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It looks like my recent prediction that the live feed of the World Series of Poker Main Event will spell the end of the November Nine is coming to fruition. World Series of Poker Communications Director Seth Palansky recently told PokerListings.com that “if you’re doing something live do you really need to delay it for four months?”

The November Nine format has been in place since the 2008 World Series of Poker, ostensibly to allow players to watch the final table without knowing the outcome (although anyone with a computer knows that a one or two day delay is like six-months in Internet time) and to allow for the players and ESPN to better market the final table. However, ratings have been up and down over the years, and it seems that people tune-in based on the particular players and their love of the game, and not because the telecast is “Almost” live.

Palansky didn’t go so far as to say that the November Nine was out, instead he hedged his bets by saying: “If you’re doing something live do you really need to delay it four months and try to build this anticipation to get people to watch? It doesn’t quite work.” Followed by, “We’re committed to it but I think what we learned over the summer with the live and taped programming is that we’re going to have to revisit the concept after this November,”

Basically, it seems that the fate of the November Nine depends entirely on whether or not ESPN feels the live-feed ratings are superior to the November Nine ratings.