Controversial WSOP Main Event 2008 structure
6th June, 2008
Instead of playing out the WSOP Main Event shortly after completing consecutive days of poker action, the final table will be delayed for four months after the tournament field is narrowed down to nine.
Many in the poker world are concerned about such a drastic change in structure, but all can agree that the anticipation will be incredible.
“My bigger concern is that ESPN really has the power to influence the direction of the entire final table because the network producers are the ones choosing what footage to air leading up to the final table, and what they show or don’t show could certainly help select final-table finishers and hurt others,” said Mike Schneider, poker professional.
Comparing the new structure to interleague play in Major League Baseball, Schneider makes it clear that this structure will take some getting used to.
“I didn’t like interleague play at first, but now it doesn’t bother me,” Schneider said. "I suspect that the same will hold true with this main event change, although I really wish it was only a couple weeks, rather than almost four months, before the final table plays out.”
Paul Galfond, poker professional, expressed his concern that the new delay before final table play will only benefit less skilled players, while hurting the better ones.
“On one hand, the players will have time to get good sponsorship deals, but they will have to wait three months and come back again,” Galfond said. “Also, the game gets ruined a bit because all the final table members have three more months to learn how to play, to hire coaches, etc. I don’t like that aspect, and I think it makes it a little unfair for the better players at the table. However, all of those players will have already won at least a million dollars.”
Probably the strongest opposition to the new structure, Todd Witteles, explains that there are many potential problems that come with giving poker players months to think about what they will do at the final table.
“I am surprised that there isn’t more opposition so far within this group,” said Witteles, poker professional. “The winner of the WSOP shouldn’t be about who hires the best coach, who practices the most, who manages to put together the best collusion/chip-dumping scheme or who manages to go four months without dying, getting really sick, getting seriously injured or put in jail.”
By Michael
