to change without notice.
In addition more live satellites will be offered for players who traditionally may have qualified online. Payouts will be consistent with 2010, but players will start with triple starting chips for every single buy-in. Each final table will have an automatic shuffler, with the last few tables using them on bracelet events.
Lastly, more reaction has been coming in regarding the recently announced ESPN decision to show feature table 30 minute delayed hole card coverage of playing seeing a flop from Day 3 of the Main Event forward. While unquestionably a boon to fans watching, players could be hurt, especially amateurs without the resources to take advantage of the available televised information.
