It's Official!

This will probably be the shortest blog I will ever write: Direct from Jack Effel, Director of the World Series of Poker: It's official; all $1000 buy-ins will get $3000 in starting chips and two levels have been added to the structure! Hooray!

Excerpts From The Responses To My Last Blog

The following are excerpts from the responses to my last blog about the starting chips and the structure of the $1000 events at this years upcoming World Series of Poker.

1. Ronda Cook at 3:10pm February 28 looks good assuming 40 or 60 minute levels...

2. As far as the structure goes, I’m happy with the way it has been proposed. Keep fighting for us little guys, Susie!

Thanks,
Stanley D. Kirst, Jr. G8 CapitalExecutive Vice President

3. I love the $1000 buy-in, no rebuy event. Love the 3000 starting chips. I think this event will break all kinds of records and prize pool will be unreal. I predict the prize pool will over 4 million for this event. Maybe even closer to 6 million. I think they may have to do a second event of $1000 buy in next year. I know so many people that are excited about playing this event and are flying to Vegas just to play this event. I love the starting chips ($1000 more that what I predicted). love the structure. I mean anytime, you can have more people into the tournament other events will be helped as well. I really think maybe next year they should do few more $1000 events. $1000 Horse and $1000 PLO, $1000 pot-limit hold em. the majority of poker players love it.
Johnny Vegas

4. Susie, I couldn't agree with you more. $3K in chips and the 2 levels added sounds great to me. There are a lot of "weekend warriors" who look forward to playing in the $1K buy-ins, and that's the most expensive tourney they'll play all year. I personally am looking forward to playing in the Ladies for the first time and love the increase in chips! Thanks for all of your efforts in this cause!
Donna

5. Susie,
I read your recent blog and am totally disappointed that they are only considering $3000 units to start the Senior, Ladies and the other event $1000 event. Just as the committee rallies around the "Big Boy" buy-in's, $1500 and up, they should give the same overall "WOW" if you will, consideration to us small guys! I feel that they should allow no less than $4000 units, and preferably $5000, to start these few events. Give us smaller bankroll poker players a chance to have some quality action during poker table play, so that more of us smaller bankroll poker players can move on up to the level of play that the majority of this events caters to!! I hope you get a huge response to this much needed and vital topic! Having ran tournaments for years on a much smaller scale, however not that different overall, I feel they are not taking into consideration that these additional starting chip counts will not add much more time to the total events. It just provides more action for the players, and that is what customer satisfaction is all about!!! Let's hope it's not to late to voice these opinions for this year.

Shirley


6. Susie,
Thank you for asking what people think about the buy-ins for the "smaller" buy-in tourneys. I started playing poker seriously a year and a half ago. I entered the ladies event last year at the WSOP and the $2,000 in chips was definitely not enough to go far. I think $3,000 in chips is a decent starting level and the $25/$25 starting blinds is much more reasonable.
Good luck at the tables,
Sharon Jahn

7. The Iceman wrote: that is a fair structure.how long are the levels?

8. Jacqueline Britton wrote:

Job Susie!!!

9. John Blake: This event is great for poker. some complaints from the deep pocketed pros but controversy is good for poker as well. Possible 5 to 6 Million prize pool? how can you go wrong with that.

10. Gcp: More play is always good.

11. I READ YOUR EMAIL OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE STARTING CHIPS FOR THE $1000 EVENTS TO BE INCREASED TO 3,000. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. IF THAT GOES THRU I AM PLANING ON PLAYING IN AT LEAST 2 OF THE EVENTS! I AM MORE THAN A WEEKEND WARRIOR, I PLAY AN AVERAGE OF 4 LIVE GAMES A WEEK, AND AM CURRENTLY THE POY FOR THE HEARTLAND POKER TOUR, SO I CURRENTLY TRAVEL TO ALL OF THEIR EVENTS. INCREASING THE CHIP COUNT TO 3,000 REALLY MAKES THE EVENT MORE THAN JUST A COIN TOSS. THAT WITH THE CHANGE OF THE BLINDS REALLY MAKES IT MORE APPEALING TO PLAY IN. I HOPE ITS A GO!!!

MARY JO CHIP-QUEEN " '08 HPT POY" (Heartland Poker Tour - Player of the Year)

12. Hey Susie. Thanks for the possible good news. Here are my comments...
I think it would be great if the change was made to add more starting chips. It's really hard to play with 2,000 in starting chips. Adding the additional chips would be great. I think the new structure looks good.

I have played the last two years & would like to continue to play the ladies event each year. Since there are more opportunities available during the tournament months now, adding starting chips would help make my decision easier whether to play again this year. I could go play a few other tournaments with the $1,000 during my time in Vegas that have a better starting stack.

Thanks for considering making the change. I hope it happens.
Tonia Williams