Poker Coverage Differs Across Atlantic

It has been suggested that US and UK poker coverage focus on different elements of the game.

Poker coverage in the UK press is "generally minimal", according to the editor of a gambling magazine.

Alan Bowden from InsidePoker claims that the celebrity poker element is something British media outlets tend to pick up on, while it is a "different kettle of fish" across the Atlantic in the US.

The game finds itself on primetime TV on NBC in the US, while ESPN "shows hours of coverage for weeks on end" when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is being played, he said.

Mr Bowden suggests that the poker press have their priorities right, but he does not have an issue with tabloids and other newspapers reporting on celebrities, saying "if that's a way of getting people interested in poker, that's not a problem".

Both snooker player Steve Davis and cricketer Shane Warne enjoyed some success at this year's WSOP main event, with the former managing to cash-in during the prestigious tournament in Las Vegas.