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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

Dec 15, 2007

The New World Series of Poker

The recent press release announcing the dates of the 2008 World Series of Poker had a couple of surprises -- okay, more than a couple -- that set the chat world abuzz.

Holding steady at 55 events, this year's series shows the absence of eight events, replaced by eight $10,000 buy-in tournaments. Since Harrah's does a pretty good job of getting its PR out to the world, including all the obligatory mentions of its sponsors which contribute nothing as far as I can tell to the prize pool, we won't put the schedule here. (You can get it from their official site at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

The introduction of the five-figure events doesn't whet my appetite much, except for the inclusion of a seven-card stud buy-in, which, to my mind, should really be the game that declares a World Series champ -- and except for the mixed event. Anyone who has read these articles knows that I don't think tournament poker is indicative of greatness, as far as overall, long-term play-to-win, consistent money-in-the-bankroll ration is concerned. However this mixed event is a whole new ball game in my mind and I can't wait to see how it plays out.

Picture a ballroom full of players who have to play not just hold'em and not just no limit but limit, not just hold'em but Omaha , both high-low and pot limit, not just stud but razz, and seven-card high low and deuce to seven triple draw low. Now that's an event a that should really energize a serious player.

I'm still not convinced that any individual poker tournament held in a condensed time frame -- even one as great as the World Series of Poker--can name a true champion, but this game is a big improvement. So in my mind, whoever wins this event (even if it's a pain-in-the-butt fist-pumping, high-fiving, testosterone-charged pre-adult with way more brawn than bluff or a more demure gentleman gambler) will be the true poker champion for 2008.

This is the kind of contest that requires a player to know poker.

To me this would be like the National Finals Rodeo where rough-and-tough cowboys compete in 15 different events and earn points for their efforts, points that eventually tally out a true champion. That's the person who excelled enough in all the events.

I'm really hoping Harrah's (or whatever company ends up owning the Harrah's brand, depending on the current buy-out status) truly hypes this event as the New World Series of Poker to the max. I hope they tout this as the closest to a true championship contest as possible but it's not likely to happen.

On the other side of the poker cheque, the one event that could be eliminated totally (my opinion again) is the heads-up tournament that's part of the new $10,000 buy-in format. I've seen enough of that at final tables and televised events to be easily bored, even when only the most animated individuals, hands and decisions get camera time. It just seems as if this World Series of Poker event is more a venue for the old pros to practice clobbering neophytes than to show off true, total poker skill.

This is my opinion, of course, and it's caused by the fact that I've been a fan and/or participant of the WSP for almost forever and fiddling with the format doesn't sit well. It's like having the valet adjust the seats in your car or the chef adding Swiss cheese instead of provolone to your tuna melt.

See, this whole thing isn't about changes in the World Series of Poker. Change itself is easy to accept because change is a done deal. It's that period between announcement of change and the afterglow that brings out a lot of anxiety.

By the time someone announces the 2009 World Series of Poker, none of this will matter because it will again be time for the New World Series of Poker. If I read this a year from now, I'll wonder what all my fussing was about.

Meanwhile, see you at the Rio.