Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

The TV people seem to pick the players for these and they usually put some big names there. With such a small percentage of big names early in the WSOP, that would seem to make the featured tables tougher.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

The seats and tables are generated by the tournament direcotor. ESPN simply looks at the lineups of all the tables and selects what they think is the best for their purposes as the feature table.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

I think what he's saying is that because the pros are so widely dispersed in the early rounds, wouldn't that mean that the tv table was probably picked because it had the most household names at it, therefore you'd be at a disadvantage if you were an amateur at this table. Is that right? But even in this case, you'd have the table even if it wasn't the featured table, so I can't say that there's any disadvantage to the fact that it's the featured table.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

THe really good question is how does being at the featured table affect the play, since you know you are going to be on TV.

My hypothosis is that people try more "fancy" plays on the TV table (bluffs, check raising, "big laydowns", etc).

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

Tables are already set by the tourney director, not ESPN. So if you have some pros there, its gonna be tough anyway. I agree with the last poster. Some people may be affected by the audience and cameras.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

[ QUOTE ]
THe really good question is how does being at the featured table affect the play, since you know you are going to be on TV.

My hypothosis is that people try more "fancy" plays on the TV table (bluffs, check raising, "big laydowns", etc).

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Your hypothesis is quite reasonable, but, in my experience, the opposite is true. People try fewer fancy plays, because they are afraid of looking foolish. It may be that I have the evidence that you're bluffable on a given hand, and I should try to bluff you when I have no hand and no draw. However, if I know I'm going to look foolish on TV if it doesn't work out, I might choose to forego the play.

This year, on day 1, I was with a group of players on an outer table. At the end of level 2, they moved us to the TV table. You never saw a game tighten up so fast. No more calling raises preflop with 1-gappers and such. These guys, at least most of them, became very tight and very predictable postflop, and it made it much easier for me to control the table.

It didn't hurt that I caught a rush of cards and flops, either.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

[ QUOTE ]
It didn't hurt that I caught a rush of cards and flops, either.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

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Thanks for the continued work here and no doubt those run of cards helped TREMENDOUSLY!

Curious, as from how it was portrayed on tv, when you got to the tv table, you had a tough all-in call to make against pocket queens, you held AK if I recall. You debated, then made the call and spiked an Ace.

Had you not hit, you would've been severly crippled. Any insight into this one, thanks!

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

The only thing I can add is that play at the TV table also tends to slow down and you get less hands per hr. Either because people are trying for TV time, or the before mentioned fear of looking stupid and people posture as they fold their hands.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

Yes it is a disadvantage to be thrown into a feature table with a bunch of known players instead of being in a randomly selected seat that might have 1 other pro at the table.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
THe really good question is how does being at the featured table affect the play, since you know you are going to be on TV.

My hypothosis is that people try more "fancy" plays on the TV table (bluffs, check raising, "big laydowns", etc).

[/ QUOTE ]

Your hypothesis is quite reasonable, but, in my experience, the opposite is true. People try fewer fancy plays, because they are afraid of looking foolish. It may be that I have the evidence that you're bluffable on a given hand, and I should try to bluff you when I have no hand and no draw. However, if I know I'm going to look foolish on TV if it doesn't work out, I might choose to forego the play.

This year, on day 1, I was with a group of players on an outer table. At the end of level 2, they moved us to the TV table. You never saw a game tighten up so fast. No more calling raises preflop with 1-gappers and such. These guys, at least most of them, became very tight and very predictable postflop, and it made it much easier for me to control the table.

It didn't hurt that I caught a rush of cards and flops, either.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[/ QUOTE ]

Greg has far more experience than I in this situation, but I wonder if it would be different later in the tournament or in a tournament with a smaller field / higher proportion of pros.

I recently played in my first 10K event and over the course of 4 days spent about 9 hours at tv tables. Much of the time was spent with Men the Master at the table. I'm curious Greg, if you think people play you differently on a tv table? It seemed to me that at least a few of the players wanted to play big pots against Men. Some got their wish and came out of it on the wrong end. It will be interesting to see some of these hands on tv.

