Setting Expectations for the World of Poker Live Reporting

When it comes to live reporting in the world of poker, we look back on more than 15 years of hand histories being written down from the perspective of an observer. Some of these posts can be quite eloquent, even reaching the heights of being considered masterpieces when they include swaths of table chat and capturing the atmosphere. The vast majority of live poker updates, however, follow a well-structured guide from start to finish.

If you are getting into this kind of niche journalism, don’t expect it to be a “get-rich-quick” scheme because that most certainly isn’t the case no matter how many tournaments you cover. Instead, this job requires a lot of dedication and the attention to detail for an extended period. Every little mistake can be scrutinised and should be avoided at all costs.

Mistakes will always happen — accept it as a fact

But mistakes will happen, even to the best of us. Many of the first generation of live poker reporters have moved on to new horizons, be it within the industry or an entirely different way of life away from the tables. What poker has and will always teach is an incredibly complex construct that many will never fully decipher.

This also includes the other side of the felt from which a handful of people observe the action with pen and paper at the ready or a tablet in their hand to scribble quick notes of the action. They may gently pat your shoulder to ask for a your name because it may be the first time that they have seen you at the poker tables. It could even be their first live reporting shift ever in a new location where they know none of the casino regulars.

General suggestions for new reporters

In cases like this, I dare suggest the following recommendations for new reporters:

• Try not to stand directly behind the players when they still have cards.
• Don’t ask players for their name or details while they are actively involved in a hand.
• Don’t slow down the action at the table with your inquiries.
• If you want to include quotes, make sure they are accurate — otherwise just summarise the overall emphasis instead without taking any sides.
• Only write down what you have witnessed and don’t assume any prior action because that can open the box of pandora.
• Portray the action in the order it happened. For the sake of accuracy, it is also a viable option to summarise things such as check-raise or check-fold, four-bet jam etc especially if the initial bet sizes are unknown.
• If you notice that something is off, feel free to get in touch with the tournament staff. Don’t get involved in the action and let them handle it because that’s their job.

Answering generic and delicate questions during events

The reasoning behind these suggestions are in line with the “fly on the wall” principle that most international poker tournaments advocate when it comes to journalists. However, players will always ask random questions that you most likely know the answer to. It’s perfectly fine to answer them as long as it doesn’t grant an unfair advantage. Examples:

“Do you know how many levels we play? When is the dinner break? When does the late registration end? How many entries are allowed?”

There are also some tricky questions such as “do you know how much the chip leader has?” or “do you know which table breaks next?”.

The former leads you right into the Bermuda triangle because unless it’s a rather small event, it can be tricky to be certain and may change every other minute.

Another very popular question typically unfolds near the money bubble. “Are there any short real short stacks?” will often come up when you pass along the aisles especially in larger fields. Try to avoid answering this because it may influence the action.

Now that we have most of the basics covered, there are a few further things to consider. When counting chips, for example, please don’t lean too close to the table that you may almost fall right on the player. On tournament breaks, do not touch the chips to count them but ask one of the floor staff or dealers to assist.

Being prepared will always pay off

Getting to known the chip set is actually another basic rule that I didn’t include previously. Before the action gets underway, scout the tournament area to figure out the chip denominations and especially how many of the bigger chips each player starts with. This will come in handy for the opening and middle stages.

In general, never be afraid to ask for help or advice and don’t take it personal when the answers don’t live up to your expectations. The live poker scene can be a very stressful environment in which you have to have a thick skin. For the players and journalists alike, it isn’t for the faint-hearted and can become overwhelming at times. Keeping a cool head and sticking to certain routines is a must.

There is no perfect way to handle all of the chaos and it is highly recommended to build your own mental bridges and logical approaches to get the job done. Common sense and a good memory for names and faces certainly helps, everything else solely depends on how quick you can obtain and process the information.

Time management is crucial

The only reliable way to gather information is by witnessing it first hand. Try to minimise the time spent in front of your computer without leaving out key details in the updates before rushing back to the tournament area. If you happen to find a way to sit closer to the action without threatening the integrity of the event, by all means try to do so in cooperation with the tournament staff.

