Bodog Beat

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun yesterday, WSOP Communications czar Seth Palansky sat down to talk about the 2010 WSOP and what changes players can expect to see in the schedule and from the tournament overall.

Despite the economic downturn, the WSOP has continued to grow year after year since Chris Moneymaker brought about the poker boom with his win at the 2003 WSOP. Based on Palansky's comments to the Sun, they are every bit as ambitious about continuing to grow the brand as they were before the departure of WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

One of the major downfalls of the 2009 WSOP was the disappointing turn out on Day 1B which led to a sell-out situation on Day 1D, a very controversial situation that still resonates throughout the poker community. The reason for the small crowd on Day 1B was that it fell on July 4th, something that will now not be happening as the WSOP plans to either start after the holiday of take the day off for the holiday. They will also be expanding the footprint of the WSOP at the Rio (into the Pavilion Center) which will also help to cut down on any potential sell-out situation in the future.

Another learning they took from this past summer was the popularity of the smaller buy-in events like the $1,000 buy-in Stimulus Special. So, in recognition of this, the WSOP is looking at upping the number of lower buy-in events in order to draw in more players during these rougher economic times.

To read the full Las Vegas Sun article, go here, and to warm up your poker tournament skills and get ready for the 2010 WSOP check out the Bodog online poker tournament schedule and keep your eyes peeled for information about upcoming live tournaments and eventually the 2010 WSOP.