Good stuff.

Wow, Cary Katz sure has binked first place in a large number of high roller tournaments:
Edit removing hendonmob link as not sure if I can post that with my limited post count.

Awesome news. Glad they are hopefully showing hole cards on a delay as well, it's the only way to go.

Seems like this is being applauded by all parties. But I wonder is there anything you will miss about the November Nine?

Not true, I liked the November 9 format. Or at least give it a week rest (time to get friends, family, etc. - especially if you don't live in the US.)

It was hyperbole man. Obviously there are dissenters that feel differently. Logistically it makes more sense for them and I think ESPN wants it off their lineup during football season. Summer is the perfect time, there is only baseball and what's left of the NBA Finals. I think most people already tell their families they are playing the Main, it shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for someone who just won a million to bring more guests if they so choose. Plus as a math guy you get that the interest paid for waiting a few months is still basically nothing.

This is a really good point. I don't have access to Amaya's figures on this sort of thing but I believe this to be accurate. There will never be another poker boom but keeping new, young, players coming into the game can only be beneficial for everyone. Online poker is indeed dying but brick and mortar rooms have experienced an uptick over the last few years and that could continue.

Regarding the November 9 just as an opinion I could take it or leave it. Most years it just seemed pointless and momentum killing but the year Phil Ivey made the final table it definitely added to the hype and excitement. It did also give the players more time to sort out sponsor patches. The live, hole cards exposed, coverage was also a treat. If we get well done live coverage of every day now on twitch then it will be amazing.

As for having to wait on interest payments on the money, IIRC everyone got paid 9th place on qualifying for November.

They get paid 9th place but the rest of the money is basically put in an everyday savings account until November.

Haha yeah, it was not exactly completely protected either I would imagine. One would hope in this exact circumstance the players would be deemed secured creditors in the event of anything crazy happening.

Okay, what if you're from another country? There are visa issues. You can't fix those in a couple of days. You also can't alert your family that YOU MIGHT make it and then bust in 10th. Even in the US.

I'm in the UK and the school holidays don't start for my kids until the 22nd July, so it makes no difference. I prefer the summer either way though.

If this had happened last year, Kassouf would have had three minutes of fame instead of three months.

One negative I see about this is that the main event coverage before the final table will have to be with no hold cards right? Pokerstars broadcasts have discussed this before, that they cant show hole cards before the final table because if gives an unfair disadvantage to players who happen to be playing at the feature table because everyone can see their hold cards while players on outer tables play with others never seeing their cards.

This could eliminate the intrigue over many big main event hands, especially once it gets into the later days. Remember Jamez Obst folding the full house to Ruane's straight flush? We would have neve known about that now famous hand without seeing the hole cards.

I like this change overall. Will be nice to see no gap in coverage or play that lasts months.

No solution is perfect, yeah that could be an issue.

I never understood the November 9 concept, good riddance!

I doubt there will be a more humorous post in this thread. WP sir!

It wasn't seen as a massive problem before 2008. Mummy can watch it online now anyway.

Seems much better to show it with a delay and hole cards. Much better than Lon and Chad with the picked out hands.

that's what I am saying though. Will they be able to show hole cards on any hands before the final table? It gives an unfair advantage to the players at the feature table

It gives an unfair advantage to the players not at the feature table. Would be nice if the last 4 tables were all feature tables. Rotate if necessary.

Aussie Millions and Unibet etc just rotate out the feature table every level. Makes it much better for the viewer to see hole cards and doesn't disadvantage players too much. Stars use that excuse but I think the main reason is budget cuts (shocker I know).

Maybe there WILL be an ESPN 8, The OCHO after all.

Where are the preliminary events being streamed? Are they going to stream live on wsop.Com again?

Oh ok, it will stream on this poker central thing. Well poker central needs to hire a freakin web developer