Posted by Dr Fro 7:24 PM
The 2008 WSOP is here. Unfortunately, I am not there. Is anybody going this year? Beau? Padilla?

My one trip to the WSOP resulted in some observations about how to fix some logisitics, all of which will be fixed this year. The tournament tables will be separated from the cages, the satellites and all other stuff peripheral to the tournament. This will help to make it more orderly.

For the first time this year, an event other than the Main Event will have multiple first days (the $1,500 NLHE event). Also, of course, the Final Table of the Main Event won't be played until November.

It seems that the WSOP has always been the 'barometer' of the poker industry in general. I'm not sure that is fair. Attendance is up each year due to increasing popularity, but there are at least two factors that drive down attendance, neither of which is an indicator of unpopularity. First, the UIGEA made playing poker online very difficult, and resulting WSOP regs made online qulifying for Americans even more difficult. Thus, you have a drop in attendance at the WSOP from 2006 to 2007. People erroneously claim that this is evidence of dropping poker popularity. No, it is evidence that fewer people are playing in the WSOP. What if I made it illegal to wear NBA jerseys at a high school. Would I look at the drop in NBA jersey wearing at that high school as evidence of dropping interest in the NBA? No. Let's accept the WSOP as one of the coolest things in poker, but let's not be stupid in what conclusions we draw from its attendance. I think there is a second trend that drives dropping WSOP attendance during increased or steady poker popularity: the maturity of the poker play. People that starting playing poker because they were inspired by Chris Moneymaker naturally would do whatever it took, play in as many satellites as they could afford, to get into the WSOP. I think that mature poker players give up on that dream and just chase EV. That's my thought any way.

It looks like Patrik Antonius is winning the first event. I guess Phil Gordon was onto something after all.

2 Comment(s):

Posted by  Beau, at 9:20 AM, June 02, 2008  

Yep, I’m headed to LV on Wednesday. I’ll be playing in event #9, 6-handed NLHE on Thursday. I’d rather play a full table game, as it suits my style better, but this was the only event that worked with my busy schedule in June.

Wish me luck….I’ll send some updates if there are any worth mentioning. Oh, and it looks like the first bracelet is in the bag or on the wrist of… http://tinyurl.com/3kquto

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Posted by  Dr Fro, at 6:41 PM, June 02, 2008  

Good luck, sir! Keep us posted

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