Harrah’s Holds Pre-WSOP Media Conference Call
Harrah’s Entertainment held its annual pre-WSOP conference call yesterday with members of the media to field questions from the media regarding the WSOP and to provide any new news regarding the event.
Never one to miss a promotion opportunity, Jeffrey Pollack hyped the upcoming event stating, “Whether you are a first-timer or seasoned pro, this is the best year ever to come to the World Series of Poker.” He went on to talk about the upcoming events and the $40,000 40th anniversary event. He then announced that this year the WSOP will hold the first ever Champions Invitational. All past WSOP Champions that are still living will be invited to compete in a tournament that will award the “Binion Cup” and a brand new car.
Jack Effel then spoke with the media regarding both the $1,000 “Stimulus” event and the new starting chip counts and structures. He stated that the schedule was the “most diverse schedule of events created for the WSOP.” He also mentioned that they expect around 5,000 to 6,000 players for the Stimulus event.
Among the biggest changes regarding this year’s WSOP is the coverage provided by ESPN. According to Doug White, Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions with ESPN there will only be 4 events telecast and they will all be NL Holdem. The only two bracelet events that will be covered are the $40,000 buy-in event and the Main Event. The other two events that will receive airtime are the Champions Invitational and the “Ante Up For Africa” charity tournament.
The $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event is the most noticeable omission from the coverage of the event. Considered the “true World Championship” by professionals, Pollack stated that the reason ESPN made the decision was that, “We’ve learned that games other than no-limit hold’em do not draw a significant audience on television.”
The Main Event will actually receive expanded coverage this year. ESPN will air 24 hours of the event. White stated “The main event is what viewers are looking for in terms of poker programming. “It helped us capture the unfolding drama of the World Series of Poker.”
The last item of discussion revolved around the new “Player Code of Conduct.” Pollack explained to the media that the Code of Conduct has been incorporated into the rules and that a tracking system would be in place to record any infractions by players. Tournament official will have it available when making decisions about penalties for players.
The WSOP is just a month away. The first event kicks off on May 28th with the $40,000 40th anniversary event.
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