At the end of every World Series of Poker a number of top players sit down with tournament officials and discuss possible alterations to the rules, blind structures and games on offer in order to try and improve poker’s oldest festival. This year was no different and a number of new rules and regulation will be in place in time for the 2010 WSOP.
The changes, as always, have been met with a mix of praise and criticism, especially the new registration rules. Many players like to turn up to their event late, Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth the eleven-time bracelet winner is famous for this, but it appears he will have to be in his seat on time for the upcoming series.
A new rule states that any player who is not in their seat and has not been dealt a hand by the start of the third blind level will have their chips removed and be counted as a no-show. Their buy-in will also be removed from the prize pool and given back to them.
This rule in particular has drawn much criticism as many players believe it is open to abuse. A poster on a popular poker forum said that a savvy player may register for an event, keep an eye on his or her table and, if it looked too tough, not take their seat, essentially unregistering from the tournament.
One change that shows the popularity of social networking sites is the rule allowing players to send text, emails and use Twitter while at the table. As in previous years all mobile phones need to be switched off at the table but now players who have put their cards into the muck are free to use their devices until they receive a new hand. Chip counts and important hand recollections were common themes during the 2009 World Series of Poker, with fans tuning in to the like of Doyle Brunson and Daniel Negreanu’s pages for progress updates.
Perhaps the biggest change for the 2010 WSOP is the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event being scrapped and replaced with the $50,000 Player’s Championship. Entries to the H.O.R.S.E event plummeted last year from 148 to just 95, mainly due to the event’s final table not being televised, so the tournament directors have decided to mix things up. After all, WSOP poker videos are now big business and what player doesn’t want to bask in the limelight?
Instead of H.O.R.S.E the players will engage in 8-game, which will see them play a mix of 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Low, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi/Low, No-limit Hold’em and Pot-limit Omaha. The winner will still receive the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, which used to be awarded to the winner of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event.
Once again the World Series of Poker kicks off with a new special tournament – The Poker Player’s Championship which commands a $50,000 entry fee.
At the 2009 WSOP a one-off $40,000 tournament started the longest running poker festival in the world to celebrate the series’ 40th anniversary. That particular event attracted 201 players and was eventually won by Vitaly Lunkin of Russia who netted $1,989,120.
This year Harrah’s, owner of the World Series of Poker, have introduced the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship which will see some of poker’s elite battle it out over eight different poker variants. The games to be played are fixed-limit Hold’em, fixed-limit Omaha hi/lo split, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud hi/lo split, no-limit Hold’em, pot-limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw. Games will rotate every eight hands although the final table will be solely no-limit Hold’em.
Harrah’s have decided to use this tournament to replace the $50,000 HORSE event which attracted only 95 entries last year, down from 148 in 2008. Much of the blame for the reduced figures must go down to the decision to not air the final table on ESPN so many of the player’s sponsors refused to buy their players into the tournament. This mistake will not be repeated in 2010 as the final table of the $50,000 event will be broadcast by ESPN who have the rights to the WSOP for the next couple of years. Tournament poker videosof the event should also be available.
Another new tournament that is sure to draw in the crowds, especially the internet tournament specialists, is Event #52 – the $25,000 6-max no-limit Hold’em tournament. Each of the players will start with 75,000 chips and play to blind intervals starting at 150/300/25, increase every hour. The short-handed format should generate a lot of action and the coverage of the event should boost ESPN’s viewing figures as thousands will tune in to see some super-aggressive poker.
The release of the schedule for the 2009 World Series of Poker has brought about excitement and debate. The poker community seems to have been electrified, not only by the release of the most anticipated events of the year, by the changes that have taken place to the schedule for this years event.
The controversial final table delay of a year ago is back again, along with the addition and elimination of many other events. The decision to continue with the four month long delay has not come as a surprise to many, as the final table in 2008 saw an increase of 50% amongst Television viewers. The buzz and excitement apparent in the final table theater was something the poker world had never seen before.
