You don't have to be a math whiz to calculate the impact online poker has had on the explosive growth of the World Series of Poker, especially the main event: 2002, 631 entrants; 2003, 839 entrants; 2004, 2,576 entrants; and in 2005, 5,619 entrants smacked down the $10,000 buy-in.
Is there an end in sight? Doubtful. In the past two years, more than 35 percent of the field qualified online. This year could be even higher, as all of the major sites are pulling out all stops to allow players to win seats in the big show. The eventual winner may even get a free ride into the event after capturing one of the freeroll tournaments for a WSOP package that many sites are offering.
There have been plenty of success stories since online poker began qualifying players, but none bigger than the "Chris Moneymaker Effect." That story has been endlessly discussed around the watercooler: The 2003 fairy tale of a $40 satellite qualifier from PokerStars going on to win $2.5 million has quickly become the nirvana of lotteries for the everyman. Poker is hot. Anyone can win, anytime, with a dream and a little luck.
The word spread. In 2004, online poker continued to flourish and send even more players to the main event, including eventual $5 million winner Greg Raymer. "I won a $160 double shootout on PokerStars.com," said Raymer, "81 players, nine tables. The nine winners of the starting tables are all put on a single table, and the winner gets the World Series of Poker package." It had been confirmed once again: Qualifying online was the way to go.
Yet, last year's champion, Joe Hachem, broke the mold and somehow managed to win without qualifying online. "I paid my 10K in caaaaashh," said Hachem. But this year, odds are that an online qualifier will capture the title. Many of the top online sites are betting on it.
Online qualifiers have produced many success stories besides just the winners. In 2004, a grandmother from Alabama qualified on PokerStars. Said Poker Room Manager Lee Jones, "She watched poker on TV and decided she could do it, too. She went out and bought a couple of books and started playing. The next thing she knew, she'd won a World Series of Poker satellite and brought her daughter to Las Vegas as her guest. We spent a few minutes in the hospitality suite showing her how to handle cards and chips, and telling her what a string bet was. She didn't make it through the first day, but on her way out, she stopped by to thank us." That year, four of the nine final-table players had won their seats on PokerStars. In 2005, more than 100 PokerStars players cashed in the WSOP main event. Bernard Lee of Boston, who had pictures of his children at the table at all times, won more than $300,000.
In 2003, PokerStars sent 33 players to the WSOP main event; in 2004, 316 players; and in 2005, 1,116 players. Through mid-May 2006, they already had qualified more than 600 players. This year, PokerStars.com plans to lead the way once again. "We have an amazing array of World Series of Poker satellites to choose from," said Jones. "We run weekly $615 satellites that have been consistently producing more than 25 seats. At the other end of the buy-in spectrum, we have $2 satellites with rebuys into the larger satellites." On PokerStars, players can use their Frequent Player Points to play satellites that cost nothing; 250 main-event seats are being awarded to FPP entrants. The most popular satellite is the $160 double shootout, which awards a seat to the winner. On July 16, PokerStars is running a $350 WSOP satellite and guaranteeing that it will award 150 seats. It's also running freerolls along the way that will award seats to the top monthly tournament leader board players.
Online leader PartyPoker.com has also seen its qualifiers go on to great success and big cashes. Last year, two of the final-table participants, Andy Black and Aaron Kanter, qualified on PartyPoker. In 2004, PartyPoker gave away 250 seats, and in 2005, more than 640 seats. "This year we estimate we will send in excess of 1,000 qualifiers," said PartyPoker PR Manager Warren Lush. "The most popular events are the single-table Steps tournaments and the multitable $215 satellites. Satellites have various buy-ins. Customers can win seats into the main event through freerolls or through qualifiers starting as low as $2. The Steps tournaments start at $10. We will be running special promotions for VIPs. We have exclusive satellites for European players, and we also run freerolls guaranteeing seats into the main event targeted at novice players. In addition, we are offering freerolls into the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event."
