We just completed Season VII of the World Poker Tour (WPT) with the $25,000 buy-in Championship event at Bellagio. Due to the economic slowdown, the number of entries was down substantially from a year ago (545 to 347).  However, most of the big names in the poker world were there and the event was incredible.  What most players really liked was that they were given $100,000 in starting chips and only played five levels (90 minutes each) per day.  You didn't have to play those 12 to 14 hour days like you do at many big-time poker tournaments. Kudos to Tournament Director Jack McClelland and the staff at Bellagio for the structure and hours they set up for play.  I have yet to hear one player complain about this setup - starting at noon, playing five levels, and then stopping for the day at 8:30 pm (with no dinner break necessary).  If there was a complaint, it was that we started the blinds too low ($50-$100).  It's not often you hear players wanting to kick up the blinds! My co-commentator Vince Van Patten and I were not allowed to enter any WPT events during the first six seasons, but the WPT now ...