WSOP Final Table

So the WSOP finally comes to a close. This year was just like any other year that I’ve been watching the WSOP on ESPN. The only difference is probably all the super young players making deep runs. It was due to happen. The younger kids are very adept at playing poker. They understand situations very well, because they play thousands upon thousands of hands daily and that gives them the advantage. They’re also willing to gamble and are not afraid of making plays that many people may think are stupid. Ok, the luck factor plays into it but still, they’re willing to stick in their chips because they know that one lucky swing in the tourney can mean a WSOP championship. They’re willing to play for huge hands at any given time.

I feel that it is this willingness to shove with any two at any time is the difference between the new and old guard. I think the old guard are still playing the old school style. Look at Ivey, he was playing super tight for the most part, nothing like the old Ivey that I used to see. Additionally, these young kids play a lot of tournaments every single day and they understand the nuances better than most because of the sheer experience of playing online tournaments.

Additionally, the hands they show on ESPN are taped and edited for the casual fan and not the hardcore poker enthusiast. The hands were picked for a particular reason, either a solid fold, a huge pot, a bold bluff or a terrible suck out. You’re not going to learn about how a pro plays a hand for the most part or are you going to get any new insights into poker that you haven’t known about before. I think the beauty of televised poker lies in the fact that an amatuer can beat a pro at any given time.

Despite this, I still watch the WSOP on TV whenever it’s on because it’s fun to watch players make incredibly tough decisions for millions of dolars and then watch somebody else hit a miracle river card. That’s the beauty of the game and I wouldn’t change a thing.