Where Are The Advertising Opportunities?

When the delay of play at the Final Table of the Championship Event of the World Series of Poker was announced before the start of the 2008 tournament schedule, WSOP Commisioner Jeffrey Pollack stated that one of the reasons for the four month delay was for the players to be able to obtain sponsorship and advertising revenues that would add on to their already life changing largess. He also stated that it would create a buzz along the lines of the Super Bowl and that it would be something that would draw the world's attention to the World Championship of poker.

Fast forward the clock to almost one month after the "November Nine" was determined (or, as PokerPages' Mike Paulle called them, the "Fall Fiasco") and what have we seen? Not one of the players have announced a huge sponsorship or "logo" deal from a corporation outside of the world of poker. Other than chip leader Dennis Phillips getting some press from his local St. Louis newspaper and an appearance on Fox News, there hasn't been the rush to put these players on morning talk shows, other traditional media or even flagship TV outlet ESPN's shows, such as "First Take" or their dedicated ESPNNews. And, although we are in the "dog days" of the poker season, the sensational buzz created by the reaching of the Final Table has subsided to pretty much an inaudible hum as the WSOP-Europe steps up to the plate and the World Poker Tour continues on with their new contract with Fox Sports.

Perhaps it is too early (we still have three months to go) to be looking for these things, but it seems that the experiment that the delayed Final Table has become could be something that we won't see again. It is extremely possible that, with a few weeks to go before they restart in November, that these advertising opportunities may flood in and we see Phillips, "Chino" Rheem and the others with logos bedecking their attire. In the current economy and with the demographic look of the average poker fan, though, it is not a guarantee that this will happen.

One way of looking at this is by looking at another one of the other possibilities that was extended by Commissioner Pollack. He seemed to be enthusiastic that the players at the Final Table would hire top professionals to tutor and train their particular charge to make the deepest run possible in the tournament. At this point, not one of the Final table participants has (at least openly) taken on the advice of a top tournament professional. A recent blog on CardPlayer by a former guest on my "The Tournament Trail" show at Hold 'Em Radio (http://www.holdemradio.com/), WPT champion Roy Winston, indicated that no one has contacted him regarding his offer of coaching for the Main Event.

There is still time for the fruition of the goals that were laid out by Commissioner Pollack to come to life but, to this point, it has to be honestly considered that the delay for the "November Nine" may not have been everything that it was cracked up to be.