Pokerus Interuptus

Poker’s most prestigious event, the 2008 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in Main Event, will be a bit different this year. Perhaps as many as 8000 players will start play on July 3 and the event will work its way down to the final 9 players on July 14. Then play will stop...because Harrah's has decided to postpone the final table of the Main Event until November 9, 2008, more than three months later. I really don't like the idea of moving the date of the final table at all. Especially a ridiculous three months after the main competition. The WSOP is an event, not a 'to be continued' movie serial. From a player standpoint I would rather play the final table while I am still juiced from the days leading up to that finale and I would not want to lose any momentum I may have gained during that period. After all, the Colorado Rockies had a great winning momentum prior to the 2007 World Series, only to have that enthusiasm squelched by having to wait nearly a week after they won the NL title, having to play practice ball & 'warm-ups' in snow covered Coors Field while they waited for the Red Sox to win their title. Their momentum was quashed by that delay. From a spectator standpoint the same applies. I don't want to watch the entire NFL season playout and have to wait till the Fourth of July for the Superbowl. By that time most casual interest is lost by the time the finale rolls around or the excitement of the games that lead up to the finale are possibly ignored by those who are only interested in the outcome. Viewership of one or both of those entities will suffer. Why would a casual fan care to watch all the competition when all it leads to is a three month delay before the final battle. Just watch the final battle. I also don't agree with Daniel Negreanu's argument of 'preparing for the final table with pro coaching & watching the competitors videos'. First, if you haven't been working on your game you aren't going to wind up at the final table anyway, plus there aren't tapes of all players at the WSOP, only what ESPN has shot and that won't include everyone involved at the final table. So I guess it just means that poker pros get to spend some quality time hiring themselves out to help train the finalists. I know I would stop playing in tournaments altogether if I had to stop my play when I got to the final table then had to wait even a few days, to come back & wrap up the game. In a field even as big as the WSOP, one day, maybe two off is plenty to get some rest & strategize. You don't need to lose your edge or momentum. That is too important. What if something comes up and you can't make the final table in three months for some reason like illness, a death in the family or God forbid your own death.If those things happen during the course of the regular tournament you deal with them the way any athelete would, you either play through it, go on the DL, get a bereavement leave & don't show up. Those are the breaks, but those breaks should happen during the 'season', not after you have delayed Game Seven of the World Series till Valentines Day to attract more ladies to the ballpark.