Novelties for 2011 WSOP Tour

Success guaranteed, claim directors It was announced this week that World Series of Poker (WSOP) is getting new additions which will make WSOP 2011 bigger and better. One of the innovations is the video coverage of all 58 gold bracelet events, which will presented with a wide overshot angle of the table and its players and a flop camera for visual sightlines while the events announcer describes the betting action as it happens. The coverage was ensured by a deal closed between WSOP and ESPN which will run through 2017, and it will include the same-day coverage and additional coverage from the main event in 2011. It was stated by WSOP Executive Directors Ty Stewart in regards to the TV coverage extensions: “Obviously we can't produce every WSOP bracelet event live for television, but we are committed to providing a visual account of the action. This online initiative will complement our spectacular television package on ESPN and deliver even more of this year's WSOP to fans who want the most immediate coverage possible.” As for other changes, it was specified that they include a venue will have smart-phone charging stations and free internet accessibility; two new events - the $25 000 heads-up no-limit hold'em world championship and a new $5 000 six-handed pot-limit Omaha event, with Badugi included for the first time in the six-handed 10-game mixed event; increase in satellites; deep stack events every day; a new Chip Reese Rule, that a player must be at least 40 years old to be voted into the Poker Hall of Fame; a change in the process for the list of finalists, where open nominations from the public will remain but a panel of industry veterans will be added to the process; the 2011 WSOP POY award will now take into account all WSOP Europe results; the introduction of WSOP Grudge Matches, which may be accessed by players with the exact same chip stacks they had when the original matches began, but the chip stacks will be reversed. According to WSOP Directors Seth Palansky, Jack Effel and Ty Stewart, the 2011 tournament will be a major success. However, they couldn't specify how big was the impact of "Black Friday" and players being unable to access their funds online. On the other side, Stewart claimed that the fact that room numbers are up is a positive indication for tournament attendance.