Poker is Recession Proof - The Number Counts In The WSOP

It’s true that the number of entrants in the WPT have been down this year. Almost 25% fewer compared the previous year. However, the numbers don’t lie, poker is still an in demand commodity. Let’s just look at the WSOP events. Three events are already sold out from the first 9 events that passed. And it only signifies one thing; lots of poker players really want to join the events but the slots are only limited.

You can see the statistics in the Main Event throughout the years. In 2003, there were more than 800 players, and then at 2004 we saw 3 times the number of entrants in 2003. The field increase in 2005 with a number of 5,619 entries and at 2006 the field jumps to its highest at 8.773. While the number of players decrease at the following years; only 6,358 and 6,844 entrants in 207 and 2008.

The decrease would be attributed to the passage of the UIGEA in which a number of poker sites have leave the US market. Since this event a lot of poker fans have given up in playing online and also it mark the decrease in online satellite opportunities that gives chance to players to play in big tournaments.

The US government has really made life difficult for online poker players since the passage of the UIGEA. But the numbers say differently, people wanted to play poker and nothing can stop them.

One testament would be the huge success of the $1,000 NLHE tournament, also called the “Stimulus Special” by the WSOP brass. This poker comp holds the largest stat in a non-Main Event history of WSOP with more than 6,000 entrants. But the large number of players did not stop poker pro Steve sung to bag the title and win his first ever WSOP bracelet.

There will be no question that the number of players in the Main Event this year will reach at 6,000. Even though there is an influx of bad events recently such as the swine flu scare, the economic recession and the UIGEA bill there is a clear prediction that the Main Event this year will garner a lot of entrants.

Since there is a surge of population despite the UIGEA maybe it will be time for the government to legalize and legislate poker in the internet. Poker is a fun and entertaining game and I’m certain that there would be more happy faces when the UIGEA will be repelled.