It is a bit boring compared to WPT and ESPN's WSOP coverage, but in a number of ways, this is more interesting. One thing this does is shows a more realistic view of tournament play to those who don't really know what a poker tournament is like. Watching WPT leads some to believe that playing tournament poker is non-stop action. The reality is tournament play is a lot more drudgery than it might seem at first. This format really shows the viewer a lot more about player strengths. I hadn't considered this before, but as I think about it, watching WPT is more like watching news real highlights of a baseball game, as opposed to watching a baseball game.

I really like this.

The best part is seeing how pros play the crappy cards normal guys like us get all the time.

I mean, when's the last time you saw Phil Ivey play 56o on WPT?

It's a good learning experience, and also very entertaining television.

My son (11) and I watched it together last night. I've been beating the value of premium hands into him, so he was amazed at the total crap that these guys were playing and raising once it got down to the final two. I agree with Wil that it showed the meat and potatoes of poker with the modest swings and chess-like positioning for moves down the road. I think the ESPN-short-attention-span highlight shows really suck in comparison to the live broadcast. The heartbeat monitor is pretty cool too.

i think we just saw the future of poker last night. sure, they will need to tweak it a bit ... like how 'bout start right before the merge to the final table. then at the break ... they can do player profiles.

anyhow, golf has proven that with enough cameras and an active control room, you can turn a 4-day event with little actual action into compelling TV week after week.