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The World Series of Poker announced a groundbreaking change that will more closely align the televised presentation of the world's largest, richest and most prestigious poker tournament.
The final table of the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em main event, will compete on Nov. 9-10 instead of the originally scheduled date of July 16. ESPN will edit the two-day final table action and televise it in a two-hour program from 9-11 p.m. ET on Nov. 11 just hours after the winner is crowned.
"Our intent is to provide an even bigger stage for our players," said Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "Now fans and viewers will ask 'who will win' our coveted championship bracelet instead of seeing 'who won.' The excitement and interest surrounding our final nine players will be unprecedented."
The WSOP will take place from May 30 to July 14 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Main Event will begin July 3, with the final table being determined July 14. The nine players who advance to the final table will return to the Rio on Nov. 9 to play down to just two players. The final two, will go head-to-head late in the evening Nov. 10 to determine the champion and winner of poker's ultimate prize.
"This is a huge step forward for poker and more specifically poker on television because it will help create more buzz around the final table and that is good for all of us," said Daniel Negreanu. "Not only will this innovative step create more buzz for the final table, the added time prior to the final table will help get poker mainstream media attention. I’m very excited about this decision and can’t wait to see it all unfold, hopefully from a seat at the final table!"
