WSOP Main Event Final Table Adjourned to November -- The big news in poker has to be the announcement by the World Series that the final table of the Main Event will be adjourned to November, once the lineup of players has been determined.  The move had been rumored for some time, being done at the strong behest of broadcaster ESPN, which has been looking to pump up its flagging poker ratings.  The 117-day delay from July to November will allow ESPN to televise a “nearly live” final and promote the event in hopes of boosting interest, but drew the ire of many poker traditionalists who believe the change introduces increased possibilities for unforeseen and unwanted events to occur.  Call it the “Grand Experiment” for poker in 2008… only time will tell.

Cunningham Wins WSOP-C Caesars Ring --  The roving World Series of Poker Circuit series travels the country, visiting various Caesars and Harrah’s properties, and sometimes the events are bereft of big poker names.  Not so in the recent edition from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which saw a huge turnout of stars and was taken down by Allen Cunningham, who came from well behind runaway final-tabler Ben Fineman to capture the $499,162 first-place prize.  Despite his dominant effort, Fineman had to settle for $257,637 as the runner-up.

NBC Announces Qualifying Criteria for National Heads-Up Poker Championship –-  Stung by criticism over exactly which 64 players are invited annually to its National Heads-Up Poker Championship, NBC recently announced a list of criteria which will determine at least 27 of the players, each of whom will receive automatic invites.  It’s still a bit of a show-pony move, however; the list includes all the people you’d expect, such as major event champions, former NHUPC winners, and leaders of various player-of-the-year lists.  It still leaves plenty of room for NBC to invite the biggest poker names who wouldn’t otherwise qualify and also still include the sprinkling of eye candy that helps define NBC’s most noted poker event.

WPTE Loses More Money --  World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc, continued its recent tradition of losing money with another depressing quarterly report. While not yet cash-strapped, the WPT continues to suffer sagging ratings and receives a smaller per-episode fee following its move from the Travel Channel to the Game Show Network.  Will the venerable WPT be able to right the ship?  Maybe… but just don’t look at that stock price.

Bonomo In, Arieh Out at Bodog -- Bodog’s move towards hot, young, trendy players continued this week with the signing of Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, the one-time online phenom and now burgeoning live star who was implicated in a major multi-accounting scandal but has rehabilitated his image over the past two years.  Bonomo joins David Williams, Evelyn Ng and Jean-Robert Bellande as Bodog pros, surprisingly leaving long-time Bodog player Josh Arieh the odd man out.