Player’s looking to “buy” their way to a title through the re-buy events will be out of luck at this years WSOP. The re-buys have been completed eliminated from the competition. The WSOP committee’s goal in eliminating these events is to make the competition fair for everyone, regardless of their bankroll. Although these events have been eliminated, the addition of two new events that offer “no cost re-buys” will give the affect of a re-buy event. In these events, every player is awarded three add-ons, which come with the tournament entry fee. Players can choose when to add-on chips at any point, including the beginning of the tournament.
Those feeling the affects of the economic crisis will also be happy to see a $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event. This is the first time since 2006 that the WSOP will feature an event with a buy-in below $1,500. Tournament representatives have stated, that although it is very difficult to estimate the number of entries for events, they believe this event could draw over 5,000 players; Which would mean the first place finisher could take down as much as $700,000 in prize money.
By far the event that has grabbed the most headlines and awaking professionals and amateurs alike on poker forums around the world is the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’Em event. Although officials have insisted that this event will not take the place of the main event as the “world championship,” many professionals, including Shannon Shor, Greg Raymer, and Daniel Negreanu have admitted that the bracelet winner for this event may represent the “best” player from the events. Many players are predicting a much smaller and talent rich tournament, compared to that of the main event.
In addition to the changes in events, tournament officials have also displayed a commitment to enhance the WSOP from the players standpoint, as well as from a viewers standpoint. Officials are already working to produce more affordable rooms at the Rio, as well as tying the payouts and structure of events to the number of entries. Tournament officials have also assured the public that they will work diligently to develop the final table presentation in a more detailed and effective manner. One tournament official assured that there would be more coverage of the heads-up action in particular, to the delight of players and spectators around the globe.
Whether you prefer satellites or posting your buy-in, secure your seats early, as this summers action promises to be as exciting as ever. Who knows, maybe you are the next World Champion! Until next time, get your money in the middle with the best of it!
The World Series of Poker has become a massive event, that attracts thousands upon thousands of poker players from around the world. You sit at home and you watch the events unfold, and if you are like me you wish you could get into the action. We all can’t afford to put up the $10 000, to play in the main event, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t play in some of the smaller events. You may not be aware that there are some events on the schedule that are much more affordable, you can also play in qualifiers and try to earn your way in. Come Series time you will see a lot of online sites offering up satellites to get into the big event, but that can be just as taxing as paying the money up front. Here is a few events that were played last year, that can provide players with an excellent opportunity to live out there dreams. And who knows if you do well in one of these you could be playing in the main event in no time.
$1,500 No-Limit Holdem – Last year this event was second on the schedule and ended up with almost 4000 entrants. That is right 4000, which made the prize pool a whopping $5.3 million. As it was early on the schedule the big names showed up eager to get the WSOP under way. Grant Hinkle was the eventual winner taking home more then $830 000, but notables like Chris Ferguson finished third, and Theo Tran finished at the final table in fourth. Making the final table of this event guaranteed you $83 000 and we can all agree that can be a life changing amount of money, even for finishing in the top 100 you could $5 000 plus.
$1,500 Pot-Limit Holdem – If no limit is not your thing, you can try your hand a pot limit game, last year they were back to back on the schedule. The pot limit event will have a much smaller field, 713 players last year, with less players comes a smaller prize pool. But you can still win a great amount of money, last year established pro David Singer won the title and $200 000 plus. You might see a lot of big names, but last year the likes of Tom McEvoy were in the field.
$1,500 No-Limit Holdem / Six Handed – If you like to play short handed games this might the tournament for you, there will be a maximum of 6 players at each table. Once again the field was relatively small last year, with just over 1200 players, but the eventual winner did take home more then $370 000. Commonly this would be a three day event and would appear early on the WSOP schedule, last year it was the ninth event.
$1,000 Ladies No-Limit Holdem World Championship – This ones just for the girls out there, but if you like the idea of matching yourself up against the best women in the world here is your chance. Over a thousand women played in the event last year, making the prize pool $1 million plus, with a winners take of close to $225 000. There is no doubt you will see some of the biggest names in women’s poker in attendance, ladies like Kathy Liebert, Evelyn Ng and Jennifer Tilly. This is World Championship event and will carry a lot of pride and prestige for the women who takes home the bracelet.
