Jeff Haney wonders when viewers will cry ‘Fold!’ on plethora of poker tournaments on television

Wednesday, July 4, 2007 | 1:04 a.m.

As red-blooded 21st-century American media consumers, with our DVRs and DVDs and HDTVs, we think it's practically our birthright to have access to our favorite moments from the cinema and the small screen at the push of a button.

So we've grown accustomed to watching - again and again - as, say, poor Fredo meets his demise in the rowboat. Or as Ralph unceremoniously ejects Carlos the mambo instructor from that Brooklyn flat on Chauncey Street. Or as Phoebe Cates climbs out of the swimming pool to the strains of the Cars' "Moving in Stereo."

Whatever your most treasured scenes, chances are you've watched them multiple times.

Because poker's growth has dovetailed with the onset of all that video technology, viewers have been treated - or subjected, depending on your point of view - to a steady diet of televised tournaments, most notably World Series of Poker play on ESPN's myriad cable channels.

Leading up to Friday's start of the no-limit Texas hold 'em main event of the 38th annual World Series of Poker at the Rio, ESPN has been airing previous years' tournaments seemingly nonstop.

The sports network is going even deeper at this year's World Series of Poker, planning 16 hours of coverage of the main event, 10 hour long programs focusing on other bracelet events, and six hours of airtime devoted to the $50,000 buy-in HORSE world championship tournament.

Whew.

With that ambitious schedule in mind, I asked World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack - the man responsible for guiding the World Series as it evolves from a formerly intimate gathering in downtown Las Vegas to an international mega-event - whether he has become concerned about the Big O.

Overexposure.

While allowing for the possibility that it might yet happen, Pollack said he thinks the scale has not tipped from "just enough" to "too much" televised poker.

"I've said all along that poker is the ultimate 'evergreen' sports program," Pollack said. "There's no question people like to watch it over and over.

"For one thing, if you're really paying attention, you can learn something new about poker every time you watch. But also, some of the stories never grow old. It really can be like watching a favorite old movie or a favorite TV show."

If they haven't already, then, images such as Chris Moneymaker running a big bluff, Greg Raymer donning his holographic dinosaur sunglasses or Scotty Nguyen ordering another Michelob could join the pantheon of iconic American scenes.

"I think we're very fortunate to be on ESPN and we're happy we perform so well for them," Pollack said. "Part of that is we do re-air very frequently. That said, at some point we might want to take a look at how much exposure we do get, because too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing."

The first month of the World Series offered no signs that poker is heading for a slump.

There were marquee moments such as Phil Hellmuth winning his 11th gold championship bracelet and longtime pro Freddy Deeb outlasting one of the toughest fields ever assembled to win the HORSE mixed-games world title, a test of all-around poker skill.

The size of the fields in the World Series preliminary events was an equally significant storyline. A $1,500 buy-in Texas hold 'em tournament attracted 3,151 players, the largest field for a tournament that wasn't a World Series main event. That broke the previous record of 2,998 - which was set during this World Series in another hold 'em tournament.

Unlike a professional baseball player who claims he pays no attention to statistical records because those things are "for the fans" or "for the media," Pollack unabashedly pays attention to such figures.

"It shows that interest in tournament poker is stronger than ever," he said.

Pollack declined to predict whether the field in this year's main event will surpass last year's record of 8,773 players.

Like any devoted poker fan, however, Pollack is eager to find out as he prepares for a championship event that will surely produce its own collection of soon-to-be classic moments.

"I'm curious to see how many we get," he said.