That’s right, October. The WSOP tweeted yesterday that the November Nine was no more, but that was simply a case of them just messing with the minds of the poker community. The November Nine still exists; it is simply moved to October this year to make way for the U.S. Presidential Election in November. The final nine players will play down to two on Sunday, October 28th and the heads-up match will be contested on Tuesday, October 30th.

Prior to the “October Nine,” the Main Event will require just three starting days – July 7-9 – because 92 tables have been added to the tournament area. The new tables, set up in the Brasilia Ballroom, allow enough players to sit at the same time that Day 1D is no longer necessary. Survivors from Days 1A (Saturday) and 1B (Sunday) will combine for Day 2A on Tuesday, July 10th, while the survivors from Monday’s Day 1C will compete on Day 2B on Wednesday, July 11th. Day 3 on Thursday, July 12th, will be the first day to include all remaining players. There will be no off-days during the Main Event.

The changes to the Main Event schedule, resulting in a Main Event which is three days shorter than last year, were made largely to allow players to spend less time in Las Vegas and therefore less time off from work and less money spent on hotel rooms, dining, and the like. The structure of the tournament will remain the same, with two-hour levels and 30,000 starting chips. Five levels will be played each day with 20-minute breaks in between and a 90-minute dinner break after the third level of the day.

Several new bracelet events have been added this year, including:

Event #3: $3,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha – this event will have a 512-player cap and will alternate between the two referenced games every 20 minute level.

Event #6: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max – the tournament will start with 9-handed tables the first day, switch to 6-handed tables the second day, and will change to heads-up once the field is down to 32 players. Those remaining 32 players will then be seeded according to chip stack and be arranged into brackets with the #1 seed facing the #32 seed in the first round and so on and so forth.

Event #28 – $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em / Four Handed – self-explanatory.

Event #49 – $1,500 Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em – everybody posts an ante every hand and there are no blinds.

Event #55 – $1,000,000 Big One for BIG DROP – that’s a one million dollar buy-in, the most expensive poker tournament in history. 11.1 percent of the buy-in will go to the ONE DROP charity. More can be read about this event here.

There are also two “exhibition” events on the schedule. They are still real tournaments with real money to be won, but no bracelet will be awarded. The first, on June 30th, is the $560 Doubles No-Limit Hold’em Event, where two players team-up, alternating levels, to try to win all the chips. The other, held on July 6th, is the $560 Bracelet Bounty No-Limit Hold’em Event in which any player who has previously won a WSOP bracelet will have a bounty placed on his or her head.

The $50,000 Poker Players Championship, Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship, and Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship are back once again.

2012 World Series of Poker Schedule

May 27 – Event #1: Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em – $500 – 2-Day Event
May 28 – Event #2: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
May 29 – Event #3: Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha (512 player max) – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
May 29 – Event #4: Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
May 30 – Event #5: Pot-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
May 31 – Event #6: No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max – $5,000 – 4-Day Event
May 31 – Event #7: Seven Card Stud – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 1 – Event #8: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 2 – Event #9A: No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry – $1,500 – 5-Day Event
June 3 – Event #9B: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 5-Day Event
June 3 – Event #10: Seven Card Stud – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 4 – Event #11: Pot-Limit Omaha – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 5 – Event #12: Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em (512 player max) – $10,000 – 4-Day Event
June 5 – Event #13: Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 6 – Event #14: No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 player max)  – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 6 – Event #15: Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $5,000- 3-Day Event
June 7 – Event #16: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 8 – Event #17: Pot-Limit Hold’em – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
June 8 – Event #18: Seven Card Razz – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 9 – Event #19: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 9 – Event #20: Limit Hold’em – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 10 – Event #21: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 10 – Event #22: 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)  – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 11 – Event #23: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 11 – Event #24: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 12 – Event #25: Limit Hold’em Shootout – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 12 – Event #26: Pot-Limit Omaha – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 13 – Event #27: H.O.R.S.E. – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 14 – Event #28: No-Limit Hold’em / Four Handed – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 15 – Event #29: Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 15 – Event #30: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 16 – Event #31: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 16 – Event #32: H.O.R.S.E. – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
June 17 – Event #33: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 18 – Event #34: Pot-Limit Omaha / Six Handed – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 18 – Event #35: Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No-Limit) – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 19 – Event #36: No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 player max)  – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 19 – Event #37: Eight Game Mix – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 20 – Event #38: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 21 – Event #39: Pot-Limit Omaha – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
June 21 – Event #40: Limit Hold’em / Six-Handed – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 22 – Event #41: No-Limit Hold’em – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 22 – Event #42: Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 23 – Event #43: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 24 – Event #44: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 24 – Event #45: The Poker Players Championship  – $50,000 – 5-Day Event
June 25 – Event #46: No-Limit Hold’em – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 26 – Event #47: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 26 – Event #48: Limit Hold’em – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
June 27 – Event #49: Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
June 28 – Event #50: No-Limit Hold’em – $5,000 – 3-Day Event
June 29 – Event #51: Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship  – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
June 29 – Event #52: 10-Game Mix / Six Handed – $2,500 – 3-Day Event
June 30 – Doubles No-Limit Hold’em (Non-bracelet event) – $560 – 1-Day Event
June 30 – Event #53: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
July 1 – Event #54: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 3-Day Event
July 1 – Event #55: The Big One for One Drop – No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000,000 – 3-Day Event
July 2 – Event #56: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,500 – 3-Day Event
July 3 – Event #57: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
July 3 – Event #58: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better – $3,000 – 3-Day Event
July 4 – Event #59A: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 4-Day Event
July 5 – Event #59B: No-Limit Hold’em – $1,000 – 4-Day Event
July 5 – Event #60: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) – $10,000 – 3-Day Event
July 6 – Bracelet Bounty No-Limit Hold’em (Non-bracelet event) – $560 – 1-Day Event
July 7 – Event #61A: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event  – $10,000 – 10-Day Event
July 8 – Event #61B: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event – $10,000 – 10-Day Event
July 9 – Event #61C: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event – $10,000 – 10-Day Event

As the information was disseminated via Twitter, further detail of the decision was limited. The WSOP simply posted, “A few hints on WSOP schedule coming tomorrow…you won’t find the November Nine returning.”

