Froehlich's Suggestion to the WSOP
Upon winning his match, Eric Froehlich had a suggestion for the tournament staff on how to handle the fact that so many players have been getting byes in these heads-up events. Here's what Froehlich suggested and we'll use this event for an example.
With 152 players signing up for the event and 128 needed for the next round, 104 players were granted first-round byes and 48 players had to play what was essentially a "play-in match" into the tournament. Froehlich suggested that those 48 players each get a $5,000 refund (half of their buy-in) because they are stuck playing an extra match. This makes this extra match a satellite of sorts into the tournament.
Another thing this would do is allow a smaller percentage of the field to be paid out. In this case, 32 players are going to be paid and some of the players feel a min-cash just isn't worth it. If Froehlich's suggestion was used, the real field size would be 128 and thus 16 players paid out, making the money mean a lot more when you get there and also more up top for the winner.
The tournament director on site that Froehlich voiced this suggestion to seemed very receiving and mentioned he'd pass on the word to the appropriate authories, which is World Series of Poker Tournament Director Jack Effel. We'll let you know if anything comes of this in the future.