The Poker Lab Rat

The US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has potential to turn the World Series of Poker, starting June 1 in Las Vegas, into something of a debacle. The WSOP has largely disengaged from online gambling for this year’s event despite almost half of last year’s record 8,773 Main Event players qualifying online.

Did you know that Chris Moneymaker, the British poker pro tagged with boosting the worldwide popularity of poker, won a $39 Internet tournament to qualify for the 2003 WSOP tournament? He won a cool $2.5 million at the event.

Over the last few years, online poker has had a huge presence at the World Series in terms of both players and promotional activity. It is expected that the online poker ra ra will this year be far less conspicuous, and casino company Harrah’s Entertainment, which runs the World Series, has tried to distance itself from them.

To make up for the potential loss of online qualifiers, Harrah’s is hosting its own in-the-flesh Main Event qualifying tournaments ($550 and $1,060) and is increasing the number of events from last year’s already huge 46 to a whopping 55 and installing more fan-friendly stadium-style seating for the finals.

So, all that’s missing are the dancing girls…ah, no, they’ll probably be there in force too!

As WSOP post UIGEF disadvantages online players, in our book it loses it’s entitlement to call itself a ”world series”. I guess however calling it the “series of poker for an elite group of players willing to pay the $10K buy-in or hang out at Harrahs for in-the-flesh qualifiers” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. 

So what’s winning the Main Event likely to be worth?

This is still unknown. Jamie Gold, last year’s champion won $12 million, with 873 players finishing in the money but this year, Harrah’s says it’s revisited the payout schedule, with lower top prizes… in theory so most winners get more cash.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re looking forward to the whole month-plus tournament series, but with so many poker styles and stakes – and bracelets galore – plus the hypocrisy of “illegal online but legal in-the-flesh”, you’ll have to forgive us for thinking of it more as a carnival than the it’s former glory and the stuff of poker legends.

The key date in our diary is July 6 when the Main Event kicks off.

Credible Online Poker rooms where you can still play in satellites for qualification for the Main Event and other WSOP Events include:

Bet365 Poker (Lead site on the Microgaming Poker Network)

Full Tilt Poker (US Players accepted)
Betsson Poker (Ongame Poker Network, a favourite for Scandinavian and European players)
Ladbrokes Poker (Microgaming Poker, especially popular with UK players)