Main Event attendance, 2011-2016
Main event from 2011 to 2016 had below 7K entries each year, before climbing back to 7K+ in 2017 and increasing each year until 2020 COVID. It then increased each year again starting with 2021.
What happened in 2011-2016? Why was the main event attendance so low during those years?
8 Replies
No satellites from Stars and FTP because of Black Friday.
For one, GGPoker launched in 2017. I don't remember when some of the other "feeder" sites did, but if they had online satties, then they likely contributed to an uptick in entries.
No GG, ClubGG, ACR sending players there for satellite winners (not sure if ACR officially does but they are using WSOP in their marketing strat w/ influencers)
-as previous poster said FTP and PS were sending lots of players through their online site to play in the ME and that all went away. They were funding many influencers, content shows, and events at the time! Poker was everywhere for a few years it felt like.
lack of poker content in general
- the wsop was barely on TV anymore, PokerGo was just getting started, very little YT and Twitch content, not much poker on Twitter/IG/TikTok, not many companies spending money on poker. Live at the Bike was one of the only cash shows at the time and it was a pretty niche channel. Pokerstars stopped putting out as much content and was eventually sold to new owners who changed the direction of the company.
Once GG Poker launched w/ Daniel Negreanu, PokerGo launched w/ Daniel Negreanu and acquired the WSOP content license which was around 2015-17(?), poker started trending back up again. GG partnered with WSOP to start hosting events for the rest of world and later on ClubGG - that means they got to use the valuable IP of WSOP for some fee and contribute their website players to the main event while also building their brand in the process.
IF the WSOP knew how to use 2024 strats for events, they would blow this current number away imo but it seems like they have a very nice thing going. They get lots of free press for 7 weeks every year and all the companies invest in their own ways to help make the event more successful. Lots more competition these days from the operators and content creators...
Oh crap, you're absolutely right... GGPoker is older than I thought (2014). But indeed, the uptick from its presence – and its collabs – did not surface for a few years after. Sort of like the PokerStars boom did not happen for almost two years after its founding.
Incidentally, I didn't realize until today that PokerStars launched (albeit for play money only) on September 11, 2001. I seem to recall that being an eventful day, at least for us 'Muricans.
recession hit hard in 2009. Online pros started to hit the live tables after safe port act was passed in 2006, but after the recession and then black friday finishing online pros off, the live tables didnt have rich enough players for the main to keep growing year after year.
I dont know when the recession ended but poker was HUGE in 2004-2008. FTP was running ads all the time. There was a commercial where Ivey comes home to his wife getting banged out. ESPN ran poker stuff all the time.
Hevad Khan looked like he was about to throw chairs!
all of that ended+recession+ no more FTP/Stars satties
and it took a long time to recover.
recession hit hard in 2009. Online pros started to hit the live tables after safe port act was passed in 2006, but after the recession and then black friday finishing online pros off, the live tables didnt have rich enough players for the main to keep growing year after year.
I dont know when the recession ended but poker was HUGE in 2004-2008. FTP was running ads all the time. There was a commercial where Ivey comes home to his wife getting banged out. ESPN ran poker stuff all the time.
Hevad Kh
Wtf was that commercial sounds humiliating
