November Nine is Part of Pokers Future
Plenty of controversy was caused in 2008 when the decision was taken to suspend play at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event until that November. This gave ESPN the chance to edit and air their footage of the event so far and once the general public had caught up, the actual final table would be screened live when the demand was at its peak. In the interim period between the end of the WSOP proper and the final table, the players are in high demand and have the opportunity to give interviews, seek out sponsorship deals and have the public get to know them. ESPN hope that by the time play begins live in November the players are more well-known which dilutes the view that all players at the final table are usually unknowns. By the time play starts, they are bona fide poker celebrities.
Many question whether it is right to suspend the biggest poker tournament in the world. It is argued that the change is for the general public who will watch the ESPN episodes and decide to tune in to the live play. The major disadvantage with this is that the general public will not sit for sixteen hours and watch all of the live play. They are used to watching highly edited clips and the mundane raise and fold of normal tournament poker may reduce their interest in the game rather than heighten it. Whilst the general public flick on and off, the poker community are forced to wait and wait before a champion is decided.
Also criticised is the effect on the current World Champion. Once the winner is known, usually around November 10th, public perception of any sports champion only lasts until the same event re-starts. Then they are the defending champion. In poker, since the chances are so small of a defence once the event re-starts nobody takes much notice of the outgoing champ, their time has passed. This is a mere eight to nine months after the end of the play in the November nine. Whilst everyone appreciates and respects the champion, Peter Eastgate and future winners only gets 75% of the time a world champion that other sports champions enjoy. For the other three months of the main event, there is a flux and more attention is given to the nine finalists rather than the current world champion.
Whilst the wait hinders the effect of being the champion for nine other players it gives them amazing opportunities. The finalists are sought after for radio interviews, internet radio discussions, advertising and sponsorship and deals with major companies and poker rooms. The finalists are said to be able to add to their earnings by around $300,000 in between play if they are savvy with their endorsement choices. For some of these players it will be the most money they ever earn in their lives. It aids poker in that there are more well-known players and we saw by the success of Antoine Saout and James Akenhead in the WSOPE that many of these players are pure quality and not lucky like so many in the poker community try and dismiss the main event final table participants.
Whether we like it or not it appears like Texas Hold ‘em poker will be transformed by this annual frenzy of getting to know these lucky players and their stories in preparation for the big live event. With first prizes of usually in the region of $8 million you can understand why presenting this as live coverage is far preferable to the broadcaster. There is no other sport that gives out prizes anything like this so fans will tune in. Even with the obvious drawbacks of diminishing the current champions coverage the positives outweighs the negatives in my opinion. Many new players will start to play and this improves both online poker tournaments, live poker tournaments and the quality of cash games for everyone.
By Malcolm Clarke
Related posts:
- Hard Month Ahead For The November Nine
- Three Potential “Poker Games of the Future”
- Pius Heinz – 2011 WSOP Main Event Profile
Tags: november nine, online poker, peter eastgate, poker tournament, wsop
