WSOP shows poker is recession proof
- Comments: (1)
- Published June 10th, 2009 in WSOP
The WPT numbers have been down this year, with some tournaments drawing 25% fewer entrants than last year. And then there is the World Series of Poker! The WSOP has sold out 3 of the first 9 events that have taken place: that means more people want to enter, but they simply don’t have the room for them!
The true testament will be Main Event: In 2003 (when Moneymaker made his improbable run) there were 839 entrants; 2004 saw a three-fold increase to 2,576; 2005 saw the field size jump to 5,619; and 2006 saw the high water mark of 8,773. The 2007 and 2008 Series had 6,358 and 6,844 entrants respectively.
The drop from 06′ can easily be attributed to the passage of UIGEA which saw several key poker sites withdraw from the US market. Because of these withdrawals there are less people playing online and fewer online satellite opportunities for players to have a chance to play in a major tournament.
Even with the government making it as inconvenient as possible to play poker online, the numbers don’t lie: With over 6,000 entrants in the years following UIGEA it is plain to see (unless you are the US government and lawmakers) that people want to play poker!
Perhaps the biggest success was the $1,000 NLHE tournament, dubbed the “Stimulus Special” by the WSOP brass. This tournament saw the largest non-Main Event field in WSOP history, with 6,012 runners. Even with the large field, poker pro Steve Sung was able to win the event and capture his first WSOP bracelet.
I had doubts about the number of entrants in this year’s Main Event cracking 6,000 (between the economy, an increase in UIGEA enforcement, and the whole Swine Flu scare), but with the huge turnouts in the preliminary events it’s clear to me that this year’s Main Event will likely be the second largest turnout ever.
A good turnout for the WSOP is just another sign to the government that it’s time to legalize and legislate online poker, and hopefully brick and mortar card-rooms; but I’m not greedy, let’s just get UIGEA repealed and then we’ll talk about putting a card-room in my hometown!
- Posted in: WSOP
- Comments: 1
It’s just a matter of time before the UIGEA is repealed.
Even if Frank’s legislation doesn’t go through now and the EU’s protests fall on deaf ears, there’s just too much tax revenue in online poker for the U.S. government to keep ignoring it.