Hand histories are somewhat of a touchy subject in the poker world. There are good hand histories, bad hand histories, illegible hand histories, joke hand histories. There are differing opinions on how to word action at the table. Three-bet, re-raise, 3b, 3-bet. There's even debate on how to label positions at the table. (Side note: please, stop trying to make UTG-6/7/8 a thing.)
The point being, there's a lack of consistency in how to properly tell a hand history.
Furthermore, accuracy is paramount to the players, but, occasionally, the poker media fail to get the details right. When this happens, players are often, rightfully so, unhappy.
While we're on the subject of accuracy, let's quickly clear up a few things. It is absolutely the responsibility of the media to do their best to accurately report on hands. At the same time, it's not an easy task. Hands happen quickly, visibility isn't always perfect, and mistakes happen. When mistakes do happen, corrections and revisions are in order, as soon as possible.
With all this said, there's got to be a better way. That's where we come in with First-Hand Hands.
Straight from the source
First-Hand Hands is a new part of PokerOrg's coverage this summer at the World Series of Poker. The concept stems from feedback PokerOrg received from our Player Advisory Board. The initial idea was to find ways to differentiate our coverage from others in the space and improve upon the typical live reporting of hands.
With First-Hand Hands, selected players send relevant hand information directly to our team, sometimes including commentary on their play and thought process. The team formats the information into easily digestible graphics and, once a quality control check is completed with the submitter, posts the histories to our Instant Feed and Twitter.
It's that simple. There's no guesswork involved on our end and the player's voice shines through more strongly.
There are four goals that PokerOrg hopes to achieve with First-Hand Hands. Firstly, to dramatically improve the accuracy in hand reporting at live events. Secondly, to ensure only relevant, interesting hands appear in our coverage. Thirdly, to allow coverage of great hands that wouldn't otherwise be reported on. Lastly, to create engagement opportunities for players that submit hands.
For additional information about First-Hand Hands, check out the latest episode of the RecPoker Podcast with guest Garry Gates. In the episode, Gates elaborates on the challenges of live reporting at poker events and how those challenges shaped PokerOrg's new approach with First-Hand Hands.
If you're looking for the most accurate, most in-depth hand reporting from the World Series of Poker this summer, click the button below and keep an eye out for the latest First-Hand Hands!
