Historically the same guys have always made final tables for good reason: they are smart and consistant poker players. Recently the ammount of people entering tournaments have sky-rocketed which means that unknowns will sometimes beat pros and even win. HOLDEM INVOLVES VARIANCE. That is how "amatures" beat "pros." Also, we see a VERY small percentage of actual hands played on TV. It's near impossible to determine how good a player is by watching a few selected/edited hands. There are great players out there who get KO'd on the first day of a tourney all the time. I also doubt a guy who hosts a poker show, has a new book out, etc...has the time to be in every WPT event. And yes, the celebs suck at poker for the most part...they are celebs...not pros. Phil's analysis of their amature play is beneficial to any newbie who hears it. Phil is a good guy (I've met him) and a solid player.