$1,500 Seven Card Razz - Well if you would prefer to expand upon your poker knowledge you give this game a try, although I don’t suggest it. If you are not familiar with RAZZ basically the low hand wins, and if want to try go right ahead. 453 players decided last year to invest there money in RAZZ and a poker super star came away with the bracelet, and that man was Barry Greenstein. If you actually enjoy playing RAZZ then this might be your way to get into the World Series of Poker for a cheaper price.
This is just scratching the surface, this list can go on and on. You see there is more then just the main event, your dreams can become a reality, for a much lower price tag. Not only that, but if you choose you can play in some satellites and try and gain entry the long way. We have all heard the stories of amateurs who make it big in the poker world, from Chris Moneymaker to Jamie Gold to Gerry Yang, you could be the next name on this list. Lets face it $1000 – $1500 is still a lot of money, but with some long term planning you can chase your dreams and sit along side the pros for your chance to win a World Series of Poker bracelet.
As is customary in the month of January, the World Series of Poker Circuit Event will be headed to Tunica, MS from January 20th to February 3rd. The event will be held at Harrahs Tunica. This resort features a golf course, two hotels, a kids arcade, and is one of the most awe inspiring properties that Harrahs owns.
This year’s event will be the only game in town as the WPT decided to not renew the Tunica stop on the current season of the World Poker Tour. For years, the WPT and the WSOP competed for the tournament dollars of local poker players. This year, the WSOP should show a strong crowd for most events. Expect many pros to be among those in attendance during the events.
For more information, go to www.worldseriesofpoker.com. For those that may think about going to the event, discounts are usually offered for players playing in the events. Shuttle services are also available from the hotels to the casino. If you have never been to Tunica or to a WSOP Circuit event stop, this is one that you shouldn’t miss.
The scheduled for the circuit stop is below:
Date Event Buy-In Time
Tue, Jan 20th Event #1 – No Limit Hold’em $340 12:00 PM
Tue, Jan 20th Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Wed, Jan 21st Event #2 – No Limit Hold’em $340 12:00 PM
Wed, Jan 21st Omaha HI/Lo split Pot Limit $230 4:00 PM
Thu, Jan 22nd Event #3 – No Limit Hold’em $340 12:00 PM
Thu, Jan 22nd 7-stud Hi Lo Split $230 4:00 PM
Fri, Jan 23rd Event #4 – No Limit Hold’em $550 12:00 PM
Fri, Jan 23rd 6-Hand No Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Sat, Jan 24th Event #5 – No Limit Hold’em $340 12:00 PM
Sat, Jan 24th Seniors No Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Sun, Jan 25th Event #6 – No Limit Hold’em $440 12:00 PM
Sun, Jan 25th Ladies No Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Mon, Jan 26th Event #7 – No Limit Hold’em $230 12:00 PM
Mon, Jan 26th Seven Card Stud $230 4:00 PM
Tue, Jan 27th Event #8 – No Limit Hold’em $230 12:00 PM
Tue, Jan 27th Pot Limit Omaha $230 4:00 PM
Wed, Jan 28th Event #9 – No Limit Hold’em $340 12:00 PM
Wed, Jan 28th H.O.R.S.E $230 4:00 PM
Thu, Jan 29th Event #10 – No Limit Hold’em $440 12:00 PM
Thu, Jan 29th No Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Fri, Jan 30th Event #11 – No Limit Hold’em $550 12:00 PM
Fri, Jan 30th No Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Sat, Jan 31st Event #12 – No Limit Hold’em $1,080 12:00 PM
Sat, Jan 31st No Limit Hold’em $230 4:00 PM
Sun, Feb 1st Mega Satellite $550 12:00 PM
Sun, Feb 1st Mega Satellite $550 3:00 PM
Sun, Feb 1st Mega Satellite $550 7:00 PM
Sun, Feb 1st Mega Satellite $550 9:00 PM
Mon, Feb 2nd Event #13- Circuit Championship $5,150 12:00 PM
Tue, Feb 3rd Event #14- No Limit Hold’em $230 12:00 PM
