Has it really been five years since Chris Moneymaker’s miracle run at the World Series of Poker Main Event? Most players, especially those introduced to the game through those broadcasts, remember where they were when they saw the pudgy Tennessee accountant face down the slick, experienced pro Sam Farha.

After watched that display of skill, luck and fearlessness, many young men (and a few young ladies) put down their toys and picked up poker chip sets. Cards flew around kitchen tables and frat houses across the country. Travelers to Las Vegas who would normally confine their explorations to the glitzy Strip casinos soon began to venture through the grimy confines of Fremont Street and took a seat at Binion’s, as if stepping into the batter’s box at Yankee Stadium.

In the months and years following Moneymaker’s triumph, the popularity of no-limit hold’em tournaments exploded:

• World Series of Poker reruns on ESPN continue to draw in viewers.
• The World Poker Tour was established and grew into the Travel Channel’s #1 show during its run on that network.
• On the heels of the WPT’s success, Harrah’s established their own tour, the World Series of Poker Circuit, at its own casinos around the country, with the final tables taped for ESPN.
• Hollywood stars jumped on the hold’em bandwagon with Celebrity Poker Showdown on Bravo.

At this year’s Main Event, for the first time ever, tournament officials have delayed the start of the Final Table until November 10th. Why the wait of over four months?

Four letters: ESPN.

Instead of having viewers watch a Final Table from months earlier, the cable network plans to air the action on November 11th. The idea, according to some, is to maintain interest in the outcome. “If Joe Channelsurfer already knows who’s going to win,” the reasoning goes, “why should he watch?”

Such a delay, built in expressly to enable both Harrah’s and ESPN to stoke the embers of the TV poker fad, can serve only to hurt the participants. While some players may lose that needed adrenaline edge after such a long layoff, others may be tempted to win by compromising the integrity of the game. Four months is more than adequate time to set up an elaborate cheating system or a collusion arrangement. If such unscrupulous behavior ever came to light, it would damage everyone involved. Most of all, viewers would lose faith in what they were watching. If Harrah’s and ESPN aren’t careful, their carefully honed product could become a “sports-entertainment” joke with outcomes having as much credibility as the next WWE pay-per-view.

Like many modern pro sports leagues, Harrah’s and WSOP officials have sacrificed themselves and their integrity to the gods of the flickering screen. As players and fans of the game, we only can hope that the November Nine choose not to lay their ethics on that same altar.