Final table at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker

November Nine

November Nine

The November Nine was the name used to refer to the final nine contestants, or final table, at the <a href="/en/World_Series_of_Poker#Main_Event" title="World Series of Poker" class="wl">Main Event</a> of the <a href="/en/World_Series_of_Poker" title="World Series of Poker" class="wl">World Series of Poker</a> (WSOP) from 2008 to 2016. The winner of the WSOP Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker.<a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a>
 
<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Final table at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker</div>
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Prior to 2008, the entire Main Event was played without interruption. Starting in 2008, in an effort to build excitement in the WSOP and to increase ratings for the tape-delayed televised shows, <a href="/en/Harrah's_Entertainment" title="Harrah's Entertainment" class="wl">Harrah's Entertainment</a> and <a href="/en/ESPN" title="ESPN" class="wl">ESPN</a> decided to delay the final table until shortly before its scheduled broadcast. The delay would allow ESPN to cover the rest of the tournament leading up to the final table without viewers knowing the winner in advance.<a href="#cite_note-improve-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;">[2]</a> Due to the timing of U.S. presidential elections, the final tables for the 2012 and 2016 Main Events were held in October.<a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;">[3]</a><a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;">[4]</a>

In 2017, <a href="/en/Poker_Central" title="Poker Central" class="wl">Poker Central</a> announced a television and digital media rights agreement with the WSOP and ESPN which returned the final table to the tail end of the rest of the tournament.<a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;">[5]</a>

The November Nine was the name used to refer to the final nine contestants, or final table, at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker from 2008 to 2016. The winner of the WSOP Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker. Prior to 2008, the entire Main Event was played without interruption. Starting in 2008, in an effort to build excitement in the WSOP and to increase ratings for the tape-delayed televised shows, Harrah's Entertainment and ESPN decided to delay the final table until shortly before its scheduled broadcast.  The delay would allow ESPN to cover the rest of the tournament leading up to the final table without viewers knowing the winner in advance. In 2017, Poker Central announced a television and digital media rights agreement with the WSOP and ESPN which returned the final table to the tail end of the rest of the tournament. 