It has been another record-setting and successful year for the World Series of Poker. The 2008 tournament saw some giant crowds, an increase in international attendance, a growing number of charitable actions and a new format for the Main Event.

Matter of fact, the tournament isn’t exactly over yet.

That’s because of what was probably the biggest change for the tournament this year: the institution of what is being called “the November Nine.”

After the Main Event played down the nine players—the final table—play was suspended. It will not resume again until November, when the nine players will return to battle for the coveted Main Event bracelet and the $9 million first place prize. It’s what they call a life-changing win.

The main reason for the change in format was so the WSOP, its parent company Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s Entertainment) and broadcasting partner ESPN could build a little more excitement into the final table.

ESPN agreed to start 2008 coverage earlier than they have in years past—instead of starting the following spring, coverage started just a few weeks after the final table break. The thinking was that it would give players, event officials and the media time to build up some excitement about the different players. It would also give the players a chance to maybe land some sponsorship deals before play resumes.

Some purists weren’t particularly happy with the format change. They said it removes the endurance element of the Main Event. It also gives players time to receive more coaching and to better study their opponents, luxuries that hitherto weren’t available. Lastly, some say it opens the door to collusion and deal making.

Tournament officials are aware of these concerns, but saw that it is no more likely that players will engage in collusion now than it was before. As for the coaching and studying, well, that should lead to a better game of poker when it comes time to deal the cards at the final table. At least some players, like Phil Hellmuth, are on board.

“I love it,” he said. “I think it’s great for poker. And if it’s great for poker, it’s great for me.

“The media will be able to look at these players, and there will be great, colorful stories. Maybe there will be some guy from Podunk, Wisconsin, or a guy whose whole life hinges on the result. People will pick out a guy to root for and say: ‘That’s me.’”

How well the whole thing works remains to be seen. We won’t know until November how well the ratings are and whether ESPN, the WSOP and Caesars have been able to build the kind of excitement they are hoping for. WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack has had a lot of success with the tournament and bringing it to the forefront of the sports world in general, and at the same time, he has been more than willing to admit mistakes when they happen and do what is necessary to prevent them from happening in the future. If the new format doesn’t work out as planned, it will likely be tossed for the 2009 tournament.

Growing the Field
So long as the United States maintains its staunch opposition to most forms of online gaming—particularly poker—the WSOP will have a hard time posting the kinds of numbers it did for the 2005 tournament.

Without U.S. players having access to online card rooms and their various play-in games, it is hard to replicate the record-setting success of 2005. That doesn’t mean, however, that tournament officials are going to go into a shell and wait hopefully for a repeal of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Instead, they have set their sights on the international market, where players have access to online poker.

The result was the largest and richest event in the 39-years history of the tournament. There were a total of 58,720 entries and a total of $180,676,248 in prize money.

“The results this year demonstrate the increasing global appeal of our events and the universal recognition that winning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet is poker’s ultimate achievement,” Pollack said.

One way the tournament is addressing the decline in the number of players from the United States is by increasing the visibility of the tournament across the pond, with the introduction of the WSOP Europe, and throughout the rest of the world.

This approach paid off in 2008 with international attendance growing dramatically. A total of 118 countries were represented this year, an increase of 36 percent over the 2007 tournament.

“It’s inevitable when you play on the global stage that we’re on that you’re going to be subject to different fluctuations at different times,” Pollack said. “The fact that we broke all of the records we set last year is terrific, but there may be years where we’re up, years where we’re down. Bottom line is that we’re here for the long term and we’re not going anywhere, and I don’t know many poker properties that can say that.”

The success of the international growth strategy is poised to continue, with the WSOP looking to go beyond the European tour and look at an Asian or South American tour as well.

Donor Station
When a player is described as making donations, it is generally not a good thing in the poker world. It means the player is simply giving away his or her money to the other players at the table.

There were several groups during the 2008 tournament—and previous tournaments, for that matter—who put together charitable programs. The 2008 WSOP saw the second Ante Up For Africa tournament, and it saw the Queen of Hearts return to the ladies no limit hold ‘em event.

The Queen of Hearts poker team is the brainchild of marketing and branding guru Lisa Tenner. A few years ago, she decided that she could raise awareness and money for charities like the American Heart Association and the Nevada Cancer Society by putting together a team of professional poker players and celebrities—among them Cheryl Hines, Camryn Manheim, Mindy McCready, Mimi Rogers, Clonie Gowen, Linda Johnson, Susie Isaacs, Barbara Enright, Pamela Brunson and Mary Jones—to play in the ladies-only no limit hold ‘em tournament.

“We are doing something good within the world of poker,” Tenner said. “It’s always good to give back.”

This year, the Queen of Hearts raised more than $15,000. Tenner hopes to build on that success next year by growing the team and having some team members play in open events, instead of just the ladies-only tournament.

The Ante Up for Africa tournament is a collaboration between actor Don Cheadle and poker player Annie Duke. They started the tournament last year to raise money for and awareness of the crisis in Darfur.

“As we have seen with the recent developments in Darfur, time is of the essence,” Cheadle said. “We all feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity with our second tournament to continue to shine a light on a very dire crisis and lend our voices and energy toward seeking a solution.”

The winner of the tournament, John Hennigan, gave the entire $169,000 he won to the charities the tournament was supporting, ENOUGH and Not On Our Watch. A number of other players also donated their winnings to charity. The tournament raised almost $500,000 for the charities.

“We were delighted to once again host Ante Up For Africa at the World Series of Poker,” Pollack said. “This was an exceptional and meaningful afternoon shared with some of the biggest names in gaming and entertainment who gave their valuable time to help ease the calamity in Darfur.”

The November Nine
The final table resumes play on November 9, when the remaining nine players will return to the table at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio. On the first day, play will continue until there are just two players remaining. The second day will start at 10 p.m. and go until the winner is decided.

ESPN will begin its coverage starting at 7 p.m. on November 11.

A total of more than $32 million is available to the final players, with first place winning $9,119,517. Every other player except the one who comes in ninth place will win at least $1 million. Ninth place pays $900,670.

The following players are competing to win this year’s Main Event.
Dennis Phillips
Age: 53
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Chip Count: $26,295,000

Ivan Demidov
Age: 27
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Chip Count: $24,400,000

Scott Montgomery
Age: 26
Hometown: Perth, Ontario, Canada Chip Count: $19,690,000

Peter Eastgate
Age: 22
Hometown: Odense, Denmark
Chip Count: $18,375,000

Ylon Schwartz
Age: 38
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Chip Count: $12,525,000

Darus Suharto
Age: 39
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Chip Count: $12,520,000

David Rheem
Age: 28
Hometown: Los Angeles, California Chip Count: $10,230,000

Craig Marquis
Age: 23
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Chip Count: $10,210,000

Kelly Kim
Age: 31
Hometown: Whittier, California Chip Count: $2,620,000

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.

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