Scott Diamond

As we wait for the WSOP to start (16 days from now) table talk is still about the WSOP holding the final table for 117 days.

Robert "Chip Burner" Turner told me he thinks the decision is "Pure Genius" and Harrahs should hold the final table at the "Thomas and Mack Center" at UNLV, charge admission and he believes it will sell out, around 18,000 seats.

The major complaint by most is top professionals are going to make money coaching the final 9.

My rebuttal is, maybe,maybe not. After all the final 9 will have to have some Poker skills to get through the 9,000 person field. Oh of course there will be incredible luck needed. Look at Jerry Yang last year. The one hand that saved him has not ever really been talked about.

Jerry held A5 and was way behind after an all in call when the river hit a 4 giving Jerry a straight. A incredible card and he ends up winning the Main Event.

The professionals always like to chip up early and get very aggressive and in a tournament of this size with as much dead money as ever, I think if they actually played patiently and Poker as they write it in their books they would have a much better chance.

I have never played a tournament over $1000.00 buy in and the biggest field other than the WSOP Seniors Event last year (1900 players) was a $545.00 buy in during the 2007 LA Poker Classic with 790 players. I made a bad call with 17 players left with QJ diamonds against the small blind who was aggressive. he held 3-9 off and beat me with a 3.

Every professional has been waiting for the WSOP because it is the one event that makes you gain the respect of Poker players throughout the world.

If you win an event or go deep and accrue points your name is on all the big screens in the Amazon room and all over the poker web sites.

You are measured as a Poker Player on how you do at the WSOP.

Getting back to the WSOP. My point is Full Tilt, Poker Stars and Ultimate bet along with Absolute Poker will try and get one of the players to wear their logo. These sites have representatives who will be paid by the site you sign with to coach you. The site will pay them more than you will and it will be just an added bonus for you making the final table and you never know you could end up like Rhame and be a Poker Star pro.

Full Tilt and Poker Stars have the market when it comes to signing players. They have the most pro's and the most players. Maybe just maybe on-line will be legalized in the US by November creating more competition as well as huge signing bonuses for the final 9.

Coaching will not make the final 9 any better? Coaching will confuse the player more than it will help him? The final 9 will make a deal and everyone but them will lose money?

The WSOP will never be the same? Espn made a mistake?

These are some of the questions we all talked about and as time goes by the next few weeks hopefully there will be answers.

My question is will the WSOP allow conflicting sponsorships to get involved. For instance, Budweiser dressing up a player in a Nascar Suit when Milwaulkees Best paid millions to have its name on the Poker tables.

Jeffrey Pollack wants this. Will it ruin big sponsorships for 2009?

I personally like the delay. I am going to watch each episode like and wait each week for the next to show. Its become like your favorite TV show that says stay tuned for clips to next week, Like I did with Heroes,until it got boring.

It will lead us up to November creating excitement to finally see the finale. I mean I already knew who won the main Event last year,but I still watched every episode ESPN showed.

Look forward to seeing you all up there this year. I will be there off and on during the series.. Good Luck to all of you who play and shoot me an e-mail if you enter an event and I will post your name here and pass on any respectable message you would like the readers to know.

Take care...be safe