Rants & Raves: The $50k Players Championship

On Tuesday night, ESPN starts their 2010 World Series of Poker coverage. The first event will be the Final Table of the $50k Players' Championship.

For those who are not familiar with the Tournaments history, it start back in 2006 as the $50k HORSE Tournament. It was won by Chip Reese, and the WSOP named the Trophy after him when he died a year or two later. However, even though it was a HORSE tournament, No Limit Hold'em (NLHE) was played at the Final Table, as requested by ESPN. Many of the Pro were not thrilled with this, since NLHE is not part of the HORSE rotation. I agree with the Pros; a HORSE tournament should have a HORSE Final Table.

The following year, 2007, the WSOP and ESPN agreed with the Players. The tournament was HORSE throughout the entire tournament. ESPN aired 3-4 episodes of the Tournament, which covered from the final 24 players to the championship. As a Mixed Game Player, I really enjoyed watching the Pros play. But the rest of America did not, as these episodes were the lowest rated WSOP shows since before the Poker Boom in 2003.

In 2008, ESPN only aired two episodes of the $50k HORSE, which were the Final Table. Unfortunately, these were the "Scotty Nguyen Is An Angry Drunk" episodes, and I've heard that ESPN has buried these episodes so that they won't be aired in reruns.

Last year, ESPN decided not to broadcast any of the formerly prestigious $50k HORSE tournament. Since there was no TV coverage, attendance dropped for the tournament from the 140-150 range in previous years down to under 100.

This year, the WSOP made some changes to the tournament. First, they changed it from HORSE to an 8-Game tournament, and they are now calling it the $50k Players' Championship. They are also making the Final Table NLHE only, so that ESPN will cover it. While some of the Pros aren't thrilled with the NLHE only Final Table, they understand the importance of ESPN showing this tournament, mostly for extra money the players can earn by wearing their Full Tilt or PokerStars gear.

Personally, I hate it. Yes, NLHE is one of the 8-Games, but a Mixed game tournament should have a Mixed Final Table. But I can understand not wanting to show all of the 8-Games. While I enjoy playing 2-7 Triple Draw, it's not a game that you would want to watch on TV.

However, since I know that many of the WSOP Players' Advisory Committee read this blog (after all, who doesn't read it?), I have a compromise that they can use for next year. Have the Final Table consist of No Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 7 Card Stud.

All four games have been on ESPN in the past, and none of them have that confusing Hi/Lo component to them. Two of the games are Hold'em, which is easier for the "Casual" viewer to follow. There are two Limit games and two Big Bet games, so you still have the Mixed game feel to it.