Fans and players have been weighing in on the WSOP's new broadcast arena and the experience it creates both on the streaming platform as well as live on the rail.
The reactions range from rave reviews to a wide array of criticism, but one thing isn't up for debate: the WSOP has made a significant investment in its broadcast product.
The new Paris Ballroom arena is one of the most visually striking production spaces in WSOP history, and it looks every bit the part on camera.
But as we all know, appreciation doesn't eliminate criticism.
We are addressing players and fans who are very passionate about the game, and constructive feedback is always welcome. One would hope that is the case, especially, when aimed at the man who's placed himself squarely on the bullseye: WSOP broadcast host Jeff Platt.
Still, as the first two weeks of the series have shown, many are questioning whether the live viewing experience and the streamed events align with the broadcast's ambitions.
Let's dive a little deeper.
The live experience
While watching his wife, Kristen, win her sixth WSOP bracelet in the $25,000 High Roller NLH event, Alex Foxen (a 3x WSOP bracelet winner himself) offered a railbird's perspective on the new live setup.
"The stage for the final table looks great," shared Alex. "But it’s hard to see anything when you are on the rail. They really need a bird's-eye camera displayed just so everyone can see who the action's on and see the cards."
Adam Hampton, PokerOrg's Senior Content Editor, agrees.
"The whole thing is very striking from a distance, but when you get close you can't get a good view of the table. The dealer faces the rail, so most players have their backs directly to the crowd and block out the action. Even when they’re heads-up, you can’t always get an idea of chip stacks, or see players’ faces. The moment is robbed of drama.
"It’s obviously designed to prioritize the experience for viewers of the stream, at the expense of viewers on the rail. And I get that — there are a lot more viewers online, after all.
"But if the stream is aiming to convey the excitement and atmosphere in the room, there would be a lot more of it if those on the rail could follow the action more easily."
The streaming experience
The WSOP's daily stream feedback has struck a balance between criticism and praise. Super fan bostin christopher loved the coverage bouncing around the arena in an X post below. On the flip side of the same X thread, however, Trent Smith wasn't a fan of the frequent jumping between tables and event storylines.
In fact, many players and fans have praised the WSOP's expanded streaming schedule, which is delivering more live poker to viewers than ever before through WSOP's YouTube channel.
There will always be haters and naysayers, but that comes with the territory when making vital changes and attempting to update an iconic brand as beloved as the WSOP.
Few in poker are more willing to offer both high praise and sharp criticism when warranted than journalist David Lappin, who weighed in while seeing red with his frustrated take on the streaming experience.
Color-scheme aside, another issue around the stream is the long delay being used.
Of course, a delay in any live poker stream is necessary to protect the integrity of the game (you don't want anyone seeing hole cards in a hand being played). But three hours appears to be the minimum delay used for the WSOP's streams.
This is in stark contrast to other major live tournament streams such as the Asian Poker Tour, which uses a minimal delay of just minutes, and the European Poker Tour which uses a dynamic delay that edits out breaks for a better viewing experience.
We understand the long delay may be in place for off-site editors to pull footage together. But whatever the reasons, the result is not always user-friendly. Live streams have run as late as 3am PT (6am ET), while the potential for spoilers remains for anyone keeping their social media open.
Platt and WSOP brass are listening
If there's one thing that has become clear during the opening weeks of the series, it's that WSOP's broadcast lead Jeff Platt, as well as the WSOP powers-that-be, are listening. Patience with the process has been requested from all sides.
Whether the feedback concerns a fan's rail experience, WSOP's streaming coverage and delays, production decisions or tournament logistics, Platt has been remarkably active on social media, night and day. He’s often responded to players within minutes despite juggling one of the busiest of summer's schedules himself.
Case in point: when respected high-stakes regular Dan Shak raised a question about the stream on X, Platt pounced on it.
“Just curious why we can't get the same kind of experience we get streaming golf, where there can be 3 or even more of each final table or features separately?” posted Shak. “Even on flow wrestling, we get to watch whichever mat we want in the NCAA. I would think the best viewing experience would be for the viewer to choose.”
Platt responded less than an hour later, and after midnight no less. Does Jeff even sleep?
"That experience will come soon, but we’re not ready for that this year,” posted Jeff. “So we wanted to do one stream that could be comprehensive (while having to choose a primary tourney to focus on)."
A work in progress
The early criticism surrounding the new WSOP broadcast arena and YouTube stream is racking up posts daily on social media, but the final verdict will have to wait until all is said and done at series end.
What is clear is that the WSOP has taken a major step forward in how it presents poker to the world, but many players and fans believe the live and streaming experiences still have a lot of room for improvement.
OK, WSOP. That's not a bad thing.
The good news? Jeff Platt and the entire WSOP team seem to be on top of it. The conversation may be heated at times, but take solace that it's happening in real time, not at the series conclusion. What more can a player or fan ask at this point?
And if the first two weeks of the summer are any indication, the people running the show appear to be willing to listen.
A change or two, or three, will surely come. That's a good thing.
Watch the daily live streams, updates, and WSOP Countdown show on the WSOP YouTube channel.
Additional images courtesy of the WSOP.
