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Thoughts On 2020 WSOP Main Event Heading Into Finale

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As reported yesterday, Damian Salas won the international leg of the 2020 WSOP Main Event. The final table for the American leg is also set. We now have just a couple of weeks before a world champion of poker is crowned.

When the Main Event was originally announced, we wondered if it would reach a conclusion. Now that it appears likely to finish, we can take a look at the result. Overall, the Main Event will deliver a somewhat compelling storyline despite it failing to draw significant support.

Field Size a Disappointment

The total field for the WSOP Main Event was 1,379 players. That’s 674 players on GGPoker and 705 players on WSOP.com. This is very disappointing when comparing the field to the summer’s WSOP Online Main Event.

The Online Main Event drew a field of 5,802 players. While that was a $5,000 event, the field size seemed to indicate enough interest to make the $10k Main Event a sizable field. In the end, the international field drew just 674 players. I originally expected between 1,200 to 1,500, but it is clear I was clueless.

For the WSOP.com version, I expected around 1,000 players. While it got close-ish at 705 players, it is still short of estimates. However, a 705 player field for a $10k event only available in two states is quite the accomplishment.

Many expected the Summer Online Main Event to be the World Championship event. As such, this event was largely ignored by players. In the end, the WSOP got lucky in the outcome for the International leg.

Best Case Scenario for the International Leg

One must admit that the WSOP got very lucky in how the international leg of the Main Event turned out. The winner of the international leg finished 7th in the 2017 WSOP Main Event. Damian Salas will now have a chance to improve on his 2017 finish and will likely be the favorite heading into the heads-up match.

The only way it could get better is if Upeshka De Silva can manage to make a comeback at the final table in the American leg. De Silva is a three-time WSOP bracelet winner but starts the final table as the short stack. Should he make a comeback and win the event, it will make for a fantastic heads-up match.

There are a couple of notable New Jersey pros at the final table as well. Shawn Stroke and Ryan Hagerty both are at the final table and are second and third respectively. However, Joseph Hebert will start with more than double his nearest opponent. It’s effectively his final table to lose.

Regardless of how the American leg turns out, there is a compelling storyline for the heads-up match. After all of the controversy surrounding the Main Event, this is something the WSOP desperately needed.

Don’t Be Surprised to See Low Ratings For Finale

Unless something changes last minute, it appears the heads-up finale will not be broadcast live on ESPN or ESPN 2. The matchup will be taped for later broadcast. As such, we don’t expect the broadcast to do that well in terms of ratings.

Anyone that cares will already know the winner, and if the event is live-streamed, most will have already watched. In the end, this finale could prove to be one of the lowest-rated WSOP Main Event finales in history.

WSOP Still Should Have Made Summer Main Event the World Championship

Outside of the storyline involving Salas, the 2020 WSOP Main Event is somewhat of a bust. It did not draw anywhere close to the numbers some expected and the controversy around it has effectively stained the event.

The Summer Online Main Event should have been the de facto World Championship event for 2020. While the WSOP claims they were doing this to preserve history, it still looks like a money grab. Stoyan Madanzhiev is the real World Champion of Poker in our eyes, regardless of what happens later this month.

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