Improvements to the World Series of Poker November Nine part 2

Okay, my last post kind of just listed some of what ails the November Nine without really offering some improvements. I guess I could have also mentioned the World Series invested about 21 million, that the winners would receive for the No limit Texas Hold'em tournament, that was sitting around for 3 and half months with Goldman Sachs. That's supposedly the best of the best when it comes to investing and they made a whopping $459. Yes, in three and a half months 21 million returned $459. I'm not joking.

For the year, that rate is 0.008%. I've heard of safe but that's ridiculous. Granted people may be quick to say at least they didn't lose money so I'll say it for you... at least they didn't lose money... BUT wait they did. Had they put it almost any other safe investment they would have earned more, hell if they used it to online poker tournaments they would have made a ton more.

So the winner, Duhamel pocketed an extra $170 bucks or something, Racener an even $100. Matt Jarvis $5. Yeah. Oh, I hinted I wasn't going to bitch about that and I just did. Okay, let's get to some solutions:

Step 1, obviously, invest somewhere else.

Step 2, as I mentioned at the tail end of the previous post, the WSOP needs to mandate their broadcasting partner ESPN market the event. Plan, a blitz of the studios in the lead up to the finale. No half-assed participation either. Make the players agree to it when they buy-in, doesn't matter if they are Phil Ivey or Gene D, they make the final table, like it or not they are going to every TV outlet that will put them on (within reason). Not negotiable they don't want to agree to it, they don't have to play. WSOP can even pay them small stipends for their time out of their marketing money

Step 3, move up the play for the final table. I believe it is Saturday/Monday and aired on Tuesday. If they needed an extra hour so bad, give the editors an extra day. Go to Friday/Sunday format.

Step 4, likely this won't be the last year the heads up action pits a chip giant with a chip midget. Up the intrigue by coming back three handed. Granted they'll have less time to put together the show but that's why there's an extra day. Imagine if Cheong had come back instead of 22 betting Duhamel with Ace rag. Could have been a lot of interesting play.

Step 5, don't just award one bracelet. The Main Event is different. There is the World Series and then there is the Main Event. ESPN has programmed it like that because viewers think of it like that. So, award a gold bracelet to first, a silver bracelet to second, and a bronze bracelet to third. Got a Main Event champion that doesn't register or show a pulse, now you got three guys instead of one to push.

As poker becomes more an international game, there are three "winners" like the Olympics, to sell the game to different parts of the world. This year it would have been Canada, Florida and California, but it easily could have been a different Canadian, Italy, and another American. Besides poker keeps trying to get into the Olympics why not accept their format. There is a difference between a "medalist" and a runner-up, it's a matter of semantics, but that medal is more than just symbolic, it embraces the second and third best efforts, and gives them a little prestige as a winner and not a first loser.

Step 6 more events in conjunction with the November Nine. Schedule whatever legends tournament that year to also finish in November, despite the fear of Doyle Brunson making the finale and not making the finale—just kidding Doyle, we know you are going to keep winning poker tournaments for another 40 years.