{"id":10268,"date":"2018-07-16T20:16:20","date_gmt":"2018-07-16T20:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=10268"},"modified":"2018-07-16T22:53:39","modified_gmt":"2018-07-16T22:53:39","slug":"take-a-break-fatigue-takes-over-at-wsop-main-event-final-table","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/take-a-break-fatigue-takes-over-at-wsop-main-event-final-table\/","title":{"rendered":"Take A Break: Fatigue Takes Over At WSOP Main Event Final Table"},"content":{"rendered":"
Walking through the convention halls at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino<\/strong> in Las Vegas<\/strong> during the World Series of Poker<\/strong> is quite an experience.<\/p>\n But if you can\u2019t attend the WSOP, poker fans can enjoy the Main Event broadcast coverage on ESPN and live stream on PokerGO. This past weekend, the Main Event final table took place and a world champion was crowned when 33-year-old John Cynn<\/strong> won the longest heads-up battle (199 hands) in WSOP history and captured the title and $8.8 million. Cynn was awarded the most prestigious trophy in poker: the WSOP Main Event bracelet.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s WSOP has produced record-breaking numbers again, as the final event #78, the $1 million entry Big One for One Drop<\/strong> concludes this week.<\/p>\n Among the records at this year\u2019s 49th<\/sup> annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas:<\/p>\n The WSOP staff did a terrific job again this year, and overall the external feedback and social media input had fewer complaints. Considering poker players history of voicing concerns and complaints, the WSOP should feel good about its efforts in growing the game of poker and making the WSOP the game\u2019s greatest event.<\/p>\n But one area of concern has to be the lack of time given to the final table participants<\/strong> once the massive field is narrowed down to nine players. In recent years, the final table was played more than three months following the Main Event, and the WSOP branded this the \u2018November Nine\u2019. The elimination of that final table format was fine, and last year the change was implemented to allow two full days off between the Main Event\u2019s long seven days of play before the finale.<\/p>\n That gave the nine players, who would all become millionaires, an opportunity to rest and recover from seven grueling days of poker in the Main Event.\u00a0 It also gave ESPN, the WSOP and covering media a chance to engage the fans and viewers more by creating stories and identities about the participants.<\/p>\n This year, the build-up for the final table coverage and opportunity to promote poker and expand the interest even more including through social media appears to have been a missed opportunity as play continued within 15 hours of the final table of nine being established. Two more full days of play continued, and as the last two players engaged in an epic heads-up battle, you could see the fatigue of each player as they pushed through each stressful situation on pure adrenaline.<\/p>\n The lack of a break was a big talking point within the community, including last year\u2019s champion, Scott Blumstein<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an absolute travesty that this tournament went from a 3 month break, to a 2 day break, to no break at all. If it doesn\u2019t change next year I\u2019m going to genuinely consider not playing.<\/p>\n \u2014 Scott Blumstein (@SBlum2711) July 15, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In none of those sports do they play 10 days in a row. There\u2019s so much on the line. I just don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair to make the 3 month to no break transition in a two year span. A short break makes way more sense to me. https:\/\/t.co\/8DanFyK9vp<\/a><\/p>\n\n
That\u2019s all great, but final table participants need a break<\/span><\/h2>\n
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