OK, I'll give my best stab at answering this. As far as why more women don't play the main event, we see that 793 entered the ladies event while only 282 entered the main. This could be because:

1) The $10,000 entry fee is too high
2) Women feel their expected value of winning compared to the men is low (which would be proven by a year like this where women paid nearly $3 million in entries while winning very little back)
3) Women feel more comfortable playing against each other than with men

As far as odds of making the final table, of course more female entries would help. But if women were playing at the same skill level as men, having 1 female entry for every 23 males means we should expect a female in the top 24. And there would be approximately a 9 in 24 (38%) chance of a female making the November 9 each year.

Clearly we aren't seeing a female make the November 9 every 3 years or so which would be the expected outcome if the skill levels were equal.

This could be due to many different reasons, and I personally feel women are capable of playing on the same level as men, but it just isn't happening yet.

One could pose the question does this mean that the top women aren't on the same skill level as the top men? Or was a substantial number of the 282 women who entered this year below par? After all we know over the last decade that even the best male pros can't win the main any more due to sheer numbers of entries.

Women are so deep in makeup that their backers only let them play the ladies event.

Thank you to those that are updating each bustout. It saves a ton of time from going to the websites!

This might sound to some like a radical or unfair solution but if the WSOP organizers really wanted more women in the main event there's a simple way to do it.

All they have to do is give the women a discount (like they do in the ladies event). Suppose the WSOP announces that next year in the main, every female entry will cost $9,000 while every male entry remains $10,000?

I guarantee you there'd be substantially more women playing (because now they've been given a positive expected value compared to the men). On the other hand that would surely drive some of the men away. But that's how you would do it if you wanted to change the calculus.

Sounds strange to me that there would be women who'd play for 9k but 10k is too much. It is the main event...

Alexios Zervos out in 55th.

54 entrants left (6 tables). Average stack is just over 3.7 million.

Min payout is now $152,025.

Great idea, let Selbst in for 9k.

The real answer is of course, because man are better than women at everything.

Brian Hastings and Isaac Baron making high variance plays like this a random donkament

theyre dropping like flies now

Better hope SGT RJ does not see this because she might very well shove your "real answer" deep into you!

except grammar and/or typing.

Ryan Fair crashes out.

There's got to be an airline joke in there somewhere..

flawless, gogo

Matt Waxman out in 45th for $186,388.

go Jacobsen and Smith! Do high rollers proud

44 left and it's dinner time. They'll return in 90 minutes to 40K/80K blinds and a 10K ante.

Average stack is just over 4.556 million. Dan Sindelar leads with 10.38 million.

rooting for tuthill. he had 35,000 at 12k/24k and is still in with 44 left coming back from dinner at 40k/80k

Is there a link to watch live?

Rooting for Tuthill as well, and Devo! Does Tuthill post much here anymore? Think he posted a bunch in MTTc few years back. And yes, he's been going full on ninja short stacking it since yesterday. Think he was all-in like 3 times or more yesterday, with at least one time being behind and hitting on the river (think he had to pair one over he had that wouldn't give opponent a flush, or something like that)

Met him during a venetian deepstack event few years back. Think he was on my direct left. Played a pot vs him where i double barreled and gave up on river and he won w like 3rd pair. He was nice enough to discuss the hand w me afterwards (said he'd hsve folded to a third barrel).

no just pokernews and twitter updates

rarely I guess. he definitely knows what hes doing. hopefully he can get over the hump of being short stack.

Mersonesque comeback alert: Matthew Haugen was crippled to 3 BB's at 20/40k, now has 141 BB's, and is 5th in chips!

over/under on how many times some member of the ESPN team (probably Norman Chad) tries to make a lame Nick Papageorgio reference (you know, Vegas Vacation) if Pappaconstantinou gets air time?

You have to figure they will try it at least twice since they will explain it the first time and then go back to the well with it...

Y

Leif Force, is this his birth name ? Big money wagered on this !