WSOP screws up again, leaks 2014 partial schedule too early, Main Event now $10m guarantee

They posted the $10k-and-up events at http://www.wsop.com/2014 and then took it down very quickly.

However, some eagle-eyes caught it and screen-shotted:

http://igaming.org/images/imagemanag...4_schedule.jpg

This is NOT a complete schedule, but rather just the events that are $10,000 or more buyin.

Interesting things that were noticed here:

1) The Main Event now has a guaranteed $10 million first prize. I always wondered why they didn't do this, since 10 million sounds a lot more impressive than 8-9 million, which they have awarded for several years in a row.

2) Limit Holdem is back to $10,000 buyin. It was $5000 through 2007, then $10,000 from 2008-2010, and $5000 again from 2011-2013. This is actually my strongest event now, because the $1500 Limit Shootout was eliminated last year, and the structure favors my play style in the earlier stages. I finished 19th (cashed) in 2008, was the stone bubble boy (again 19th) in 2012, and 5th in 2013. I didn't cash or come close in 2007, 2009, or 2011. I didn't play it in 2005, 2006, or 2010. Anyway, I believe Caesar's changed this because they noticed the $5k wasn't attracting more players than the $10k (it seems to be around 170 entrants every year no matter what), and they made half the rake, so obviously this is going back to $10k. It will take place on June 26, which is later than its June 15-21 range over the past several years.

3) Stud, Stud8, Pot Limit Holdem (why do they still have this?!), HORSE, and Omaha8 have also changed from $5,000 to $10,000, for similar reasons.

4) Razz and Limit 2-7 have gone from $2,500 to $10,000, again for similar reasons. I guess that prices out scottyno.

5) They have ditched the $25k buyin 6-Max NL, and now it is a $10,000 event. They are clearly not happy with the field of 175 people, which is acceptable for a big-buyin limit event, but not for NL Holdem.

6) There will be three $50k buyin mix-game events this year.

7) On June 29, the Big One for One Drop will be back to a $1,000,000 buyin. I wonder how many people Guy Laliberte will put in this year, and I wonder if Chino will steal a million dollars this year.

8) There are apparently 65 events on the schedule, up from 62 last year.

I saw this earlier.

The $10 million guarantee for the WSOP Main Event is a good idea that they could have had for years now. It's a nice figure and you can easily just take a few bucks from the 600+ places that pay down to make up the couple million to bump the first prize up.

People who are playing $5k events can probably get the money to play a $10k event because it's the WSOP which happens once a year after all. Most of these players are going to be skilled in the game whether it's $5k or $10k so why not leave them at $10k?

I don't think removing the $25k 6 max is a good idea. That is a TOUGH event with several of the most top tier NL players in the world playing it so why drop it to $10k? This event should be looked at like the $111,111 One Drop was from last year in regards to the number of entrants.

The One Drop will sell out again even at a larger field. This should make it over $20 million for first. Will Antonio Esfandiari go deep for the third year in a row which would be twice at a $1 million entry?

Note the date of the $50k events being the same which makes me think they just have event #46 listed three times under different descriptions listing all the games.

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Note the date of the $50k events being the same which makes me think they just have event #46 listed three times under different descriptions listing all the games.

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:this

Appears they were just listing all the games and needed extra lines.

I'm happy all the $5k events are gone.

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

I saw this earlier.


Note the date of the $50k events being the same which makes me think they just have event #46 listed three times under different descriptions listing all the games.

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Same with the $25k Mix Max event 2 [Day 1] 9 per table, then 6 per table, then 4 per table, sounds like absolute shenanigans especially with tale balancing when they get to 25 for or less.

SDtill could be interesting to see how many they get

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Originally Posted by Steve-O

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Note the date of the $50k events being the same which makes me think they just have event #46 listed three times under different descriptions listing all the games.

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:this

Appears they were just listing all the games and needed extra lines.

I'm happy all the $5k events are gone.

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I'd much rather see them change the 3k to a 5k and change the starting stacks of the 1k and 1.5k to 5000 chips or even 4500. I'm not a huge fan of the lower buyins as it is because of stack size. I'm much happier playing the deep stack series at Venetian or the summer series at binions than these cheap bracelet events

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Originally Posted by lvpkr1009

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Originally Posted by Steve-O

:this

Appears they were just listing all the games and needed extra lines.

I'm happy all the $5k events are gone.

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I'd much rather see them change the 3k to a 5k and change the starting stacks of the 1k and 1.5k to 5000 chips or even 4500. I'm not a huge fan of the lower buyins as it is because of stack size. I'm much happier playing the deep stack series at Venetian or the summer series at binions than these cheap bracelet events

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the $2,500 events all the way to the 5k's accomplish nothing. The same people play these as the $10k's. The $1k and $1,500 are where you get the recreational players (and the $1k's are pointless too as a bunch of the $1,500's get bigger fields). I say make everything on the schedule $1,500's and $10k's , and keep the Poker players Championship and other special events like the Seniors, Ladies, etc

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Originally Posted by Steve-O

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Originally Posted by lvpkr1009

I'd much rather see them change the 3k to a 5k and change the starting stacks of the 1k and 1.5k to 5000 chips or even 4500. I'm not a huge fan of the lower buyins as it is because of stack size. I'm much happier playing the deep stack series at Venetian or the summer series at binions than these cheap bracelet events

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the $2,500 events all the way to the 5k's accomplish nothing. The same people play these as the $10k's. The $1k and $1,500 are where you get the recreational players (and the $1k's are pointless too as a bunch of the $1,500's get bigger fields). I say make everything on the schedule $1,500's and $10k's , and keep the Poker players Championship and other special events like the Seniors, Ladies, etc

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I'd be ok with that idea too....I realize that they have the 1k and 1.5 k to attract a more recreational player just not a big fan of so damn many of them either. It's supposed to be the World Series of Poker where the best players from around the world come to play, not let's set buyins so low that Joe Schmo from Kokomo can come play and win a bracelet

I've always said that $2500 is the point where most of the recreational players go away. $1000-$2000 events always had a noticeable easier field, though they've eliminated the $2000 events as of like 2 years ago.

