[SteelWheel]

I got my notice from PokerStars also, and already got the money in my account. I'm very disappointed. I think the numbers will be way down this year.

I'm sure that the legal advice that Harrah's received is the reason for this unfortunate development. As I've stated in several of my other posts, as of a few months ago the unofficial word that I had from those in a position to know, was that Harrah's was going to do its best to look the other way with respect to third party buy-ins from online sites.

If 'Stars (the granddaddy of online WSOP qualifiers) was unable to work something out on this score, I'm sure it's not for lack of effort on its part.

Just as everyone else, I'm now trying to work out my own best response. I'm going to Vegas for the whole WSOP, for sure-- but I'm mostly a cash game player, although I've played in the ME the last few years, courtesy of the double shootout qualifiers on 'Stars. Part of the attraction of playing in the main event the last few years was the overlay offered by all the online donkey qualifiers (of course, I don't put myself in the category of online donkey qualifier.... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ). If a good chunk of these people decide to pocket the $10K rather than play, my own interest in playing the ME goes down as well. I can always stick to ring games.

In all likelihood, I'll go to Vegas and do the ring game thing for a few weeks, and try to get some feel for how big the ME field will be, and judge from there.

But all of this is a far cry from the old days of having 'Stars just buy me in and being automagically registered. This just plain sucks, no two ways about it...