We are about halfway through the 2008 World Series of Poker and, to this point, what has been remarkable (other than the lack of much controversy) is the number of pros that have taken the bracelets this year. Mike Matusow gets #3, Daniel Negreanu gets #4, Barry Greenstein gets his third and Max Pescatori grabs his second bracelet. This is just a short list, though, and when you add in David Singer and Vanessa Selbst picking up some jewelry you have to wonder why the pros are doing so well this year.
The reason for this is twofold:
1) There are more high dollar buy in events. In 2007, there were only two events other than the Championship Event (the $50K H.O.R.S.E. and the $10K PLO Championship) that charged entrants a huge entry fee. When you look at the schedule this year, there are eight events other than the Main Event that have a $10K+ entry fee (and this isn't looking at those gamblers who generate the pools for the rebuy events!).
When you have these high dollar buy ins, Average Joe Poker isn't going to be able to jump into the fray. Thus, we are seeing more of the notable names in the game taking titles away from this year's festivities at the Rio.
2) There has been more non-Hold 'Em events being played. While there has been the usual NLHE events (especially on the weekends, which have been drawing respectable crowds), Harrah's has made a point this year to expand the selection of tournaments into Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Razz and various mixed events. This leads to the professionals that have solid disciplines across all forms of poker to the promised land of the bling at the WSOP.
Because most poker players have been drawn, whether through online poker, bar poker or television poker, to play ONLY NLHE, they haven't conquered the skills to branch out into other forms of the game. This will start changing as time goes by however, especially with more Europeans (where Omaha is the game) and Asia come more into the fold of poker.
By saying this has been the year of the pro, this doesn't discount that there have been some great online players making their mark on the WSOP this summer. Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond is currently holding his own against two time World Champion Johnny Chan and is in the mix in the $5K PLO w/rebuys. If the onliners can continue to make their voices heard and the pros continue to be, well, professionals, it could be a very interesting few weeks remaining here at the WSOP.
**UPDATE** Galfond is doing better than holding his own. He's the chipleader with three to go and Chan is gone!
Speaking of Chan, Galfond and the $5K PLO w/rebuys, this was a final table that would have been worth seeing. David Benyamine, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth were also a part of the final table and, as the WSOP website crowed about proudly, you could view the final table on ESPN360.com.
When I went to do this, however, I found out that not everyone gets ESPN360 (I had seen the ads on television regarding the site, but never saw anything worth going to check it out over). It seems that your internet provider has to be signed up for it to be operational. You would figure that Time Warner Cable would be a part of that package but, alas, it isn't.
I'm not sure how many people this affects but, if the numbers are fairly large, then we are missing out on some great poker broadcasting that probably will never be seen, either during the WSOP broadcasts (which start July 22) or otherwise. Although I am a little bugged by this, if it means we don't have sequestered final tables that completely remove the life from it, then I'll just have to let it go.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Thoughts On The Delayed WSOP Final Table
I wrote this piece on May 1st, the day that the announcement was made regarding the decision by Harrah's (or Caesars Entertainment, whenever they change the name). I'll be back after this to add on to what I wrote then:
Joined by Seth Palansky, the new Communications Director of Caesars Entertainment, Jamie Horowitz (the producer of the WSOP broadcasts for ESPN), and Jack Effel (WSOP Tournament Director), WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that this year’s Championship Event, formerly scheduled to end on July 16th with the crowning of a new World Champion, will now be delayed until November 9th through the 11th, with the final table being a two hour broadcast on ESPN “almost live” the evening of November 11th.
“Our goal is to create anticipation for the Final Table and to create previously unimagined opportunities for the players. This will add new excitement to the World Series of Poker,” Pollack stated during the teleconference. “Instead of everyone knowing who has won the tournament when it is broadcast, there will be greater attention on the drama of who WILL win the event. It will truly be a cliffhanger ending to the most prestigious event in poker.”
The tournament, set to start on July 3rd, will play down to the final table roughly around July 14th. At that time, play will be suspended, the final nine players will receive ninth place money at that time and the players sent home for roughly four months (actual time is 117 days). They will reconvene at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on November 9th and will play down to the final two players, who will return the next day to determine the champion. ESPN will cover the action and turn around a broadcast for November 11th that will show who has won the title in what is now planned to be a two hour broadcast.
