ESPN has plenty of tricks in its bag to show that it appreciates its poker audience, and fans of televised poker (and poker in general) have much to rejoice about. The sports network announced today new enhancements for its coverage of the 2007
World Series of Poker.
Among the numerous enhancements, there will now be 40 cameras stationed around the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino's Amazon Room, the most ever for the event, to catch more of the action both in the early stages of events and at the final tables. This addition of cameras allows, among other things, the ability to catch better angles for key moments and build a larger cache of footage to choose from, both of which should make the ensuing telecasts more enjoyable.
ESPN had just 26 cameras for last year's
Series.
ESPN is also whetting the poker enthusiast's appetite by offering every one of the 32 one-hour episodes in full high definition on
ESPN HD for the first time (along with standard definition broadcasts, as well). The telecasts will also feature an updated graphics engine with 3-D graphics for displaying holecards, community cards, and players' actions. The graphics will include player chips counts for the first time.
These facts are especially good news considering
ESPN also announced that it planned to give four additional hours of television to both the main event and the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event (also known as the
World Series of Poker Players Championship), the
Series' biggest draws.
ESPN will begin airing two one-hour
World Series of Poker telecasts starting on July 10 at 8 p.m. ET with new episodes to be aired at a rate of one a week from that point forward until Oct. 30. The episodes will start with 10 bracelet championship events, followed by 16 hours of the main event, and then capped off six hours dedicated to the H.O.R.S.E. event. Norman Chad and Lon McEachern return as cohosts.
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