I hate this idea, all the good arguments against it have been said before.
Im only 19 but if this format is still on Im not going to play satelites for it when Im old enough to play it.
I do want to add one more thing, the people who are saying " chances are u wont make the FT anyway" are not getting the point, the reason u play the tournaments its because u want to make the FT.
Thats like saying it doesnt matter if the new lotto system is to announce the first 5 numbers this sunday and the last number on 4 more months because chances are u wont hit the first 5 numbers. ( this is leaving collusion/ other players seeing ure hole cards/ coaching issues aside)

I think a boycott isnt a bad idea but you will need to be backed up by huge names.

This player committee concerns me. Seems easy to buy them. Who is on it anyway? I hope they don't end up on the air an inordinate amount of time this year. Could be seen as a conflict of interest.

Shaniac - I agree with most everything you have said. I hate the idea as a "purist" and feel it will do little to help grow the schools of fish.

TC - I agree with your Howard Stern argument. If you don't like what you are hearing, change the station. As regulars on the circuit, I'm sure some feel like they should have more input in how the WSOP should be run, but they don't. They always have the alternative of playing elsewhere.

A 2-3 hour edited down final table with all the ridiculous fanfare they are talking about would be an AWESOME thing for poker in the long run.

I mean, it would be an unwatchable piece of fluff for 2+2'ers and would play out no better than one of these amazingly bad string of poker movies as of late, but thats not what it's all about.

The LAST thing it's about is the poker. Like it or not. ESPN is not catering to us. They are catering to Mr and Mrs American Idol watcher. They are trying to build this into a phenomenon and I have no problem if the whole thing runs like one long FT/PS Infomercial. Fine by me, get your hooks and bait ready fellas!

Like I said earlier, the only thing I don't like is returning in November. I think holding the ME and FT as bookends to the WSOP would take a lot of problems out of the equation

I find myself agreeing with shaniac here.

YES we now have the "Poker Championship Series"! I wonder if people will start arguing for a playoff...but the poker players have exams!!11!1!1

From Matt Savage's article on Pokernews:


I think a few additional foreign pros were added to be part of the committee for the international events last year.

I don't understand why people even offer their opinions when they could just wait til Shane responds with the right one.

I just don't see the point of having the FT in November and not televising it till after the event is done. You can still find out who won it before the thing anyway. Sportscenter will still tell you who won it. If you want to do this months later then televise the entire thing. It doesn't change anything really except for people that don't care about Poker that much.

I love the idea of 8 players not showing up.
They could play a Party Poker play money SNG to decide who will show up and become the 2008 WSOP champion by getting all the chips blinded off to him.

Funny, yet true.

Why would SportsCenter tell you it when it airs the next day? That doesn't make sense on their part. I understand why they tell you in July with the old setup, because people will find out anyways.

I think this idea has the potential to boost interest for a year or two, once the novelty wears off its back to the same old same old.

i should have probably made it clear why i THINK this could be workable. i think this will be good for poker on TV. that's basically it. i'm excited about watching the final table this year, and that hasn't happened since 2004. the other reason is that i think there is a possibility this move could bring more interest to poker, which I think is a good thing for all of us.

now, if i made the final tale, i'd laugh at my bad luck. i would have much rather played in the previous 5 years of final tables where most of the players didn't have a clue. surely, this year, every player is going to get good coaching and the final table will be a very tough one.

so in summary, this sucks for any pros that make the final table, but given all of the uncertainties are worked out in an equitable manner, i think this could be a good thing for poker overall. that's really all i care about, and that is why i am optimistic that this could work out for the better.

if i make the final table though, i will most certainly curse the new format.

tc

They've turned the ME into a satellite whre the final 9 go to another tournament in 4 months.

But why stop with a 4 month delay? Why not make it the day before next year's WSOP starts? And don't you think a poker table in the Rio is a little bland? Why not put the table in the street infront of the strip in a shark tank, with real live sharks? Hungry Hungry sharks! And the only way to bust someone is to stuff him down a shark's throat, and put the shark allin. Wouldn't that be great for ratings in 09? The shark who ate Umberto heads up vs Ivey!!!

ESPN/WSOP big wigs will rape the WSOP and the players until it's no longer rape, it's necrophalia.

Am I the only one who doesn't believe this.

As Court Harrington said "they should make deuces wild at the final table too, that would be good for TV."