Almost 2 million households watched the WSOP

The ratings for the television broadcast of the WSOP final table on ESPN have increased 50 percent since last year. The new thing is that the show aired the same day as the final table play finished.

Previous years the final table has always aired months after a champion has been crowned. But with the postponed final play and the introduction of the November Nine it has been a different story. The media hype surrounding the event has been massive.

Roughly 1.9 million households tuned in to watch the 22 year old Dane Peter Eastgate win the Main Event and the 9.15 million dollar first price, according to ESPN. Last year the figure was around 1.25 million.

It seems that the final table play will be played at a later date next year also. "What you did was create a must-see television event which ... wasn't the case the past few years when you knew who the winner was," World Series of Poker spokesman Seth Palansky said. "It was that whole 'Who will win?' element."

The WSOP hasn't announced when the final table will be played in 2009, but they have stated that TV ratings will be an important aspect to consider.