Twitch Streaming and the Future of Poker Commentary

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Friday, December 2nd, 2016 | Written by Stephen Smith

The poker world seems to agree that in order for the game to stay popular, relevant, and to one day reclaim some of its former glory of the 2000s that it must first become more of a sport. Attempts to sportify the game, however, have fallen short of expectations, and while the World Series of Poker draws large television audiences, the slow pace of the action usually results in people switching to another channel before the tournaments are complete. Even the innovative Global Poker League launched this year has so far failed to capture the public’s imagination, and bring in big crowds.

Importance of Poker Commentary

But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t interested in watching others play poker, as poker commentators are some of the most popular and frequently watched content producers on Twitch. In fact, millions of viewers have tuned in to watch some of the game’s most popular personalities live stream their performances, and truth be told, if live poker commentators took more cues from Twitch streamers, televised poker may well gain the spectator sport status that has eluded it thus far.

Key Traits of Quality Commentary

Here are some of the key traits that Twitch commentators possess that seem to be lacking among commentators offline:

1. Perfect Amount of Game Theory Information

Tune into a good poker Twitch stream and you’ll learn something from the commentator, but you won’t be forced to listen to a complicated diatribe on mathematics and statistics. The best Twitch streamers know their game theory but they also know how to communicate it in a way that is concise and informative and not overly dry or too in-depth.

2. A Healthy Dose of Humor

When you’re watching a lengthy tournament, the commentator can make all the difference and keep you glued to your set. Twitch streamers use humor to keep their audiences engaged, and each one brings their own brand of humor to the game to make things fun.

3. Plenty of Emotion

Twitch streamers manage to make those tuning into their casts feel as if they’re part of the action. Instead of robotically narrating their moves, they let their emotions show through.

4. A Good Understanding of the Audience

The best Twitch streamers clearly know who is tuning into their streams. They understand the age group and know how to create content in a way that is relevant to them. Broadcasts for live poker events often seem as if they are trying to appeal to people who belong at the tables in the tournaments, not to the average person who is interested in watching others play because they have yet to develop that skill.

5. The Ability to Think and React Quickly

Twitch streamers are able to stay focused on the game while also being able to adapt to whatever is happening, so that their commentary remains exciting and doesn’t falter. Many commentators of live events seem to either fall behind the action trying to keep things interesting or just end up dryly narrating the events because they cannot react and think quickly enough to keep the commentary interesting.

iPoker Future is Online Streaming

In fact, Twitch streamers do not even have to be a professional player in order to attract viewers to their stream, but they do need to connect with their audience. Case in point, Kevin Martin (photo) is a member of Team PokerStars Online Pro, and despite having had no great successes, he still has 38,131 people interested in following his online exploits.

It does help that the Canadian was a rock-radio DJ before becoming a prominent online poker Twitch streamer, and that his stated goal is to improve his game so that he may steadily progress through the different stakes levels. Explaining part of the appeal of Twitch over television commentary, Martin said:

“It’s immediate and it’s live. People want live. Sure you can go on YouTube and you can watch tournaments from a couple of years ago, but you don’t get that feeling of being in the moment. Whereas, on a Sunday on Twitch, when somebody is deep in a big tournament, word gets around and it’s kind of a cool little community where they’ll all go and watch whoever is making a run. It’s immediate and it’s live.”