2005 was the first year that FullTiltPoker.com sent players to the main event. A total of 98 players won their seats in qualifying tournaments. "Last year, before he became a red pro on FullTiltPoker, Farzad Bonyadi was our highest-finishing qualifier," said David Gitter, VP of online marketing for TiltWare. "He collected $235,390 for his 41st-place finish. Close behind was James Butt, who took home $173,880 for his 54th-place finish. Josh Prager also cracked the top 100 at the main event, taking home $77,710 for 96th."
This year, FullTiltPoker plans to send more than 600 players to the main event. Of those seats, 100 are true giveaways, as part of FullTiltPoker's $1 Million Main Event Giveaway, in which 20 seats per month are being awarded for five consecutive months. That's a total of $1 million worth of seats, and players do not have to spend a single dollar or FullTiltPoker points to win their entry. Also, FullTiltPoker will pay an additional $10 million to the player who wins his entry into the main event at FullTiltPoker and then goes on to win the championship; this is in addition to the first-place prize money. That means that a player who wins the main event after earning his entry at FullTiltPoker could walk away with as much as $20 million.
ParadisePoker.com has also been increasing its WSOP presence each year. "Last year we sent 225 – the year before, 104 or so – and the year before that, about 40 players. It's obviously ramping up each year," said Paradise Marketing Manager Steve Butler. "This time around, we're tracking for about 400 seats, and 100 of those – a $1 million value – are completely free through our new player-point program and leader board promotions. For qualifiers, you can get into a main event satellite – a $200 rebuy and add-on, a $500, and so on – for as low as $4. You can also buy into special World Series of Poker tournaments with your player points, in which the winner receives a 12K seat. The top 50 player-point earners at the end of each week qualify for a special tournament in which the winner receives a main event seat."
Bodog.com estimates sending 700 players to the WSOP, and 400 of them will participate in the main event, 10 times as many as in 2005. The multitable tournaments range from $67.50 to $270. Bodog also has WSOP Stages tournaments, which are single-table events. The lowest buy-in for these is $1.10. The final "stage" is a $1,500 buy-in, which pays out one seat. Every weekend through June 17, Bodog is running 40 WSOP main-event satellites, with each one guaranteeing at least one seat. Also, it's planning a special $1 main event satellite that will pay out one seat during the month of June.
In 2005, Bodog had some high finishers in the main event. "We know our players dream of sitting across from the best in the world at the World Series of Poker, and we were thrilled to help them get there," said Calvin Ayre, founder and CEO of Bodog. "Having eight of our players end in the money is a testament to the quality of play on Bodog.com." Alex Morales led the way for Team Bodog qualifiers, cashing out in 77th place for $107,950.
A number of the smaller yet growing online poker sites will also contribute to the onslaught of players at the 2006 WSOP. AbsolutePoker.com plans to award about 60 seats to the main event and 60 seats to preliminary events. Their multitable supersatellites have proven to be the most popular method for players to gain entry in WSOP events. Supersatellites have buy-ins ranging from $50 (for preliminary events) to $100 (for the main event). Last year, they sent 29 players, and in 2004, 16 players. "Last year, four players who won satellites on AbsolutePoker made it into the money in the main event," said Poker Room Manager Richard Frost. NoblePoker.com will send about six players this year to Vegas to play in the WSOP final event. It will host two months of supersatellites with a $300 plus $15 buy-in.
Harrah's expects up to 8,000 entrants in this year's main event. It intends to make buy-in lines shorter, supply more restrooms, and add varieties of food and refreshments for the players. Here's a little advice: Harrah's should also stock its stores with mouses, cable, and laptops for the geeks in need. Perhaps it can also provide wireless access for the more than 2,200 online qualifiers to warm up for their shot at the possible $8 million or more first prize. Chances are, an online qualifier will capture the coveted WSOP Championship title. Once again, no math whiz is required. That amount in dead presidents can purchase a lot of RAM and a vacation away from a computer monitor. 
