Maybe Im just not remembering last years WSOP coverage, but this years seems to suck in comparison. Sure most of the final tables have featured a number of pros, but what does it matter whos at the tables when all you see is all in races every other hand. I remember watching the live cardplayer coverage and reading about some great matchups, but I have been unimpressed with each WSOP show this year with the exception of the first circuit event which was shown over 2 hours. Is the coverage really that much worse than last year? Also, does anyone else think ESPN could make a ton of money if they sold the unedited versions of there WSOP coverage. They must have it somewhere, since I know they tape almost every final table, and much of the main event, so why not produce an unedited (or slightly edited) DVD of this footage. I understand that they need to edit it down for TV, butI feel like almost every serious poker player would be interested in this. I know I certainly would.

I love me some poker, but I doubt I would watch unedited footage of the final table. Maybe others would.

I do agree though; it seems the edited footage of the WSOP events this year is in fact lacking. Take it with a grain of salt though: I haven't seen nearly all the events. I saw a few No Limit events though, and it seemed like I was watching an epidose of Poker Superstars, with an all in every other hand. I think ESPN is catering to what they think people want to see, and maybe that is what the casual, average fan wants: Those tense all in moments.

Whatever. ESPN knows the hardcore poker fan will watch regardless, and they edit to cater to that casual fan who digs the all in moment. As Josh Arieh mentioned in his blog, it seems they cut out alot of the really good hands that are played. Do I really want to watch someone push all in every other hand? Not so much. I want to see what leads up to all that. I want to see well played hands, not necessarily all in's.

Someone will jump on me for not having seen all the WSOP episodes this year, and thats fine. From what I have seen though, the editing this year: bad

ESPN's poker coverage in general is terrible. There's really nothing interesting about squeezing a 9-person final table into approx. 44 minutes of TV. Every hand: all-in! Lame.

I would love to watch the whole final table, every hand.

ESPN probably shows 15-20 actual hands during their 1 hour telecast of each event. Therefore, they can only show the bust out hands and any major chip exchanges, so the all-in hands are really all you're going to get.

As much as I like the ESPN coverage, it really doesn't do any justice to the tournament. WPT is far above ESPN on this. However, there is something nice about being able to see the results of the final table in 1 hour. It's like the reader's digest version, which has it's advantages.