Collusion on the delayed final table
Another thought just popped into my head: With the size of the WSOP fields the last few years coupled with the massive public interest, the possibility of any collusion between any two final table players was quite minimal. First, you would need to have two players at the FT know one another well enough to confide in them as a partner in crime. Second, you would need those two players to be unethical enough to actually do it. Third, they would have only about 10-12 hours to formulate a plan. Fourth, they would have to meet secretly to discuss the plan, which would be pretty hard since all eyes would be on them until the start of the final table.
With the new format, it is a small but reasonable possibility that two players who were complete strangers up until the final table end up getting greedy and colluding. Four months is a long time. Any two of the players could strike up a relationship and meet easily in private. They could go over their plan meticulously.
It doesn't even have to be that insidious. Almost certainly, some of these guys are going to get to know one another over the four months. They might make a simple softplay arrangement. It doesn't even have to be explicitly stated.
"You know, Bob, you're a good guy. You're a working man, like me, you've got a great wife and beautiful kids. I don't want to knock you out of the tournament."
"I feel the same way, Jim. I don't want to knock you out, either."
A wink and a nod. It's not cheating if we never agreed to cheat, right?
With the new format, it is a small but reasonable possibility that two players who were complete strangers up until the final table end up getting greedy and colluding. Four months is a long time. Any two of the players could strike up a relationship and meet easily in private. They could go over their plan meticulously.
It doesn't even have to be that insidious. Almost certainly, some of these guys are going to get to know one another over the four months. They might make a simple softplay arrangement. It doesn't even have to be explicitly stated.
"You know, Bob, you're a good guy. You're a working man, like me, you've got a great wife and beautiful kids. I don't want to knock you out of the tournament."
"I feel the same way, Jim. I don't want to knock you out, either."
A wink and a nod. It's not cheating if we never agreed to cheat, right?