Note: This article reflects the views of the author and not those of Poker News Daily.
The 40th Anniversary World Series of Poker (WSOP) has brought us some fantastic moments to this point. The triple bracelet assault of Jeffery Lisandro, the double bracelet wins of Phil Ivey, Brock “t soprano” Parker, and Greg “FBT” Mueller have made it a truly exceptional tournament series. However, events that unfolded yesterday have potentially tarnished the good time.
For the first time ever in the Main Event, WSOP officials closed off registration for players once the field size for Day 1D reached an incredible 2,809 players. The resulting shutout meant that such veteran players as T.J. Cloutier, and “Captain” Tom Franklin would not be seated for the $10,000 buy-in tournament. Professional Mickey Appleman commented that he had played the past 30 Main Events, but he was shut out as well.
Harrah’s and WSOP officials scrambled to try to find a way to accommodate players and get them into the tournament. After the announcement that the final Day One was sold out, approximately 500 players were asked to meet with WSOP officials in a conference room. Once gathered, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack apologized profusely to the players who were denied entrance and tossed out several ideas for admitting them, including playing a Midnight to Noon session as Day 1E.
While Harrah’s and the latest incarnation of the WSOP management have made mistakes before in the running of the greatest poker tournament on Earth, the company made the correct move on Monday. WSOP registration opened in March. This allowed players that wanted to play in the Championship Event a full three months to get their names on the list and send money to Harrah’s in order to ensure their position. Admittedly, poker players are not the most time-conscious beings that inhabit the planet, but three months to do anything is a pretty good leeway.
Secondly, for those who had actual plans to play in the Main Event, yet were seeking a strategic edge from observing the prior action, the procrastination cost them. The first two days had player numbers of 1,116 and 873. The players should have figured that there would be a stampede on the final day.
Finally, why should Harrah’s change the rules for a few versus the masses? One of the potential resolutions Harrah’s considered was ten-handed tables. Harrah’s rejected this, however, because the other three Day Ones had not played under that handicap. Allowing alternatives after eliminations was discussed, but Harrah’s, once again standing its ground, rejected this idea. Adding a day or allowing a special session would be awarding the few versus the many.
This isn’t to say that Harrah’s and WSOP officials got away scot-free. In the history of the WSOP Main Event, no player who could put up $10,000 has ever been denied entry. Additionally, the WSOP ceded some of the power to the players by allowing them to pick which day they wanted to play, causing the mob that descended on the Rio on Monday.
With all of the hubbub dying down, Harrah‘s can correct the problem fairly easily. It is a great power that the WSOP conveyed to the players to allow them to choose which Day One they wanted to play in. Because of a multitude of things – player indifference, strategy, etc. – the hordes wanted to see the first few days and then join in a mad rush to get the final seats. By taking the seating power back from the players and assigning them to one of the four first days of play, Harrah’s and the WSOP could have avoided this situation.
It would have helped this year. Adding in the estimated 500 players who were denied entry to the WSOP Main Event, the field would have broken the 7,000 mark. This would have demonstrated that the effects of a recession, which have plagued Las Vegas, would have no effect on the marquee event in poker.
