Yes, for the first time in the 39-year history of the World Series of Poker, the final table of the Main Event will not be played at the chronological end of the tournament. Instead, the 2008 WSOP is making a big play to raise its profile as a bona fide sporting event by delaying the airing of the final table so it can be broadcast in close to real time.
In years past, the tournament has been played straight through, then aired months later with everyone knowing the final result. It was still good TV, but the drama associated with who would win was missing. This year the tournament will be postponed following the determination of the final nine on July 14. After an adjournment of 117 days, it will reconvene on November 9. (Hence the nickname the "November Nine," with which the nine qualifiers have been labeled. See below for their names and chip counts going in to the final table.)
The final table will play out until only two players have chips left. The tournament will then break for the night; on November 10, the two remaining players will go heads-up for the title of World Champion. The winner is expected to be crowned either late on November 10 or early on the 11th. The tape will then be quickly edited into a two-hour special that will air on ESPN at 9 pm on November 11.
It’s a great idea that should result in incredible anticipation (and viewership) of the event; it's almost guaranteed to pump up ESPN's flagging poker ratings. It won’t be completely live —- to allow for the editing and provide an obstacle to cheating —- and you’ll be able to find out who wins prior to the telecast. But it’s a huge step forward from the previous treatment, where the whole world knew the winner months before airing.
The change, however, isn't particularly popular with some players and fans who believe the new format will adversely affect the dynamics of the final table and introduce increased possibilities for unintended consequences. It'll be interesting to see how this made-for-TV experiment works out in the end.
Either way, though, we'll know who the next President of the United States is before we know the 2008 WSOP champion.
WSOP Main Event final table qualifiers, 2008:
Dennis Phillips -- 26,295,000 Ivan Demidov -- 24,400,000 Scott Montgomery -- 19,690,000 Peter Eastgate -- 18,375,000 Ylon Schwartz -- 12,525,000 Darus Suharto -- 12,520,000 David "Chino" Rheem -- 10,230,000 Craig Marquis -- 10,210,000 Kelly Kim -- 2,620,000
