Should the Main Event allow Day 2 late registration?

Almost 1,000 players registered on Day 2 to make it a record breaker. Is this good for the game or not?

It was quite a pleasant surprise to see the WSOP Main event break the attendance record for the second year in a row. Although I predicted it, I was surprised because the first few Day 1s were lower than the previous year. 

However, we got there thanks to a record-breaking Day 1D followed by the biggest turnout of Day 2 registrations we have ever seen. 

At the time of writing it looks like 912 players bought in on one of the two Day 2s, up from 693 last year. The Main Event has only had Day 2 late registration since the pandemic, but it looks like it is proving popular. 

The convenience factor

It's not late reg in the way we know it in other tournaments, where you start with sub 10BBs. The structure in the WSOP is so slow that Day 2 starts on level 6 and the registrations start with 75BBs. 

Clearly this is a popular way to run the Main Event with almost 1,000 players, or 10% of the field, choosing to do it. Most players want to be at the table at the start of the Main Event because of the unique atmosphere and the soft opposition. However, for some, the convenience trumps all of that. 

The Main Event takes place over 15 days, including the Day 1s you don't play and a day off before the final table. If you max late reg on Day 2D you can take that number down to 10 days. Some people simply do not have the time, inclination or energy levels to commit to that much poker. 

Late regging is not cheating

Finally, every year I feel compelled to dismiss the nonsense claim that late reg is cheating or against the spirit of the Main Event. Yes, you receive an ICM boost by late regging but this is based on the assumption of equal skill among the players.

With so many recreational players and a slow structure, anyone with a bit of talent would be better off playing from Level 1. The aim of the game is still to win all the chips, not to mincash, and coming in on Day 2 makes it harder to do that. Elite players can exert the most edge against recreationals in the early levels.  

Imagine joining a golf tourney on day 2 with a 2 stroke penalty to start tourney! That the equivalent of buying in day 2 of the main with almost half the field out! #mockery #wsop2024

— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) July 8, 2024

Good players will be disadvantaged by late regging a soft field like this. Amateur players would be much better off doing it because they are nearer to the money and harder to exploit at shallower stack depths. 

We often talk about poker as a sport, especially the Main Event, but this is a sport where the entrants pay to play. In that respect, they are as much customers as they are athletes. If they want to register late, they should be allowed. It's better for all concerned that almost 1,000 more players were able to play in the event this year because they could start on Day 2.  

Is late reg a good thing in the Main Event? Let us know in the comments: