Questions about the World Series of Poker and online sit-and-go strategy are on readers' minds this week.

Q: Hey, LuckyDog, do you think the delay of this year's WSOP main-event final table for four months will reduce the number of players? — John S. in Moline, Ill.

A: No, John, I don't. Suspending the final table from July 14 to Nov. 9 is all about hype and TV ratings, which in the long run should build interest in poker.

I think this year's field still could decrease by another 1,000 players to about 5,300, however, dropping it below the 5,619 who competed in 2005, when the poker boom was going full blast — and well below the record-shattering 8,773 players in 2006.

These forces could cause a decline from last year's second-largest-ever field of 6,358:

— The economy. The soaring cost of gasoline, with all attendant ramifications, is changing people's lifestyles. Pro players and well-heeled amateurs still will compete, but I think many others will put it off for a year, hoping the economy improves.

Moreover, the airlines, hotels and car rental agencies continue to raise prices dramatically, making a would-be player's overhead costs for the trip a big concern.

— Online qualifying. We saw what happened last year when the impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (October 2006) kicked in. Many online poker sites stopped serving U.S. customers for fear of legal problems. Since an estimated 4,000 of the record 2006 field qualified online, last year's drop of more than 2,400 players was predictable.

This year, only Everest Poker is allowed to secure actual WSOP seats for its online qualifiers, according to Jay Lakin, co-owner and vice president of PokerSourceOnline.com. "The other sites supply cash to qualifiers and PRAY that the players will take it to Las Vegas," he said.

My guess is that most online players who win a $12,000 main-event package either will pocket the cash or use some of it to enter cheaper preliminary events but not the $10,000 championship.

— Downward trend. The poker explosion ignited by Chris Moneymaker's main-event victory in 2003 is far from over. The growth in tournaments and poker rooms around the country has been phenomenal. But some events, including the WSOP main event, appear to have peaked.

Nevertheless, as WSOP commissioner Jeffrey Pollack noted last year, total entries for the 55 events in the 2007 World Series hit an all-time high of 54,288, generating a combined record prize pool of nearly $160 million.

"Rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated and, frankly, just silly and uninformed," he said in his blog. "Whether it's 4,000, 6,000, 8,000 or 10,000, this will still be the biggest, richest, most prestigious poker tournament in the world," he told USA Today.

He's right. The WSOP's top spot in the poker world won't change anytime soon. Even if this year's main-event field drops again for just the second time since 1992, heavily attended preliminary events should keep the overall prize pool steady.

We'll know soon enough, John. The 39th annual World Series of Poker begins May 30 at the Rio Hotel and Casino, with the main event set to start July 3.

Q: I came across your sit-and-go strategy column online and had to laugh! That is exactly how I play them, with this exception: I will raise from the cutoff, button, small blind and big blind with A-K and A-Q suited early at a full table with only one limper. Isn't it amazing how many people play exactly backward from this strategy? — Scott H. in Lancaster, Pa.

A: I wrote that column more than two years ago, Scott, and haven't really changed my strategy today because it still works!

The column, posted at luckydogpoker.com, divides sit-and-go strategy into four stages, giving specific examples of hands to play and how to play them as the mini-tournament progresses.

Can't quibble too much about raising with A-K or A-Q as you suggest, but early in the event when everyone has chips, you'll get called and probably need to improve with the board cards to win.

Also remember, raising from the blinds leaves you out of position (acting first) for the rest of the hand and you won't have a read on the limper that quickly.

E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 RUSS SCOTT

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