The success of the NAPT Venetian Main Event had a meteoric impact on North American poker. Today there are 690 players (and counting) registered for this Main Event. The ballroom being used for the tournament is impressively large but not large enough to seat them all. More than a dozen tables are set up in the main Mohegan Sun poker room in addition to the dozens currently occupied in the ballroom.
The rumors of the death of North Amercain big buy-in poker, it seems, were greatly exaggerated.