WSOP Day 1: The Start of Something Big
Has it been a year since Joe Hachem won $7.5 million? Walking into the Rio today instantly transported me back to 2005. The World Series of Poker is once again taking place inside the gigantic Amazon Room in the Rio Convention Center, and the look and the layout is nearly identical to 2005.
The WSOP is a bit like a poker convention, and as a result, I spent a lot of time catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a while.
IMAGE MASTERS TAKES A TECHNOLOGICAL LEAP FORWARD
My first stop was the Image Masters booth, home of the official photographers of the World Series of Poker. Eric Harkins was there, along with two of his photographers, Gregg and Joy.
Image Masters is implementing an extremely cool new facial-recognition system for their photo database this year. Throughout the WSOP, they'll be taking headshot photos of all the WSOP players at their booth (for free, of course), and adding them to their database.
Caption: Minh Ly (left) poses at the Image Masters booth for their facial-recognition database. Then comes the cool part. The software analyzes the facial features (like the distance between the eyes), and those computer-generated profiles can be used to automatically sort the hundreds and hundreds of photos that Image Masters will be taking every day of the WSOP.
Now, when one of their photographers snaps a photo of a player during an event, it doesn't matter if the photographer knows the player’s name or not. When they upload the photos at the end of a shift, the software will recognize the players. Eric demoed it for me, and it was amazing.
More and more players will be added to their facial recognition database during the WSOP, and by the end they expect to have thousands. It will then be extremely easy for friends, families, and poker fans to find photos of specific players (and order prints, if they'd like) -- even the same day as the event.
Caption: Photographer Joy Miller shows some of the sample prints for sale at the Image Masters booth. As a photographer myself, I can't tell you what a pain in the ass it is to have to sort and label photos after an event -- it's really time consuming. This software will allow the official WSOP photographers to spend more time taking great photos, and less time sorting them afterward.
So if you'll be playing in any WSOP events, be sure to stop by the Image Masters booth (it's on the right side of the hallway as you approach the main WSOP room). It only takes about three minutes to take care of everything. It's completely free with no commitment to buy anything.
JOY MILLER, CAMERA NAZI
By the time I made it into the Amazon Room to watch the final two tables of the Tournament of Champions, Joy Miller was the Image Masters photographer on duty. And she was working harder than the security guards keeping spectators outside the ropes during the players' 15-minute break.
Joy was also the first one to respond if fans were using flashes or otherwise violating the photography rules. When play resumed after the break, the announcer gave a general reminder of the camera rules, and then said, "If you don't follow the rules, the 'Camera Nazi' will be coming after you." And Joy proudly stood up to accept the title. Caption: Gus Hansen cuddles up with Joy Miller during a break in the WSOP Tournament of Champions. Hansen went on to reach the final table.
So if you plan to hang out at the WSOP and snap a few photos, do not stray from these rules:
1. No Flash. Ever. No exceptions. Even the official photographers can't use a flash. It disrupts the players. Don't do it. (Out in the hallway it’s okay, but not in the tournament room.)
2. No telephoto lenses over 2" in length. This was a rule I hadn't heard until I was there in person. If your lens extends further than 2" from the camera, you're not allowed to use it in the WSOP room. (This rule only applies to fans, and not to credentialed media reps.)
MEDIA COVERAGE
The media presence was fairly light, with Card Player handling the TOC coverage. I suspect most of the other media won't be gearing up until Event #2, skipping the TOC and the casino employees event.
Credentialed reporters are allowed inside the ropes and they are allowed to take photos. However, once the field is down to 15 tables or less (about 150 players), only reps from Card Player or Image Masters are allowed inside the ropes. (The Pokerwire girls count as Card Player reps during the entire WSOP.) Other media outlets can take photos from the rail, and they are free to use a telephoto lens. (The telephoto restriction only applies to non-media fans.) This restriction doesn't sound too bad to me, because when the tournament is down to the final 15 tables, most will be next to a rail anyway.
Caption: Media row for the final two tables of the WSOP Tournament of Champions. Seated, from left to right, you have Mike Schwartz and Alex Henriquez (both Card Player), and Joy Miller (Image Masters Photography). On the far left, you can see Gus Hansen flirting with Amanda from Pokerwire during a break, and if you look closely you can also see Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Clonie Gowen in the background. I still can't find where the daily reports are hiding on CardPlayer.com's new website. I spoke to Alex Henriquez today, and he was writing a report about Day One of the Tournament of Champions. It will be appearing in Card Player's daily 4-page newspaper (available at the Rio), but I have yet to find it online.
If Card Player has given up on posting daily event reports, I will be more than happy to step in and fill that gap. But my hunch is that this is just a temporary situation. If they don’t post a recap of tomorrow’s final table, I’ll write one here.
[UPDATE: Alex’s daily report on Day One of the TOC appeared about noon on Monday, but it’s in their news section, and not attached to the event itself. Ideally, it should be in both places.]
In these early days of the WSOP, I'll be paying close attention to all the media coverage. I talked about Card Player and Pokerwire a bit yesterday, and I'll probably talk about them some more tomorrow, after their first final table (the TOC) and their first large field event (over 800 casino employees are expected).
PokerNews.com always has great articles, and I expect that to continue during the WSOP. I particularly recommend Earl Burton's ninth and final article in the "Countdown to the 2006 WSOP" series. It's a great read to get you ready for the next six to seven weeks.
I was hoping to see some more alternative coverage this year, and Mike Paulle of PokerPages is stepping up to the plate. He retired after the 2005 WSOP to spend some time with his family, but found that retirement didn't suit him, so he's back in the field as a poker reporter. I always want to laugh when people call me a long-time poker reporter. The first event I ever covered was the 2004 WSOP. Mike Paulle has been covering the WSOP for so long that he once announced final tables simply because nobody else wanted to do it.
This year, Mike Paulle will be blogging on PokerPages about the WSOP with an eye toward history. I think that's fantastic, and he's just the guy to do it. When I write about the history of poker, I have to research names and numbers on the web. (The first event I ever covered was the 2004 WSOP Main Event.) Mike has lived through poker history, and he has some great stories to share. I'll be reading his blog every day, and I recommend that you do too. Here are links to his first two to get you started:
Like I said, most media outlets won't start reporting until Event #2. I really look forward to reading Pauly's stuff at Tao of Poker, seeing FlipChip's photos at LasVegasVegas, and listening to Bluff’s live radio broadcasts and CardPlayer's Circuit. Unfortunately, Amy Calistri won’t be arriving until July 7th, just in time for the ladies-only event. But she assured me that once she arrives, she’ll be here until the end of the Main Event (or the Razz event, whichever takes longer).
THE LAST WORD
I saw Liz Lieu for the first time in a while, and she’s dropped the blonde locks she was sporting for her heads-up match against Erik Sagstrom at the Venetian in early May. She’s back to her natural dark hair with her trademark streaks, this time in blue. If it sounds weird, it isn’t -- she looked great. Here’s the photographic evidence.
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As always, feel free to leave me comments below.
BJ’s Blog: WSOP Day 1
Sunday, June 25, 2006
