Main Event Mobbed

Since Moneymaker won the millions in 2003, the main event, and for that matter the entire Series, has been effectively "mobbed" by thousands of amateur online poker players and the real technicians of world poker - Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and Chris Ferguson, to name just a few - are rather annoyed at this unprecedented invasion.

They, together with many poker aficionados are not convinced that the winner of the Texas Holdem main event should be given the unofficial accolade of the Best Poker Player in the World - Texas Holdem is, after all, only one variant of poker and surely the player crowned King of the Tables should be proficient in all forms of poker.

There is a move to have either the newly introduced H.O.R.S.E or Mixed Event declared as the true test of poker prowess and this does indeed make a lot of sense - the successful candidate will have to be proficient in a number of poker variants including Holdem, Omaha, Razz, Stud and many more. The rich $50 000 buy-in for the HORSE event is another way of limiting the number of entrants to an event that may, in the very near future, surpass the main event in importance.

Final Table Action Postponed

The second major gripe affecting the 39th edition of the WSOP is the postponement of the final two days of final table action of the main event until early November. Organisers, Harrah's Inc. took the unilateral decision to make the wholesale changes to the schedule in an effort to assist broadcaster, ESPN, to garner more media support and public interest for the Series.

Detractors of the postponement have made a couple of valid points including the fact that it will change the dynamics of final table play and will also give the remaining players plenty of time to work out a winning strategy against the other final tablers. There is also always the risk of collusion or even cheating amongst the players. Can you imagine tennis fans accepting the finals of Wimbledon or the French Open be postponed for close on four months - not likely, so why should the supporters of poker be expected to accept a change that could very well affect the integrity of the game?