I was in Las Vegas at the time of the final event in April. Let me tell you the place was packed. This event gets a lot of publicity from the shows. They do a good job of presenting (although not as good as the WSOP in my opinion).
There was a real draw to the WSOP when it was held at Binions. it was Downtown, which gave it a sense of history...You could get away from Binions and go to another casino...you just knew when you were there the ghosts of the great poker players were around you. Now that it has gone to the Rio, I don't think it has the same mystique. The Rio venue, while easier to get around and having more space, was very generic. I know it was the right 'corporate' move to move the tourney to a venue where they could 'trap' the entrants into their casino (Notice they didnt have it at Harrah's, they had it in an off strip location so you couldn't get back and forth easy), but it became a very generic event in a big box casino. A lot of the newcomers won't notice a difference, but I did.
What I am trying to say is that I really look forward to the new season. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years the WPT becomes the preeminant poker tourney and surpasses the WSOP.  |