by the way, I think televised backgammon is just as good as poker, if not better, as long as you have some understanding.
Certainly it may not be as accessible.
The Gus v Sander Lylloff $10,000 special match we set-up at the WSOB Nordic Open 08 was superb entertainment! I have watched it at least 30 or 40 times and still enjoy it. Indeed, the secret is watching any of the shows we produced in preparation for play. There is so much valuable information to be gleaned!
I would attribute my own success winning a major event and a load of money to watching the action from Nordic 08 with Gus Hansen (and JC) commentary, albeit, I was in the edit for weeks, with them, the action and snowie!
for a player like myself, with some years behind me, a lot of information gathered, what I got from watching these shows, gave me balance in my ideas and even under massive pressure, I felt I rarely got into too much trouble with making a decision or if I lost confidence, I regained it quickly. Not so easy when playing against the very best players like Jurgen Orlowski for thirty grand!