Harrah's and ESPN Prepare for 2009 World Series of PokerAnnual Media Conference Call Sets the Stage for Series |
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Tournament organizers for the 40th-Annual World Series of Poker answered questions from reporters yesterday at the annual media conference call. With less than a month remaining until the first event, the focus of the call centered on television coverage, new events, and new player conduct rules.
WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, and ESPN Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions Doug White all gave introductory statements before answering questions from the media.
Pollack wasted no time in hyping up the commemorative World Series, giving his mantra for the 2009 WSOP: “Whether you are a first-timer or seasoned pro, this is the best year ever to come to the World Series of Poker.”
He cited the 57 bracelet events, featuring the new $40,000 no-limit hold’em tournament, and the first-ever Champions Invitational, a tournament that will invite back the surviving main-event champions to play for the new Binion Cup and a new car.
Effel spoke briefly about the WSOP’s new starting chip stacks and structure and some of the new events of this year’s tournament series, calling it “the most diverse schedule of events created for the WSOP.” Effel said that this year’s lineup — pointing out the $2,500 deuce-to-seven no-limit tournament and the $2,500 eight-game mixed tournament — gives players a chance to win a bracelet at a variety of different games and levels.
Effel also highlighted the $1,000 no-limit hold’em tournament in the Series’ opening weekend, coined by the WSOP as the “Stimulus Special.” He said that tournament organizers were expecting 5,000-6,000 players for the event.
Gone are the days of any kind of poker but hold’em on TV, at least in terms of new episodes. White announced that ESPN will be filming and airing four events from this year’s WSOP, all of which will be no-limit hold’em.
“The main event is what viewers are looking for in terms of poker programming,” said White. “It helped us capture the unfolding drama of the World Series of Poker.”
ESPN will air 24 hours of the main event this year, an increase from last year. In addition to the main event, ESPN will air coverage from the $40,000 buy-in event and two non-bracelet events — the WSOP Champions Invitational and the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament, which will feature a number of big-name poker pros and celebrities.
The network will not be airing the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament this year, seen by many as one of the most prestigious annual poker tournaments in the world.
White also talked about how the ratings from last year’s WSOP were up from 2007, including the final-table broadcast.
Pollack offered support for ESPN’s decision, saying, “We’ve learned that games other than no-limit hold’em do not draw a significant audience on television.”
Several questions were asked about the new rules regarding player conduct. Pollack explained that the code of player conduct was now officially incorporated into WSOP rules, and explained that there would be a new tracking system for all infractions.
Every warning and penalty a player receives will be recorded into a real-time log so that tournament officials may reference it upon determining the intent and severity of an infraction and the proportionality of a penalty.
The first open event of the World Series, the $40,000 no-limit hold’em event, begins May 28.
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