The November Nine was created in 2008, pushing the final table of the Main Event from July to November (hence the “November Nine” name). One of the main ideas behind the controversial move was to allow the WSOP and ESPN to better market the final table, building up the hype so that more viewers would want to tune into the television broadcast. Additionally, the long break gave the final table competitors the opportunity to ink lucrative sponsorship deals, rather than having to scramble to field offers from online poker rooms just after qualifying for the final table.

Logistically, the schedule change allowed ESPN to air the final table episodes with just a short delay – less than a day – making it so that poker fans would not have to avoid hearing about the results for months before watching the action on television. Still, ESPN made the mistake of actually scrolling the results across its ticker before the episodes aired, spoiling it for many.

Initially most poker players and fans bucked against the change, disliking the break in the tournament’s continuity. People also felt it gave an unfair boost to the chances of the final table’s weaker players, as they would now have months to receive coaching and study their opponents. Ylon Schwartz, one of the original “November Niners” and 4th place finisher in the 2008 Main Event, had scathing words about the change, telling Poker News Daily, “It ruins the integrity of the tournament. The purity of old-time Las Vegas is gone. The antiquity and purity of the tournament have been liquidated into pure greed and capitalism.”

Nevertheless, the November Nine stayed in place through 2011 and, on the whole, the poker community seemed to get used to it, even if it was not completely embraced. The television coverage improved immensely, as well, as the broadcast delay was cut down to just 15 minutes this year, making the final table “almost live.” The entire Main Event was done in a similar way, with just a 30 minute delay. Die-hard poker fans loved the “almost live” coverage, as it allowed them to watch every hand and really get involved in the nitty-gritty of the final table play, but casual fans tended to be turned off by it, as the lack of hole cards made it more difficult for them to understand what was happening.

The success of the near-live broadcast may be one of the primary reasons for the demise of the November Nine. Our own Earl Burton spoke to this the day the 2011 final table started, writing here on Poker News Daily:

“Rumors have abounded over the past few days that this year’s ‘November Nine’ may be the last, especially with ESPN stepping up and providing the ‘nearly live’ coverage that it did for the final few days of the Championship Event this year. With such a live draw – if ESPN were to continue the ‘nearly live’ format – it wouldn’t make sense to delay the final table and kill the drama.”

Aside from the big November Nine news, the WSOP also previewed a few other schedule details via Twitter:

•    There will be no off-day during the Main Event this year.
•    The number of tables has been increased to 480, allowing for 1,000 more players in the tournament area.
•    The Main Event will be three days shorter “without compromising structure at all.”
•    All days of the Main Event will last for 5 levels, starting at noon and ending at 12:40am. The last day is the lone possible exception.

As noted earlier, the 2012 WSOP schedule will be officially released at 1:00pm. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for all the updates.

Main Event Action

The schedule for the 2012 World Series of Poker has yet to be announced but already one important detail about the Main Event has been leaked to the media.

“A few hints on WSOP schedule coming tomorrow…you won’t find the November Nine returning.”

This was the tweet sent out by @WSOP, the official source for World Series of Poker updates and news.

The November Nine was a term that referred to the Main Event’s Final Table being staged in November, a few months after the Main Event had played and its field narrowed down to just nine players.

The original intention of staging the Final Table in November was to increase the suspense for the television audience. Critics claimed, however, that the November event did not increase public interest in the event. The extended break also crushed hopes of players “on a run” to continue all the way through the early stages of the tournament to the coveted WSOP bracelet.

@WSOP also tweeted:

“The WSOP Main Event this year will be 3 days shorter without compromising structure at all.”

And:

“Another good change coming to WSOP in 2012…no off day during Main Event.”

And:

“The 43rd Annual WSOP will take place from May 27 to July 16, 2012.”

The full schedule of the 2012 World Series of Poker is due to be released later today.

The WSOP released some hints at the schedule and format through a series of tweets a short while ago:

What's tomorrow? Besides February 1st! It will be the unveiling of the 2012 World Series of Poker schedule! Stay tuned.

The 43rd Annual WSOP will take place from May 27 to July 16, 2012 at @RioVegas. Full schedule comes at 1 PM ET Wednesday.

A few hints on WSOP schedule coming tomorrow...you won't find the November Nine returning.

For the 2012 WSOP, an expected 470 poker tables will be utilized...nearly 100 more than last year!

Another good change coming to WSOP in 2012...no off day during Main Event

Despite speculation over the last few years the venue would be changed, the Rio in Las Vegas will again play host.

Stay tuned for more tweets from the WSOP here and check our poker news section tomorrow for the full schedule.

The November Nine debuted at the World Series of Poker in 2008 and included Dennis Phillips, Ivan Demidov and champ Peter Eastgate.

WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky alluded to the changes in an interview with PokerListings last November when discussing the success of the live streaming coverage in 2011:

“If you’re doing something live do you really need to delay it four months and try to build this anticipation to get people to watch?” he said. “It doesn’t quite work.”