I think the main disadvantage was that we saw a lot fewer hands on the tv table. Not only were the players slower but the dealer was slower too. As a medium to short stack, I would have been better off at a quicker table.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Yes it is a disadvantage to be thrown into a feature table with a bunch of known players instead of being in a randomly selected seat that might have 1 other pro at the table.

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Once again, the tables are selected by random. ESPN does not pick people to put at a tv table. Once the tables are set, then ESPN looks for an interesting table to make the featured table. So if you are at the tv table with 3 pros, it isn't because ESPN picked you. You would be at that table with the 3 pros whether or not it is on tv.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Your hypothesis is quite reasonable, but, in my experience, the opposite is true. People try fewer fancy plays, because they are afraid of looking foolish. It may be that I have the evidence that you're bluffable on a given hand, and I should try to bluff you when I have no hand and no draw. However, if I know I'm going to look foolish on TV if it doesn't work out, I might choose to forego the play.

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Being generally camera-shy in the first place, and being by no means a "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN BOUT!!!" type of guy, I absolutely HATED being at the featured table.

You are absolutely right, Greg--I would be one of those guys who tightens way the hell up and hopes the plays put in front of me will be fairly straightforward, so for the six or so hours I was under the lights with the cameras in my face, I definitely let a few opportunities pass that I might otherwise have not let pass. It was not entirely due, however, to a fear of looking foolish; I was concerned that I might actually have transformed myself into a mass of tells, and that my plays might have a commensurately lower probability of success.

Also, you get so many fewer hands, it's really annoying. Everyone starts mugging, looking for the soundbite, whatever.

Granted, it comes with the territory, but for someone like me, it's a huge annoyance.

But next time around, I have no intention of letting it change my play in the least.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes it is a disadvantage to be thrown into a feature table with a bunch of known players instead of being in a randomly selected seat that might have 1 other pro at the table.

[/ QUOTE ]

Once again, the tables are selected by random. ESPN does not pick people to put at a tv table. Once the tables are set, then ESPN looks for an interesting table to make the featured table. So if you are at the tv table with 3 pros, it isn't because ESPN picked you. You would be at that table with the 3 pros whether or not it is on tv.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh ok. My bad, sorry did not read the whole thing.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

I sure wish ESPN would have switched the feature table to Greg and Mike the Mouth. At one point, Mike says to Greg, "you have all my chips." Can you tell us what happened Greg. Thanks.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

Mike was talking about last year. I got moved to that table near the end of the night, and nothing noteworthy happened involving me while I was there. It was less than an hour, and maybe even only half an hour, I forget exactly. But as soon as I sat down, we all knew it wouldn't be for long.

It was a super deep table, for sure. Whatever the average stack was at that point, we had at least 3x that many chips at that table.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

Well..would you rather have 1-2-3 or ZERO poker pros at your table??? Easy question.

As for how the TV changes the way people play. I would say it makes pros play "more fancy" and the amatures play tighter.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

I'd think the play moves slower because of all the shots the camera needs to get. If you want more hands (I'd think most pros would against amateurs) then it may be a pain. But a little TV exposure and sponsorship $$ never hurt to make up for it.

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

what feature table were you at? who else was at the table? has it aired yet? you probably posted about all this but I missed it. . .

Re: Is it a disadvantage to be at the featured table?
 

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what feature table were you at? who else was at the table? has it aired yet? you probably posted about all this but I missed it. . .

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It was Day 1-C of the main event, when Marcel Luske and Simon Tennant were at the table.

I was in the one seat. In six hours at the table, the only thing I am shown doing is stacking one pot, and even that was from a distance.

ESPN's need to minimize my exposure only deepens my suspicions that I am a hideous freak.

But I made it deep into Day 2, so they can just kiss my rosy red ass, warts and all.

I guess if my ass had warts on it, it wouldn't really be "rosy and red," but you get the idea.