Bluff, Harrah’s Ink WSOP Digital Publishing Alliance

Harrah’s Entertainment, owner of the World Series of Poker, announced today that it has forged a deal with Bluff Media LLC to form a digital publishing alliance for the World Series of Poker. The agreement does not simply cover the 2007 World Series at the Rio – it covers all World Series of Poker events worldwide.

Bluff Media, which published Bluff Magazine, will operate the WSOP website and will provide broadband, streaming, and real-time content. Examples of this content include live chip counts, event updates, video, and audio. Like last year, Bluff will also be the official radio partner of the WSOP.

This marks the end of CardPlayer’s association with the WSOP, which, to many poker fans, will be a welcomed change. CardPlayer received much flak last summer for its less-than-premium coverage of the Series. Many felt that their final table coverage was poor and their live updates inaccurate. Other members of the press were put off by CardPlayer’s authoritarian rule over the coverage, often over-stepping its bounds. And the way the magazine seemed to sell out to Full Tilt Poker, promoting its pro players over all else, was a turn off to most following their coverage.

Bluff, on the other hand, was generally considered to do a very good job with its radio show, which was broadcast on Sirius satellite radio. There is hope that the consolidation of the media rights will improve the coverage for the 2007 World Series, as well as the WSOP Circuit, WSOP Europe and other WSOP events.

Originally published 11:50 PM Monday, March 19, 2007