2007 WSOP Top Prize a let down?

Here it is on MSN: World Series of Poker top prize at $8.25 million - World Series of Poker - MSNBC.com

Now what do you guys think about this years top prize only being 8 Million? Don't get me wrong, yes this is A LOT of money, but compaired to last years 12 Million top prize this seems like a let down. They say poker is "Booming", but this shows something different.

The article reads: "The totals are short of last year’s record 8,773 participants and $12 million top prize. But it comes nine months after President Bush signed a law cracking down on Internet gambling, which is blamed for shrinking the number of entrants who would have qualified in online tournaments."

I don't agree with this statement at all, as we all know internet poker is STILL around because we play it everyday. Not to mention the promotions FT, AP, PS, and Bodog held, I mean alone those companys gave away 350+ seats.

Another thing....This is the craziest of them all, the total cash brought into the WSOP Main Event was: $63,580,000, the total paid out this year is: $59,800,000, which means that the casino is making: $3,780,000. Not to bad for a weeks worth of work for the casino owners .

What is your guy's view on this shortage of players this year?

It is not necessarly a letdown because they made online entrants into the main event not allowed this year, so thats about right.

I'm sure the first thing off the 07 Main Event winner's lips will be man... 8.2 Million, I'm disappointed in the drop off. LMAO!

Eh, poker is still booming. I like that it is less people actually, a little bit of better competition. You still see so many pro's go out on day one though, but 16 hours of tournament play is a lot

Also, note that some of the money from the top spots is now getting distributed to the lower paying spots. Last year if you just made it into the money you got a little over your buy in back. This year cashing will guarantee you at least twice+ the buy in.

Not quite... You could still win a "package" to the main event, but unlike years past, they gave you the cash equivalent. So if you'd rather take the 12000$, you could - instead of being required to attend. That lead to less entrants, and as AG pointed out - the payout structure is flatter this year. Those two factors = smaller top prize.

I disagree with you. Yes poker is still around and popular. Three factors for the legislation that reduced the numbers.

How many sites since last year shut down completely? How many more stopped Americans from playing? Add them together and what do you get? 20? 50? I don't know. Most of them would run WSOP promotions and giveaways. Do you think FT and PS and the rest still running felt sorry for us so ramped up their giveaways to make up the difference? NO! Less site for american to play, less people getting cheap seats to the main event.

It is now harder to get money into online sites thanks to Bush. I know some people who used to have money on-line but withdrew it or cannot find a ways to get money on-line to play for those spots. Less entrants for the promotions means less seats given away each time.

Harrah's stopped taking 3rd party poker payments because of the new legislation at the time in FEAR that it might get them in trouble just accepting money from poker sites. They made this announcement right after last years tournaments. Less prize packages given away. Players are now given straight cash and not forced to enter the main event. I am sure some of them that could not make it that week were delighted to have $12k in money instead of selling a $12k package for $10k to someone who could take it.

All this means less people entered. I hope our government figures out what they did wrong and correct before next years event.

Hard to blame anyone for just keeping the cash. For most of the qualifiers it would be bad bankroll management to play it when you can bankroll the cash.

Does anyone know the difference in numbers for the rest of the events in the WSOP from 2006 to 2007?

I'd personally be crushed if I won the ME, and got "only" 8.2mil! It's due to the IGEA, no guestion, putting less dead money in this years event. Here's hoping they get alla that sorted out soon.

you guys do relize they upped the amount the lower places got paid right? they took like 2 million from the top spots to distribute on lower spots, so now if you go out early in the money you get like 20k instead of 10k and so on.

Yeah I realize that .

I don't think the Main Event will ever have as many players as it did in 2006.

I think it will stay around 6000-7000 people.

Agree'd even tho i'd like to be one of those people that gets entered into the WSOP for free , its still pretty ****ed for the Pro's i mean 500 pro's vs 4500 ammatures odds r pretty shitty for the pros

edit: wow sorry for the massive bump

yeah epic fail on your part