In a move to balance the field of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, Harrah’s officials told Poker News Daily that Day 2A will now feature the survivors of Day 1A and Day 1C. Day 2B will feature players who began on Day 1B and Day 1D.
Harrah’s Communications Director Seth Palansky cautioned that space on all four starting days of the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament has been filling up quickly: “If there is a particular day you want, now is the time to make your move. If it’s an event you want to play in, make your plans accordingly and schedule the way you want it scheduled.” Palansky added that more players have pre-registered for Day 1D than all three of the other starting days combined.
This year, the Rio Pavilion will add 60,000 square feet of floor space to the WSOP. The Amazon Room, which had housed much of the cash game action in previous years, will revert to tournaments only in 2010. In the Amazon Room, players will find tournament restarts, final tables, and big buy-in events that kick off at 5:00pm. Palansky explained, “You have to play your way into the Amazon Room. If you don’t start there, that’s where you want to end up. Tables will break from Pavilion to Amazon.” The Pavilion is located across the hallway from the Amazon Room and was formerly the site of PokerPalooza and the Gaming Life Expo.
Events that kick off at Noon will have a projected end time of 12:40am. Similarly, tournaments that begin at 5:00pm will have a curfew of 2:40am. This year, restart times for Noon events have been pushed back until 2:30pm, following the 2:20pm bracelet ceremony, allowing players extra rest after a grueling day. Events that began at 5:00pm will have a restart time of 3:00pm. A total of 370 poker tables, pending approval by the Las Vegas Fire Department, will be set up.
Also changing this year are food service options. The outdoor grill is no more. Instead, Harrah’s officials will use the now-vacant Miranda Ballroom for the Gutshot Grill. As to what food players can expect to chow down on for seven weeks starting on May 28th, Palansky told Poker News Daily, “There will be similar offerings as in years past, but there has been a heightened focus on some healthier and vegetarian offerings.” The Miranda Ballroom has a full kitchen attached to it, allowing for fresh food to be served at the right temperatures.
The daily bracelet award ceremony will take place on the stage in the Rio Pavilion and feature more fanfare than in 2009. Although Palansky did not give specifics, he admitted, “We’re putting a lot of effort and resources into building that up.” This time around, bracelet ceremonies will be held in front of a roomful of people ready to restart. The festivities will once again feature the national anthem of the winning country and Steve Soffa will design the 2010 WSOP bracelets, a departure from Corum.
Already popping up on online poker forums are rumors that Harrah’s will ship the WSOP to one of its other Las Vegas properties like Caesars Palace, located down Flamingo from the Rio. However, Poker News Daily can squash those rumors, at least for the foreseeable future. Palansky emphatically responded, “Those rumors have gone on for years now. We’ll be at the Rio in 2010. We have no plans to move the WSOP.”
Finally, voting for the WSOP Tournament of Champions has slowed down slightly, with 280,000 votes cast so far. Despite the large number of ballots, Poker News Daily has learned that fewer than 100 votes separates the 20th and 21st place players, with the top 20 making the final cut to play in the event. Voting remains open until June 15th on WSOP.com.
