From CardPlayer.com:
“Next year, you’re not going to have a Champions Invitational. You’re not going to have a $40K for the 40th-annual event,†said [WSOP Communications Director Seth] Palansky. “Both events probably come back 10 years from now, when we’re celebrating 50 years. We announced them and intended them as one-off specials.â€
First off, I\’m not sure I really understand the meaning of \”one-off\”. Have heard it bandied around for the past year and have even used it myself, but the above quote doesn\’t fit in with my definition.
Secondly, wasn\’t there talk — perhaps on Gary Wise\’s radio show? — about there being a $41k next year, $42k the year following that, $43k, $44k … basically an event growing each year in accordance with an attached Super Bowl number?
Scrapping the Champions Invitational also seems an interesting move. I won\’t miss it, to be sure, but interesting that they\’ve apparently just decided to nix it all together instead of giving it a second made-for-TV go and trying to scrap it.
With these being two of the four televised events this year, ESPN clearly had to have some say in the matter.