ESPN Coverage of WSOP Europe

I’m watching coverage of the WSOP Europe on ESPN and I must say this is quite entertaining.  The prestige of the regular WSOP Main Event isn’t there, but still a great watch.  There are many differences in the presentation.

First, the screen format has changed.  Its tough to describe but the display for hole cards, percentages, and board has been switched up to a larger, more bubbly graphics.  Also the video is taken a slightly more amateur fashion in the sense the players are filmed close up and the color is more raw.  (A little less enhanced/airbrushed if you can imagine.)

Anyways, I’m liking the card play – less talk, less luck (because of the tiny field, and more poker.  I just witnessed a terrible hand from Daniel Negreanu where he raised with 52 of clubs, got called with AJ off and called a huge bet on the river after his 5 hit to give him something to go with his busted flush draw.  His opponent, Rouas, had aces full of jacks.  In the hand Daniel dumped off nearly 20% of his chip stack and shrugged it off as no big deal.

This could be a clue-in on why Daniel struggles in tournament play.  He shouldn’t be playing (or raising for that matter) with 52 and there was really no compelling reason to call a huge bet on the river with a pair of 5s.

Watching the London scenary and great card play has me wishing I was at the felt in London.  This event at the Empire Casino in London looks so cool.  The rainy days.  Lavish hotels.  Plush poker rooms.  I can just imagine myself eating a pastry at a trendy java shoppe, staring out of a rain dotted window while waiting for a great day of poker at the Empire.

Someday.