Countless events all over the world since late 2010 have taught me that the it’s utterly crucial to always think at least two steps in advance. Some routines such as preparing the redraws for the final few tables and coming up with cheat sheets to track players only come with plenty of practice while others can be learned. First and foremost, accuracy and attention to detail is a key ingredient for a thorough live reporting coverage at poker tournaments.

This obviously cannot be expected from new reports who walk into Day 1 of a WSOP mass tournament with thousands of entries. They will be lost in the sea of shuffling chips and walk around like headless chickens praying for mercy. We have all been there and it’s a steep learning curve that can lead to potentially painful lessons.

The job in itself is fun and engaging but also incredibly draining when you aim to hustle for as much information as possible. I learned to live with a tremendous amount of stress and little sleep while covering poker events that sometimes left me behind like a zombie at the end of the night.

Coffee or energy drinks can only fix so many things that a physical preparation ahead of the day’s action may be recommended in order to build up stamina. Many poker pros have discovered the advantages of heading to the gym and there are many exercises that can be done without needing much space or heavy equipment. It is certainly not a must to get the job done but will very likely raise the overall readiness and attention during the long work shifts.

Stay realistic with your own expectations

As far as the overall expectations are concerned, don’t get tricked into witnessing the most exciting poker hands all day long or being able to capture all key hands in the early and mid stages of a tournament. That is simply impossible unless you get to cover a high-stakes competition with very few tables and well-known top pros.

Players should also not expect by default that all of their key hands will be reported upon. Don’t take the work for granted because the number of live reporters has dwindled a lot throughout the last few years and cloning certain industry veterans is not an option just yet. There is just so much one or a few live reporters can do throughout a poker tournament.

Often I get to hear “you just missed this big hand” — in jest or serious — as a comment when walking down the aisles. Well yes, that will certainly happen a lot because often there are only a select few reporters in charge of the coverage. Don’t take that as a stab at your work (as reporter) or as lack of respect (as player) because it is often impossible to portray all spectacular hands due to the sheer volume of participants in the field.

When sharing hands that players are recalling, make sure to attribute it as such because otherwise, all readers will automatically assume it has happened even though the live reporter didn’t witness any of it. This is in fact a core principle of journalism in general and should always be followed. While journalistic pieces can often include opinions, this is frowned upon in live updates — stay neutral.

I like to think that my work is flawless and the best product I can come up with but in reality this is quite obviously not the case. During pretty much every event sloppy mistakes are happening, some of which I notice by myself or which get pointed out by the players. They are utterly annoying and I even sometimes curse at myself because it doesn’t fit with the narrative of perfectionism.

As a player, if you notice an apparent mistake in the live updates, please point it out to the reporters in charge and they will amend if the notes still exist on paper or in their memory. The end product of portraying the action at live poker events will always be incomplete and imperfect but some will be more thorough and detailed. In a way, this is always dependant on the ability of the live reporter to work under difficult and challenging circumstances.

Find your own way to be fast, precise and efficient

The job requires a pretty unique mix of skillsets that cannot necessarily be learned or studied. There are general guidelines out there on how to act and interact but the ideal way to handle everything when it all unfolds in such a dynamic environment doesn’t exist. You gotta find your own way even after following veteran reporters on a field day.

My job as one of these veterans in the industry is to lead by example and forward as much advice as possible. What others make out of it cannot necessarily be influenced because it would draw away the attention to deliver the same quality of the coverage. You gotta have passion for the game and want to make the poker family grow by sharing stories of those that deserve it.

The own standards and drive to deliver as much as possible have risen throughout the years that every little mistake has become annoying. I am always holding myself responsible to put the utmost effort in whatever I do, which is not solely reserved for my current job duties. That obviously has some drawbacks as well but that’s a topic for an entirely different blog entry.

Make sure to be kind and respectful to others while playing poker even if a lot of money and prestige is up for grabs. And if you happen to have insider jokes and jovial battles with others at the tables, make sure to mention them and give me something to write about.

Perhaps, articles like this one will sooner or later lead to a book project but that will have to wait until by days of busting my ass off while observing the poker tables all over the world are over.