The end of an era?

corblimey

With the whole US online poker scene in shambles, it seems that Harrah's are no longer going to accept 3rd party buy-ins for the WSOP. Apparently, you gotta go to their casino and qualify in a live satellite or pay directly in. I assume it's connected to the new bill, although I can't quite see the connection.

This means that the era of 6-10,000 entrants for the main event, next year's is more likely to have "just" 2000. It means smaller prize pools, but less muppetry (would Gold have won with a smaller field and less people donking chips off to him in earlier stages?)

I personally think this is a good thing, but I suspect it'll kill off the whole corporate sponsership thing and poker will go back to a serious distraction for those willing to spend their time on it.

careca

there has to be ways around that, surely. for instance if Paddy Power have ten qualifiers, then their rep just brings 100K over and registers the players there and then.

Scary thought - Karlh running around Vegas with 100K in his back pocket

5starpool

Well bye bye to the chance of ever playing in the main event for me then. Is this confirmed? Source?

phantom_lord

Could the sites not just run sats that pay out 10k or whatever for each prize, and the winners just buy in themselves.

careca

phantom_lord wrote:

Could the sites not just run sat that pay out 10k or whatever for each prize, and the winners just buy in themselves.

most will just take the money if thats the case

corblimey

5starpool wrote:

Well bye bye to the chance of ever playing in the main event for me then. Is this confirmed? Source?

source

phantom_lord

careca wrote:

most will just take the money if thats the case

Fair enough, that's their choice, but I would have thought if people are gonna play a wsop sat it's to buy a ticket with the cash, otherwise they should just play a normal tournament.

5starpool

At least it only seems to be US residents for US tournaments, so there will probably be a higher percentage of Europeans at next years event if this is actually the status quo.

The dream is back alive!!!!

corblimey

5starpool wrote:

At least it only seems to be US residents for US tournaments, so there will probably be a higher percentage of Europeans at next years event if this is actually the status quo.

The dream is back alive!!!!

The way I read it, it's all online satellites to US tournaments....

cardshark202

corblimey wrote:

With the whole US online poker scene in shambles, it seems that Harrah's are no longer going to accept 3rd party buy-ins for the WSOP. Apparently, you gotta go to their casino and qualify in a live satellite or pay directly in. I assume it's connected to the new bill, although I can't quite see the connection.

This means that the era of 6-10,000 entrants for the main event, next year's is more likely to have "just" 2000. It means smaller prize pools, but less muppetry (would Gold have won with a smaller field and less people donking chips off to him in earlier stages?)

I personally think this is a good thing, but I suspect it'll kill off the whole corporate sponsership thing and poker will go back to a serious distraction for those willing to spend their time on it.

WTF?

5starpool

corblimey wrote:

The way I read it, it's all online satellites to US tournaments....

The way the email from Full Tilt was phrased would suggest differently. It said U.S residents would be barred from being able to register in U.S. tournaments. If this is the case expect a few of the WPT and other big size tournies to be staged more often in the Caribbean and around Europe or Canada.

Samba

If ever there was a window of opportunity - all those 10k registrants with no way to register (anyonw got any buddies in Vegas? )

Charge $100 a head, how many online qualifiers were there this year? The potential horror stories

"Company trusted with 400,000 WSOP entry money vanishes etc...."

Scotty #

I don't think this new legislation is going to make a blind bit of difference. There are plenty of non-US (and US) sites who will be glad to accept US customers. The banks/cc companies have already said they won't be able to govern it even with the 270 days they've been given to "comply". If neteller refuse to lodge money to poker sites for US residents I'm sure someone else will be only to happy to oblige.

Daithio

This is terrible news. The reason that the WSOP is so great is because of all the donks, probably 70% of the field is dead money, the standard isn't much better than a freeroll in the Fitz.

The majority of people simply won't turn up with $10k to buy themselves in, look at what happens in the satellites the Fitz and Merrion run, where they give you the cash in hand, only about one in five actually heads over.

This is really bad news for anybody planning on playing the WSOP next year.

karlh

sounds like absolute crap tbh.

there is no way harrahs can stop any site running a satellite, or know if someone paying in is an online qualifier or not.

if it takes reps dishing out money to people to pay themselves in once they get there then that it will be.

Lafortezza

The way I see it from reading a little online today is that sites like Stars or whoever 'pre-buy' tickets, or have some arrangement with Harrahs that books seats for online qualifiers.
These latest changes have more to do with Harrahs not wanting to be associated with, or have contracts with online poker sites that are subject to the new legislation.
Online sites can obviously award cash prizes 'to be collected in Vegas' but alot of people might decide just to take the money and have a fancy holiday in Vegas anyway without the WSOP.

karlh wrote:

sounds like absolute crap tbh.

there is no way harrahs can stop any site running a satellite, or know if someone paying in is an online qualifier or not.

if it takes reps dishing out money to people to pay themselves in once they get there then that it will be.