The Global Poker League Draft was one of the most successful poker innovations in recent memory, but things can always get better. Here are five ways Lee Davy believes that can happen.
The Global Poker League (GPL) Draft was brilliant.
I have never stayed awake all night to watch anything related to poker, but I was not going to miss this for the world. Being from the UK I have never looked at a draft of any kind but there’s something about this process that’s magical. It reminded me of my youth, ego and the need to prove yourself.
It’s a pity that Alexandre Dreyfus has the monopoly on grand poker award ceremonies. The French entrepreneur with a dream to ‘Sportify’ poker deserves a medal for what he has done. And it’s not only Dreyfus who needs a hug. The entire team falls into the cuddle category.
The Twitch stream had over 195,000 unique views; the poker world was interacting like crazy on Twitter, and USA Today increased the stature of the product by using the Draft as the impetus to start their new poker column.
Then you had the panel.
Dreyfus might not be able to win an award for his efforts but the quartet of Joe Stapleton, Eric Danis, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth can. You have to remember that this was the first event of its kind. The four of them went with the flow, adapting to every scenario on the fly, and delivered with hilarity.
But things can always get better.
Here are five things I would have done a little differently.
1# Make it a Sprint Not a Marathon
I felt the excitement of the 1st Round Draft was diluted somewhat by the speed at which things developed. During his post-draft article, The Day We Sportified Poker, Dreyfus wrote:
“The audience was engaged – all the way through a 5-hour marathon.”
If the panel had died on its ass, I don’t feel the audience would have been so engaged during this period of proceedings. I think it was a mistake to wait for three-minutes before running the VT of the Team Managers. Instead, I would have run the VT’s immediately and then allowed them to cast their vote as soon as the video had ended.
Also, we lost Celina Lin at one point during the draft. This delayed things slightly, and it was mentioned by a member of the panel that had this been the NBA, Lin would have lost her place in the draft. I think it’s something worth considering for the future.
2# Include Wild Card Selection
The decision to announce the wild card selections a fortnight after the draft feels like watching a show like Breaking Bad and facing a mid-season break. I feel slightly unfulfilled.
I understand why the wild cards are being selected post draft, but if they can find a way to factor them into the draft proper, I believe the whole evening will be elevated to a different level.
Imagine locking up some star wild card selections and running specially prepared VTs announcing their agreement to join the team. It would make an evening even more complete.
The situation we are currently facing means, we will find out the wild card selections via social media or a press release via PokerNews. It doesn’t have the same oomph now does it?
3# A Regional Flavour
When USA TODAY Sports scribe Kevin Taylor delivered his post-draft analysis he picked out Celina Lin’s Hong Kong Stars as the worst draft.
“The Stars failed to snag a huge name that the general public can attach themselves to.” Wrote Taylor.
But that depends on the generality of the general public. Perhaps Lin’s picks are big names in Hong Kong and the Asian region, and Lin was very open when she said on Twitter that her choices were made to grow poker in her region. That’s a very responsible thing for her to say, and it makes her a true ambassador of our sport.
I loved her approach.
When Rome Emperors Team Manager, Max Pescatori, broke ranks and decided to draft Timothy Adams, it didn’t seem right. Maybe it’s a personal choice, but I like the idea of players from the Asian region representing Hong Kong, and players from Italy representing Rome.
With this in mind, I would like to see a rule in place that forces teams to choose either one or two players with a relationship with that city, or at the very least, from that country. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a city name? You might as well be known as Team Liquid.
4# Holly Sanders
I thought it was a fantastic move to have Holly Sanders as part of the team. Next time let’s use her more. I hardly saw her during the five hours I remained transfixed to my computer screen.
5# Make The Pre-Draft Live
One of the innovative features of the GPL are the changes in gameplay. Dreyfus and his team know that to make this a spectator sport they need to quicken the pace, put pressure on players and let us all enjoy the fallout.
I would like to see the same thing happen for the draft. Rather than pulling franchise names out of kinder eggs to determine the draw, and give the respective managers time to consider their options, pull the picks one at a time, live on the night, and give them three minutes to make the best decision they can. Now that’s what I call entertainment.