And yeah, I screwed up with the 3 $10k Mixed Events thing. It appears there's only one.

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Originally Posted by lvpkr1009

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Originally Posted by Steve-O

the $2,500 events all the way to the 5k's accomplish nothing. The same people play these as the $10k's. The $1k and $1,500 are where you get the recreational players (and the $1k's are pointless too as a bunch of the $1,500's get bigger fields). I say make everything on the schedule $1,500's and $10k's , and keep the Poker players Championship and other special events like the Seniors, Ladies, etc

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I'd be ok with that idea too....I realize that they have the 1k and 1.5 k to attract a more recreational player just not a big fan of so damn many of them either. It's supposed to be the World Series of Poker where the best players from around the world come to play, not let's set buyins so low that Joe Schmo from Kokomo can come play and win a bracelet

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Here are my suggestions from a column last year:

http://www.pokereagles.com/news/6475...wsop-faces.php

Basically, eliminate all duplicate tournaments, and make every variant a $1,500 and $10k buy-in:

1.No Limit Holdem
2.No Limit Holdem 6-Max
3.Heads-Up No Limit Holdem
4.Limit Holdem
5.Limit Holdem 6-Max
6.Pot Limit Holdem
7.PLO
8.Omaha 8 or Better
9.Seven Card Stud
10.Seven Card Stud 8-or-better
11.Razz
12.HORSE
13.Limit 2-7 Triple Draw
14.NL 2-7 Draw
15.Five Card Draw
16.8-Game Mix
17.10-Game Mix (Poker Players Championship)
18.Open Face Chinese Poker
19.Ante Only No Limit Holdem ($1,500 only)
20.No Limit Holdem Shootout (1,500 only)
21.Limit Holdem Shootout ($1,500 only)
22.Omaha 8/Stud 8 ($1,500 only)
23.PLO/NLHE ($1,500 only)
24.PLO8 ($1,500 only)
25.Badugi ($1,500 only)
26.Ladies Tournament
27.Seniors Tournament
28.One Drop Event/Charity Event
29.High-Roller Event

which is 47 events. then they could add a few experimental events each year, and if they have their hearts set on 60+ tournaments add an additional 2,500 or 3k event to all the most popular formats

I wish they would finally get rid of Pot Limit Holdem. That game doesn't run anywhere anymore, nor can you find tournaments of it. It was also never a really popular game, unlike other "dying" games like Stud which were once fixtures in poker.

I really hope they bring back the Limit Holdem Shootout and the Mixed Holdem, but I'm not holding my breath.

I think you have $1k events, $1,500 events, $10k events, and then your other special ones which would be the $25k 6 max, $50k Players Championship and the $1 million dollar One Drop. Scratch all the $2k, $2,500, $3k, and $5k events.

Perhaps one $5k NL event in between a gap where no $10k+ NL events are played wouldn't be bad but you only need one of them.

Stud is a dying game for sure but if their is any time of the year to have a tournament for it the WSOP is it along with other games like $10k deuce to seven championship that never gets a big field.

I'm on the fence with small field tournaments getting bracelets because the chance to win a bracelet is greater but years ago the fields were tiny anyways so if people want to put up $10k to play an event because that want that bracelet then let them do it. When you now have like 60+ bracelet events a year at the WSOP in Las Vegas with more in Europe they lose some of the prestige that they once had anyways imo.

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

I think you have $1k events, $1,500 events, $10k events, and then your other special ones which would be the $25k 6 max, $50k Players Championship and the $1 million dollar One Drop. Scratch all the $2k, $2,500, $3k, and $5k events.

Perhaps one $5k NL event in between a gap where no $10k+ NL events are played wouldn't be bad but you only need one of them.

Stud is a dying game for sure but if their is any time of the year to have a tournament for it the WSOP is it along with other games like $10k deuce to seven championship that never gets a big field.

I'm on the fence with small field tournaments getting bracelets because the chance to win a bracelet is greater but years ago the fields were tiny anyways so if people want to put up $10k to play an event because that want that bracelet then let them do it. When you now have like 60+ bracelet events a year at the WSOP in Las Vegas with more in Europe they lose some of the prestige that they once had anyways imo.

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It's not just about entries, or at least it shouldn't be. Stud and all the other games are important. The only way you bring people back to those games is with $1,500 buy-in events. They get their feet wet, maybe they like the game and voila, ten years down the road you have a poker economy that isn't at the mercy of, and entirely dependent upon No Limit Holdem.

The only games that die off are the ones that are too heavily swayed toward skill. A game being unpopular doesn't necessarily mean its dead or dying: in 2005 you could have made the same case that PLO was dying.

If you think NLHE is going to last as the predominant game you need to look at poker history. This is actually a really interesting conversation btw

Schedule is up now: http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/