WSOP organizers to change November Nine format
The 2011 edition of the November Nine WSOP Main Event final table will air this weekend, but it may very well be the last time the crowning of a WSOP champion takes place in November, WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky has admitted.
A new format is currently being considered by WSOP organizers, with Palansky pointing to ESPN's intensified coverage from the main event as a reason for the changes.
ESPN has this year aired more than 40 hours of live coverage from the 2011 WSOP Main Event, with great success and rising ratings throughout.
"If you're doing something live do you really need to delay it four months and try to build this anticipation to get people to watch? It doesn't quite work," Palansky told Pokerlistings.com.
The November Nine format was first introduced in 2008, and since then three final tables have been played with the delay.
With three successful November Nine final tables in the books, the format may now see the change back to the the events prior to 2008, where the final table was played without interruption.
"We're committed to it but I think what we learned over the summer with the live and taped programming is that we're going to have to revisit the concept after this November," Palansky admitted.
The 2011 November Nine will feature finalists Martin Staszko, Eoghan O'Dea, Matt Gianetti, Phil Collins, Ben Lamb, Badih-Bou-Nahra, Anton Makiievskyi and Sam Holden, and will take place from November 6-8.
The first round of the final table will see the nine players play down to three survivors, before play goes on an overnight break.
Then, the three players will return the following day to determine this year's WSOP champion.
The final table will be aired "live" on ESPN, showing every single hand with a 15-minute delay for the first time in WSOP history.
Hole cards will not be shown during hands, but will be shown once hands have been completed.
What do you think about the delay, should it be played right away? Personally I don't like the fact you won't see their hole cards during the live play until the hand is complete, takes the enjoyment out of watching it on TV doesn't it? But at the same time, I can imagine players receiving IM's once the hand is aired on TV (15 minute delay) if they have been bluffed or what have you, which is also interesting. Beauty of the social networking world we live in!
