[MicroBob]

Not quite correct.

I can tell from the show that they actually ARE making some live comments as well...even though they can't see the hole-cards.

I think most of this will be when there is an all-in or something so they know both players' hole-cards after they are turned up.
They can then SHOW Mike and Vince actually reacting to a miracle river or something.

Obviously lots of the time they aren't doing TOO much. But they are probably doing two different broadcasts. They kind of banter as they go along through the regular tourney...but they don't have to go too overboard with it because the live part is 5 or 6 hours long and not much is happening much of that time. But they probably roll the audio-tape anyway so if someone walking off says something impromtu to Mike they can hear whatever his reaction is going to be (and get it on camera).


So I think you're assumption is partly correct.
yes, they aren't doing THAT much a lot of the time. But I bet 10% of the commentary that runs in an episode comes from them being live at the site...and the other 90% is all the edited stuff that they do afterwards in the studio (where they get to see all the hole-cards, etc).


I bet this even comes in to play from one sentence to another.
Example:
edited in afterwards, "He's got a pair of 9's Vince. And if you're staring at an all-in from a bigger stack that's a tough call to make. So he's taking his time and thinking it over...."
and then from the live-at-the-site audio, (all-excited) "and he's GOING TO CALL THE ALL-IN. And NOW they'll see each other's hole-cards and he'll see where he stands!!!! And he's going to like his chances now that he sees that it's a coin-flip!!"


Obviously if they can't quite get it right inb the live portion the first time around (maybe they couldn't see the cards very quickly) they can just get it right the 2nd time around.