ESPN’s coverage of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) got off to a great start on Tuesday, improving its first week ratings by 15% from last year. The coverage highlighted some phenomenal play from a group of talented pros, which almost certainly helped boost ESPN’s ratings during the second hour of the broadcast.
The broadcast featured Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi winning his first gold bracelet in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, and it earned a 0.60 metered market average during the 8:00 p.m. broadcast and a 0.71 metered market average during the 9:00 p.m. broadcast. The 0.7 combined average is up from last year’s 0.6 rating.
The coverage, which one ESPN representative called “compelling,” centered on Michael Mizrachi and his brother Robert, both of whom reached the final table of eight players. Also at the final table were John Juanda, Daniel Alaei, David Oppenheim, David “Bakes” Baker, Michael Thuritz, and Vladimir Schmelev, who went on to make four World Championship final tables at the 2010 WSOP after coming into the series as an unknown.
After knocking out his brother Robert in fifth place, Michael Mizrachi ultimately won the tournament, defeating Schmelev heads-up to collect $1,559,046 and the prestigious Chip Reese Memorial Trophy. With the ESPN cameras rolling, Mizrachi’s rowdy rail smothered him after the final river card was dealt. “It’s a Grinder tsunami,” exclaimed ESPN commentator Norman Chad. Among those watching Michael win his first bracelet were his wife and his brothers Robert, Donny, and Eric, as well as friends Chino Rheem and Noah Boeken.
The Poker Players Championship was a big change from the mixed games World Championship that the WSOP had run in recent years. The tournament, which opened the WSOP in late May, involved participants playing eight different poker games — No Limit and Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Limit Stud and Stud Hi-Lo, Razz and Limit 2-7 Triple Draw. Then, to be sure that ESPN filmed the event, the final table was only No Limit Hold ’em to ensure that viewers could more easily understand what was being played.
After the first two years of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship were strictly a No Limit Hold ’em final table, the WSOP went back to its normal format in 2008, with the final table including each of the games (Hold ’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud and 8-or-better). That year, 148 players entered the tournament, with Scotty Nguyen picking up $1,989,120 for his victory. Last year, ESPN dropped the tournament out of its broadcast, and thus, the event’s turnout suffered. With no ESPN cameras around, only 95 players participated, and the world didn’t see champion David Bach earning $1,276,806. The 2010 version attracted 116 players and, despite a subpar turnout, can be deemed a major success by ESPN.
Next Tuesday, ESPN will show the final table of the Tournament of Champions, a 27-player freeroll made up almost entirely of past WSOP bracelet winners. Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, Mike Matusow, Joe Hachem, and Huck Seed were among the players voted in by fans to play the event. ESPN’s coverage of the Main Event begins Aug. 10 and continues every Tuesday through Nov. 9.
