Running the World Series of Poker Main Event during a pandemic was never going to be easy. However, some railbirds are less than impressed with how things have played out so far.
The poker community’s reaction was largely positive when the WSOP announced it was going to trial a hybrid version of the Main Event.
Although it called into question the status of September’s $5,000 Main Event winner, no one was mad at getting another chance to win a bracelet. For certain critics, however, the end product hasn’t matched their expectations of what a main event should be.
International Main Event Causes Travel Problems
The online portion of the international WSOP Main Event went off without a hitch. Players from Europe, South America, and Asia all anted up on GGPoker without any issues.
When the final nine were asked to travel to the Czech Republic, things got a little tricky for one player.
Peiyuan Sun chose not to attend. His reasons aren’t known, but travel restrictions between China and the Czech Republic almost certainly factored into his decision.
Sun was declared the ninth-place finisher on account of not being able to attend. That’s fair enough. Moreover, he still won $75,360 for his efforts. But, in the mind of poker pro Max Silver, that was unfair.
Seems extra fucked up to just DQ a player not wanting to travel to the WSOP main event FT in 9th rather than blinding him off giving him a chance to ladder
— Max Silver (@max_silver) December 15, 2020
Silver’s tweet received support from Mark Roovers, but others weren’t so sympathetic. For many on the rail, it was a case of Sun knowing the rules before he entered the $10,000 tournament.
“Easy pay jump. What a joke this WSOP Main Event is,” Roovers tweeted.
Lack of Live Streams Leaves Some Missing that Buzz
Travel issues weren’t the only thing to irk the critics. The WSOP Main Event has a certain reverence that other tournaments can’t match.
Did the @WSOP main thing start yet?
— Matt Glantz (@MattGlantz) December 15, 2020
Each time it plays out, there’s not only a buzz in Las Vegas, but on social media platforms and poker forums. Some of that buzz was missing this year, according to certain fans.
As unofficial leader of the twitch poker trolls I hereby announce that we do not recognize the ongoing so called #wsop main event on gg poker/wsopcom as such and refuse to refer to an eventual winner as world champion. #JusticeForStoyanMadanzhiev
— Nico, once again known as the 🥈 winnin83/92/99🚟 (@NNewtime) December 14, 2020
There's a second WSOP happening right now lol
— Nico, once again known as the 🥈 winnin83/92/99🚟 (@NNewtime) December 14, 2020
DJ MacKinnon was one of the more vocal critics of this year’s hybrid Main Event. His main point of contention is the lack of live streams.
The American wasn’t able to watch the international finale play out at King’s Resort, something he described as “galaxy brained.”
“Let’s have an international WSOP main event and bring the final nine in for a live final table during a pandemic, but let’s not live stream it!” is some galaxy brained decision-making.
— DJ MacKinnon (@djmacjr) December 15, 2020
It’s also been revealed that he’ll have to wait for ESPN to show highlights of the US final table due to there not being a live stream for that either.
Beyond parody. https://t.co/4Xm93kzwkR
— DJ MacKinnon (@djmacjr) December 16, 2020
It’s hard to criticize the WSOP and GGPoker for putting on a Main Event against the odds. 2020 hasn’t been easy for anyone, and the hybrid tournament was a valiant effort to create something out of nothing.
However, poker players are a critical bunch, and the WSOP Main Event is held to unenviably high standards.
Whether it’s the lack of hype or a general sense of pessimism due to COVID-19, the feeling among some is that this year’s Main Event wasn’t all it could have been.
