When the UIGEA was enacted in 2006, people began to wonder if poker would continue to decline into virtual obscurity. And declining numbers across the board in both live and online poker suggested that maybe the game was going downhill fast. Fortunately, the 2008 WSOP came and proved that poker is more alive than ever since it not only set records for the most cash involved at over $180,000, but it also set attendance records too with over 50,000 people playing.
The rise of the 2008 WSOP has led many to speculate that this year’s WSOP could be even bigger and, so far, this prediction might come true. That’s because the first 9 events of the WSOP sold out which is something that has never happened in the history of the event. In fact, the last 5 events had excellent attendance too which might mean that the $180 million mark could be going down this year as well.
Seeing as how the WSOP is selling out so many events, it has me wondering if the people in charge of the WSOP will be scrambling to accommodate extra players in later events this year. So far every event has a cap since there is only so much space and only so many workers available for the tournaments. But, seeing as how Harrah’s Entertainment is a business, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them trying to get as many people as they can into the later events.
Even if this doesn’t happen, I’m sure that event organizers will do what they can next year to accommodate as many people as possible. After all, the WSOP is a growing event, and those that run it will want to make sure there is even more space so it can reach its full potential.