The new final table format at this years WSOP – Good idea?

An interesting debate has been running strong ever since the World Series of Poker announced earlier this year that the final table of the Main Event would be delayed once the event wound down to the final nine players. Dubbed the “November 9”, the players have had over 100 days now to prepare for the event, which will be played out on (you guessed it) November 9th. The edited for time show will then be broadcast on ESPN two days later.

The reasons for ESPN and WSOP making the decision are pretty obvious – ratings. With interest declining and lower viewer counts, ESPN had to do something different. In addition to adding formats like the $50K HORSE event and inserting the short intermission-like spots like “The Nuts”, ESPN still felt they needed something different. Finally, the decision was made to create the new final table format that we will see this year.

Many argue that it takes away the spirit of the game, which most players will agree upon. However, even some of the games top players concede that in the long term, it’s probably good for the game of tournament poker. The long break allows ESPN time to generate buzz for the event (evidenced right here by the fact that you’re reading this article) but it also gives the poker players time to reflect, train, and according to some, collude. That final point is what many critics point to as a critical issue that must be addressed. In other words, what if the two chip leaders agree to soft-play each other in the interim and work together to eliminate the short stacks? While such an agreement could be negotiated during a break in a regular tournament, there’s certainly more chance of it happening when there’s a 100 plus day break for sure.

What about the notion of a player going on a “rush”? If you’ve ever played poker you’ve either seen or experienced this yourself. The cards just keep coming, you make no mistakes, raise at the right time, fold at the right time, you’re playing perfect poker. Now you make the final nine and BAM! Time to go home, come back in November!

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, this will be an interesting experiment that will be played out for the world to see in just a few days. If it’s a success, you can almost certainly expect to see this at other events. If it’s a flop, then perhaps the critics were right all along. For now though, the debate will continue and while a conclusion may never be reached on the subject, one thing is certain: A champion will be crowned for the 2008 WSOP very shortly and we’ve all waited long enough to see it happen.