[toc]Following the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, Nevada can be challenging. The events are almost continuous. Every day, between one and three individuals win a bracelet. Also, every few hours, there’s a tweet that becomes the talk of the town.
Don’t worry if you believe you’ve missed any significant happenings from this week’s WSOP. We’ve got all the headline stories featuring major players, alongside other poker insights that might have eluded you.
High Roller lives up to name at WSOP
The inaugural marquee tournament of the summer at WSOP was the One Drop High Roller, with a buy-in of $111,111. The world’s elite hold’em players participated not only to compete for a bracelet but also to contribute to a charitable cause.
As is customary, a portion of each buy-in was donated to the clean water organization, One Drop. The event helped the charity to raise over $1 million.
The main cause is crucial, but there are also several other factors worth mentioning. Firstly, the victor, Doug Polk. He is well-known among fans due to his extroverted character, YouTube content, and widely-viewed poker training videos. However, his impressive poker resume should not be overlooked either.
Polk conquered the challenging final table to secure his third bracelet and $3,686,865. Martin Derbyshire from PlayUSA perceives Polk as the hero that poker requires. Even though Polk is only 28 and his career is in its early stages, he already possesses the mindset of a seasoned professional. His unique approach of prioritizing his audience as much as he does himself is unusual among today’s poker professionals.
Polk wasn’t the only significant figure connected to the broadcast. The lineup off the felt was equally impressive. The livestreaming team from the subscription service PokerGO pulled out all the stops. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad were tasked with the play-by-play commentary from the booth. They were also joined by a revolving group of guests including Phil Hellmuth, Jason Les, Max Steinberg, and Jeff Gross.
WSOP drawing headlines, but crowds, not so much
The WSOP can celebrate as major headlines continue to roll in. Daniel Negreanu has already graced two final tables. Numerous other players have increased their lifetime bracelet counts. Apart from recent concerns regarding a Legionnaire’s outbreak, complaints regarding the event have been minimal.
The negative aspect is much more nuanced than the positive. Though the statistics are not catastrophic, there is a troubling trend. Steve Ruddock from Nevada Online Casinos noted that the initial 11 bracelet events saw a consistent drop in participation. He suggests that the WSOP should reduce the number of bracelet events, a step the organization has not taken in quite some time.
Ferguson and Lederer walked into the Rio, but did anyone notice?
In the previous year, virtually all poker platforms reported on the comeback of Howard Lederer, the ex-owner of Full Tilt Poker, after Black Friday. There was a significant uproar over the former online poker representative. Some demanded a ban on Lederer and his colleague Chris Ferguson, a Full Tilt Pro, from participating in events. Many speculated about a possible physical confrontation involving either of the two.
Both are returning this year and have even joined forces as partners in the two Tag Team bracelet events. However, apart from a few casual tweets, there’s been little talk about it this time.
The issue at hand concerns US Poker. The site released an editorial piece on Ferguson and Lederer, reminding the poker community of their significant involvement in a company that led to significant financial loss. The article promotes increased anger and activity concerning Lederer and Ferguson. The question now is whether the poker community will heed this call.
