[Dan Druff]

Princess, you seem to find it necessary to blindly defend Effel, yet you can't rationally explain how he has done a good job, given all that has gone wrong.

I did take my concerns "to his face", and I was basically given a lot of useless bureaucratic-type answers. It also seems that, once he has decided to do something a certain way, he is incredibly stubborn about making changes on-the-fly, even when it is painfully obvious that his initial plan was ill-advised. This was very apparent when he refused to stop low-limit cash games and move people out of the 100-degree tent on June 15th.

It's also a copout to be saying that the problems at the WSOP are the fault of Harrah's upper management, and that Effel was handcuffed by their restrictions. It is up to the tournament director to work with his upper management to secure the resources he needs (such as an additional conference room for more tables), rather than simply accepting the initial "no" for an answer. Furthermore, we have no proof that Effel or Pollack ever made requests to Harrah's that were turned down. Some apologists are just assuming that. Even if that was the case, it was Effel's responsibility to work around such restrictions and make the best of the situation. For example, if the conditions in the tent are unreasonable, close down the cash games and use those tables for the players who were supposed to be in the tent. Not rocket science, but somehow this wasn't done. This is the type of crap people are talking about.

I am just a player. I have zero experience managing tournaments. However, I can guarantee -- and in fact would bet my entire bankroll -- that I could do a better job running the tournament next year if put in charge. And when I say "better job", I mean you would find far more positive posts here and elsewhere about a Dan-Druff-run WSOP than the current mess we have seen for the past 3 years -- this one being the worst.

Below is a repost of something I posted at neverwinpoker regarding WSOP gripes. Read them and explain how any of these things should have happened if the tournament was truly being run competently:

(Major items are in bold face, minor items are in regular type.)

1) All WSOP Cashier stations are inexplicably closed the night before the Series began. One cashier at the main cage was assigned to handling all of the buyins and release signatures, resulting in 4-6 hour lines.

2) Pre-registration tournament kiosks do not function properly, and there are also not enough cashiers to handle the mass number of buyins to the early events. Again, 4-6 hour lines commence for the first few days.

3) Despite 2300 players in 2005 and 2800 last year, WSOP planners once again underestimate the number of players for the first big NL event, and only 2400 can be accomodated. The remaining 600 are stuck being alternates, and others are turned away, many of whom already waited in hours-long lines to register.

4) The newly designed WSOP cards are extremely difficult to read, and it's easy to confuse the 6 for the 9.

5) The tournament room is over-air-conditioned, leaving those dressed for hot Vegas weather shivering at the table. This is especially bad late at night, when there are fewer bodies in the room to keep it warm. There seems to be no way to adjust or auto-adjust the temperature in such situations.

6) There are not enough tournament clocks for every event, and some also malfunction.

7) Bluff Magazine is allowed to sell pay-per-view video of certain final tables, resulting in an obnoxious, hyper-controlled environment for players and fans. Each player is only allowed one audience member, denying the chance for friends and family to watch them in their moments of final table glory. Even worse, players are banned from communicating with anyone during the tournament AND ON BREAKS, and are not allowed to leave the premises during dinner. Security guards even accompany players to the bathroom. Players receive no compensation for all this extra hassle, while Bluff and the WSOP profit from pay-per-view subscriptions.

8) Bluff Magazine is awarded the exclusive rights to report chip counts and hand updates, which they promptly contract out to the apparent novices at Pokernews. Pokernews does a shoddy job, while Cardplayer and others battle with Bluff over what they do and don't have a right to report. The end result is the worst WSOP coverage since the beginning of the poker boom.

9) Despite the availability of many tables, players for the June 5th Omaha event are sent outside to the pavilion (tent), while the far less important cash games and satellites remain in the main room. The 40-50MPH windstorm makes the room unbearably noisy, and the tent eventually blows down.

10) Repeating the same mistake, cash games and satellites are again allowed to run on June 15th, sending over 650 players from the $2000 NL event into the unbearably hot tent. The 105-degree weather and poorly-working air conditioners leave the room well over 90 degrees, and near 100 in some spots.