TV Table selections

ottawaplayerottawaplayer
in WSOP / WPT / EPT Discussion
I just watched the first two episodes (Day 1a and 1b) on TSN for this year's WSOP Main Event. It got me thinking about a question I have always had, but have never asked....

Who, and how, do they pick the first set of players for the TV table(s)... Is it the tournament director that decides in combination with the EPSN producers after viewing the registration list for each day 1?

Also, once a player is eliminated, how random is the selection of players that take over a seat at the TV table or second table? Is it treated just like any other table?

I remember watching last year's WSOP when Mike the Mouth was at the feature table... after an elimination, it was Phil Hellmuth that got moved to the feature table, and it got me wondering just how random that selection was...

Thanks!

Comments

  • westside8westside8
    The selection is truly random. Maybe last year was a complete table change with the Matusow/Hellmuth? Keep in mind that last year there were only limited footage, so the table could've been recorded hours apart but just shown within the same hour on TV.

    The commission as well as Lon MaCarren addressed the issue with TV table selection this year with the "controversey" that came up involving Phil Ivey on Day 1. He said that ESPN looks at the table draws for the day, and select one that they would choose to have move to the TV table. The table draw is completely random and the only influence ESPN has is which table is moved to the feature and secondary table.
  • BlondeFishBlondeFish
    Table assignment is random, then ESPN chooses at the beginning of each day which interesting table they want to move to the TV Feature table.

    I can personally verify that the seat change to the TV table is random. A tournament director went to my table during Day 2 to break it up and announced that one of the seat cards is for the feature table and where to go. There was a pro in my table and TJ Cloutier and other pros stopped by to admire his huge stack. I told the table I want to pick the TV seat card, slammed my pick over, and voila, I won the 1-in-9 chance of getting to sit with Phil "PokerBrat" Hellmuth! Soon after I was miked up and instructed where to line up the hole cards, Pro Amnon Filipi also got moved to the last empty seat. A cute ESPN producer asked for my info in case they needed to contact me later.
  • JimmyHoJimmyHo
    BlondeFish wrote: »
    Table assignment is random, then ESPN chooses at the beginning of each day which interesting table they want to move to the TV Feature table.

    I can personally verify that the seat change to the TV table is random. A tournament director went to my table during Day 2 to break it up and announced that one of the seat cards is for the feature table and where to go. There was a pro in my table and TJ Cloutier and other pros stopped by to admire his huge stack. I told the table I want to pick the TV seat card, slammed my pick over, and voila, I won the 1-in-9 chance of getting to sit with Phil "PokerBrat" Hellmuth! Soon after I was miked up and instructed where to line up the hole cards, Pro Amnon Filipi also got moved to the last empty seat. A cute ESPN producer asked for my info in case they needed to contact me later.

    hopefully we get to see you in one of the later episodes; I am watching episode 3 and 4 right now.
  • ottawaplayerottawaplayer
    Thanks for the responses... I have not yet seen Days 1c and 1d... The day 1a table was excellent, but the Day 1b table kinda sucked with really only Mike M making that table interesting; from the shots of other tables in the Amazon room, there seemed to be better choices for Day 1b.
  • ReefAquariumReefAquarium
    BlondeFish wrote: »
    Table assignment is random, then ESPN chooses at the beginning of each day which interesting table they want to move to the TV Feature table.

    I can personally verify that the seat change to the TV table is random. A tournament director went to my table during Day 2 to break it up and announced that one of the seat cards is for the feature table and where to go. There was a pro in my table and TJ Cloutier and other pros stopped by to admire his huge stack. I told the table I want to pick the TV seat card, slammed my pick over, and voila, I won the 1-in-9 chance of getting to sit with Phil "PokerBrat" Hellmuth! Soon after I was miked up and instructed where to line up the hole cards, Pro Amnon Filipi also got moved to the last empty seat. A cute ESPN producer asked for my info in case they needed to contact me later.

    So how was it against Phil?

    Did you needle him about his ethics of supporting ultimate rip off?

    Did you chastise him about the poor quality of his books?
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