Was the WSOP Worth the Wait?

The cards have been dealt, the chips have been stacked and a winner has been determined. Now the question remains, was the delay in the WSOP main event worth the wait?

Now that WSOP has been done with for the year the question everyone is asking is “was the delay in the final table worth it?” When the scheme was announced earlier in the year the reactions were spontaneous and varied from hare-brained to wait and watch. Now more considered opinions are available.

ESPN has confirmed that the ratings were much better despite that there were no well-known celebrities in the running. Reports indicate that 2.4 million people watched the heads-up between Eastgate and Demidov live, which was more than 50% up from last year when Jerry Yang won the bracelet. As an aside people are already asking Jerry Who? Seth Palansky, the WSOP director of communications, pointed out the importance of television to the popularity of poker. He admitted that the increase in ratings could not be the sole indicator of success, but added, “… there’s no denying that this change led to quite an increase in viewers, and therefore that’s a good thing for everyone.”

It was not only the television viewers that increased. The live spectators increased from a few hundred to over a thousand. Though whether this has to do with the delay in the final table or with the shifting of the venue to the Penn and Teller Theater, which is literally more accommodating can be argued. Credit will have to be given to both. The delay created the interest and the new venue made it possible for the crowds to come in. Both the poker players and the WSOP staff could feel the palpable interest. And there was solid evidence of the interest as well. Spectators had lined up at the venue five hours before the start time. The November nine got a reception usually reserved for basketball or baseball stars. They were repeatedly stopped for autographs and photographs. And the crowds did not thin out after it was over for Dennis Phillips, the last American standing. A full crowd watched a Dane and a Russian battle it out for the top place.

The pundits who had predicted that the interest would wane were totally wrong. Whether the same interest would have been visible if there was no delay in the final table is more difficult to assess. This leads to the next question – “will there be a repeat of the delayed final table at WSOP 2009?” WSOP are not committing anything yet. They claim that they have to go through a lot of formalities before they can take a call.

The decision to delay was taken only in May and ESPN did not have the slot before November. For 2009 the decision can be taken well in advance and therefore ESPN can plan things out better. Kevin Mathers makes the following suggestion on Pokerati, which may be worth an ear. ESPN should start televising the earlier rounds from July itself. The final table should be held in September. The table should have six players and can be called the September Six. There is more to this suggestion than mere alliteration. With fewer players there will be less chopping to do when the final table is shown.

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