While tournament directors and dealers oversee the game’s integrity, poker’s live reporters are there to chronicle the action without shaping it. Yet, what happens when a mistake is glaringly obvious? Is there ever a moment when a journalist should step in, or is their duty always to remain silent?
This ongoing debate recently surfaced again after Divyam Satyarthi was wrongly eliminated in third place from the WSOPC Maryland Main Event by eventual winner Maurice Hawkins.
Industry figures, especially WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage, have weighed in on the responsibilities of live reporters. But where should the line be drawn between journalistic integrity and tournament ethics? And when, if ever, should a reporter raise a red flag?
Response to Savage’s Take
Savage argued that poker media should take a more active role in preventing such errors, suggesting they should “drop the pen and paper” to intervene when an obvious mistake occurs.
Senior Global Live Events Manager Shirley Ang has worked with PokerNews since May 2017 and gave her thoughts on the matter and how she prepares live reporters for life in the field.
While Savage advocates for intervention, Ang firmly opposes this idea, citing the importance of maintaining professional boundaries between media and tournament operations.
“I would never go directly to a player or dealer,” said Ang. “If I had to, and I was 100% sure, I would go to the floor staff. I think every live reporter over the course of their career has exchanged a glanceor two with a floor while reporting as if to say, ‘Hey, you might want to take a look at this.'”
“It’s about handling things the right way”
Ang acknowledges the temptation to step in, but she emphasizes that respecting casino staff, event structure and smooth running of the tournament is crucial.
“It’s about handling things the right way. People make mistakes—it’s part of life. If something goes wrong, you don’t immediately call someone out publicly. Instead, you discreetly give feedback to the right person, like a manager, to avoid embarrassing anyone.”
She says that this philosophy is at the core of how PokerNews trains its live reporters, balancing journalistic integrity with respect for tournament operations.
This perspective was echoed by respected industry figures like Brad Willis, Norman Chad, and former PokerNews Chief Editor Donnie Peters who all took to social media to reinforce that poker journalists must remain impartial observers.
“We tell our live reporters that they need to always be aware of where they are and the trust that’s being put in them in that moment,” said Ang. “Reporters can be only a few feet away from the most important moments in the tournament, but they mustn’t interfere.”
The Work of Live Reporters
While Savage did acknowledge the hard, underappreciated job of live reporters, Ang says that the job is often misunderstood. While they may be a fixture of the tournament floor, live reporters have a much different job than dealers and tournament staff.
“Our job is to observe and report,” said Ang. “At the end of the day, our role is to be a fly on the wall—not to impact the event in any way, positive or negative.
“We just write what happens. We are quiet observers, documenting what happens.”
With the 2025 World Series of Poker just months away, Ang and her team are busy preparing for the most important two months of the live reporting calendar.
“The WSOP is a huge undertaking for the entire PokerNews team. We first live reported from the WSOP in 2007, and we’re proud to be the home of official live updates.
“We will prepare our live reporters like we always have I know they will be excited to be back in action later this year.”
Become a PokerNews Live Reporter!
If you have a passion for poker, a knack for writing, and have always wanted to get closer to the action, PokerNews wants you to join our team of live reporters for the 2025 World Series of Poker (May 27-July 16) and beyond.
We are currently accepting writing samples as we solidify our team leading up to the 2025 WSOP in Las Vegas. If this opportunity sounds right for you, don’t miss out on your chance to learn from our industry-leading group of experienced professionals in an exciting job that will help take your poker writing to the next level!
The ideal candidate will have the following attributes:
- A passion for poker and its players
- Strong communication skills in English (verbal and written)
- Able to work independently and be self-motivated
- Capable of adapting and multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment
- Prior writing experience is great, but we train motivated candidates
- 21 years of age or older
Managing Editor