Kill Phil author Blair Rodman answers:
The decision to show the hole cards only after the conclusion of a hand was, according to ESPN, made to be in compliance with Nevada Gaming Control Board regulations. Whether or not that was the only reason it was done isn't known, but it also makes sense on other levels. Most televised poker shows are of completed events that are tightly edited, showing only highlight hands and entertaining moments that are condensed to fit into a pre-determined time slot. The November Nine, on the other hand, was broadcast nearly live, with just a 15-minute delay (the live format was also used in July as the event approached the final nine). It's not inconceivable, especially in an event of this magnitude, for a hand to take more than 15 minutes to play out, and it's not hard to envision the problems that could ensue if hole cards were exposed during a hand. The unedited ESPN coverage continued until the conclusion of the event, which took about 6.5 hours on the final night.
As to whether this new format enhances viewer's enjoyment of the show, the answer is that it depends on the viewer's level of interest in the game itself.
In the format used, students of poker were able to see every hand dealt, so there was no loss of continuity (as often happens in canned shows). With unexposed hole cards, educated viewers were free to speculate on players' holdings as hands progressed, with the aid of expert commentators like Antonio Esfandiari, who did a great job of taking viewers through hands and explaining the new-age strategies of playing no-limit hold 'em tournaments. It was like going to advanced poker school! Every serious player I know loves this format.
For casual poker fans used to watching shows of a pre-determined length, where hole cards are known during the play of hands, every hand shown is pivotal, and the action is broken up with tidbits -- like "Jesus" Ferguson throwing a card through a banana -- this might not have been their cup of tea. I remember thinking during one complex hand that this must be over the heads of a huge percentage of the audience, and that they would be turning the channel in droves, especially when the heads-up play carried on into the early morning hours. (The good news for these fans was that ESPN also broadcast an edited show using the old format a few days later.)
As much as I enjoyed the live coverage, I had serious doubts that we'd see this format again. ESPN is in it to make money, and I didn't think the ratings would justify continuing this experiment in future events. However, I was pleasantly surprised a few days later when I ran into Mori Eskandani, the producer of the show. He told me ESPN was extremely pleased with the ratings, which showed an audience of over 1 million viewers, even into the 6th hour of the telecast, and that the new format would definitely be used for future tournaments.
Mori expects that next year the Main Event coverage will consist of canned shows leading up to the November Nine, which will be broadcast live as it was this year. If that's the case, I'll be disappointed not to have the live shows in July, which I found at least as compelling as the Final Table, but I'll take what I can get.
