This friend is far from a poker pro or even someone who aspires to be such. She simply loves the game and enjoys watching professionals play it. She does want to know more about it, so introducing new lingo to television viewers is welcome, and getting to know new players and potential Chris or Christina Moneymaker-type players is exciting. She is a very true and longstanding fan of poker.

Enter the 2011 World Series of Poker. My friend set her TiVo for ESPN coverage of the action, as she does each year. But during the time of the Main Event, well before edited episodes were scheduled to begin, she noticed ESPN taping long stretches of poker television. And as she watched, she noticed that chunks of it were missing. I informed her that there was coverage on ESPN2 as well, but since she wasn’t aware of the change, she missed some of the action.

That was only the beginning of her frustrations. There was no notice amidst the Main Event coverage in July, whether on ESPN or ESPN2, to let viewers know that there were broadcasts on both channels. Since she doesn’t read poker blogs or poker news websites, she was unaware of the live schedule. Moreover, she works a full-time job and has obligations in life that prevented her from watching hours upon hours (upon hours) of coverage in a timely manner. The time commitment required to keep up with the Main Event was unreasonable.

Thankfully, she realized that the regular edited coverage would be available in the months that followed, though since she already saw bits and pieces through the live broadcasts, it ruined some of the drama and intensity of the tournament for her, as she knew the outcomes of some of the players already.

When the November Nine prepared to take place in Las Vegas, I informed her that there would be live coverage again, first on ESPN2 on a Sunday and finally on ESPN on Tuesday. Again, this was news to her, as there was no notice given on the regularly broadcast shows on previous Tuesdays. In addition, she was unsure - as was I - as to whether there would be edited shows recapping the November Nine final table. She set her TiVo for the semi-live broadcasts and attempted to watch them, but they were many, many hours long. She was also disappointed to discover that there were no hole cards shown for most hands, and the commentary often veered off into veteran poker territory as the hosts discussed c-bets, three-bets, four-bets, and other plays that were often not explained.

We discussed her disappointment in ESPN’s broadcast choices this year for the WSOP. In addition to confusing lingo on top of lingo, she felt that the plot was gone without constant hole cards. The personalities of the players were interesting, but knowing each hand of poker and how they play it is part of the story, which left her very unsatisfied and much less invested in any of the players. “They’re making it hard to be a fan!” she said more than once.

Obviously, not all women feel this way. Many women involved in poker are experienced players and enjoyed the 2011 WSOP coverage, as they were able to follow along with the action as would a player, and the commentary from experienced players like Antonio Esfandiari added to the strategic and in-depth aspects of the game. But most women, I would venture to say, are casual fans. They enjoy the back stories as much as the play itself. Requiring them to watch more than ten hours of coverage to see the story - without much about the players themselves to add to the plot - is more than most women are willing to give to a game.

In addition, the players were men, as were the vast majority of the commentators. Hostess Kara Scott was there to provide exit interviews with most players and add some information to the storyline, and Vanessa Rousso was a guest commentator for a short time on Sunday, November 6, but those were the only exceptions to a nearly all-male broadcast.

While it is easy to understand why experienced poker players and even the more advanced fans appreciate and crave the extended semi-live broadcasts, there are more fans who simply enjoy the simplicity of the game in a condensed format. There should be a way to accommodate all fans, and after so many years of poker experience, the WSOP and ESPN should be able to work together to achieve and deliver that.

Women are often underestimated in poker, whether at the tables or holding their remote controls from home. They may not be the primary target audience for the poker industry, but there is a loyal and excitable audience waiting for the right marketing and incentives to bring them into the fold. There is room for veterans and newcomers, and men and women, in poker. The next successful poker business will find a way to incorporate everyone and make the game appealing to the masses.