Gus Hansen on poker superstars - All in blind every hand

[Djinn]

"Having them play preflop pushbot poker is like getting shumacher to show people how to do a 3 point turn, a waste."

I can't put it any better than this.

It's very true that strategy for this kind of thing is important, underrated and misunderstood by a large number of players (excepting the hardcore sit'n'go grinders).  But rather than wasting TV time in which these guys could play at every stage of a tournament (big, medium and then finally small M) they should just have showed a blank screen with some soothing music on it and directions to 'sit'n'go power tools' in which the whole thing is pretty well explained in the Tutorial section.

[thetank]

Not all poker TV is for poker players.

[Djinn]

Not all poker TV is for poker players.

Yes, but it's so easy to please everyone.  Get them playing flops and non-players still won't know what's going on, the Big Names will still be in the seats, and the commentators will have something to commentate on.

[thetank]

Non players do understand the all-in coups though

[Djinn]

Non players do understand the all-in coups though

If what you mean by "understand the all-in coups" is "see when someone knocks someone else out" then you get that at the end anyway - just tune in for the last quarter of the show if that's what floats your boat.

With someone talking you through the hands, it's not too hard to go from understanding "that dude's out because he ended up with a pair while his opponent ended up with a flush" to, "That dude has more chips now because at showdown he had a better hand," or even, "that dude has more chips now because he bluffed and made the other one lay his hand down."

It's not rocket science. 

[thetank]

The excitement isn't in seeing when someone knocks someone else out rather in waiting to see if they get knocked out or not, the stay of execution. You can't brand everyone who doesn't want to get too heavily involved in understanding the nuances of the game a complete idiot (almost though), or direct them all to the last quarter of a programme we'd want to watch.

This is their show, and if it makes more people who arn't interested in tactics interested in poker, that's no a bad thing for all our pockets.

[Piccolo170]

Wow, I had heard about this episode before but never seen it.  Thanks for the link!

LOL at the title "Gus Hansen going crazy."