In an attempt to drive viewership for the Final Table, ESPN is also planning to have a one hour special on November 4th. This broadcast will focus on the final table participants and presumably will follow them around for the four months following their achievement of making the Final Table and their preparations for that event.
For many poker purists, this could be a tremendously troublesome move for what is recognized as the Olympics of poker. Poker is a linear event, played out under a continuous timeline that demonstrates the skill, stamina and expertise (or, admittedly, even the luck) of the players who are participating. To have a forced delay built in for the benefit of television coverage corrupts the very tenets that the game of poker is built on.
For their part, ESPN and Caesars see the change as something that will accentuate the Final Table rather than hurt it. “People didn’t like it when there were changes in baseball, such as the Wild Card implementation, or in NASCAR, with the Chase for the Championship,” Horowitz elaborated. “This will only add more drama and excitement for the viewers.”
The problem with those analogies is that they are apples to the WSOP’s oranges. Neither of those organizations mentioned delays their championships for an extended time period to build the drama. Even the NFL (the organization that new Communications Director Palansky came from) only delays the Super Bowl for two weeks from their respective conference title games. Could you imagine what would happen with delaying the Super Bowl, the final race of the NASCAR season, or the NBA Finals for four months from the time the combatants are determined?
This doesn’t even begin to approach the possibilities that exist for bastardizations that may happen with the delay.
The Final Table at last year’s World Series Championship Event paid out over $20 million to its participants. Although Commissioner Pollack addressed this issue by saying, “We will conduct the Final Table ethically and without adjustment and we hope the final nine players will as well,” the probabilities of collusion, chip dumping, pre-Final Table deals and other such shenanigans increases exponentially with the delay. Although they have seemingly addressed if someone cannot return to the November playoff (if a player doesn’t return, he will be blinded off and awarded the position in which he finished), the possibility of some (or maybe all) of the players reaching financial deals beforehand among each other is now a reality.
And let’s not even enter into the speculation of death, incapacity or other nefarious activities that may occur with the amount of money that is on the line.
Another thing that will become evident by the time the Final Table plays is the lack of continuity of the players. While former World Champion Johnny Chan, in a USA Today article that details the story, stated that “Poker is a game of skill. The hands are random. … It's how you play your hand. I don't believe in hot streaks,” the change will enable a player to come to the Final Table now with potentially a completely changed game. When we watch the broadcasts of the Championship Event that will lead to the Final Table, the styles of the players more than likely will have completely changed, affecting the continuity of what is supposed to be tournament poker.
Players will hire coaches (presumably professional players), drill themselves on the nuances of the game rather than their instincts (one of the charms of the game of poker) and scouted their opponents through the ESPN broadcasts or other methods. This doesn’t seem to be a cause for alarm for Pollack, who said “…it makes it more like a sporting event.”
Although it may appear that there are only negatives, there are potential positives to the move. The players will have more time to obtain sponsorships outside of the poker realm (Pollack said he envisioned the Final Table players “looking like NASCAR drivers”), there will more than likely be an increase in attention on the tournament (not necessarily viewership, but other mainstream media attention) and the Final Table will now have the opportunity to be stars, instead of just the winner. But do these pros outweigh the potential cons?
All in all, it looks like a troublesome move for the World Series of Poker and the sport of poker in general. The potential for skullduggery, the interruption of the basic concepts of tournament poker and the drive to make the WSOP more of a poker reality show than a sporting competition are all ominous omens for the game we love. It remains to be seen what will happen and whether the move will be a prosperous one for the WSOP or be its demise.
A Troublesome Move: WSOP Changes Championship Event, Delays Final Table
by
Earl Burton
by
Earl Burton
In a teleconference on Thursday, Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s) announced changes to this year’s World Series of Poker that could have long-term ramifications on the sport of poker, let alone the play of this year’s Championship Event.
Joined by Seth Palansky, the new Communications Director of Caesars Entertainment, Jamie Horowitz (the producer of the WSOP broadcasts for ESPN), and Jack Effel (WSOP Tournament Director), WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that this year’s Championship Event, formerly scheduled to end on July 16th with the crowning of a new World Champion, will now be delayed until November 9th through the 11th, with the final table being a two hour broadcast on ESPN “almost live” the evening of November 11th.
“Our goal is to create anticipation for the Final Table and to create previously unimagined opportunities for the players. This will add new excitement to the World Series of Poker,” Pollack stated during the teleconference. “Instead of everyone knowing who has won the tournament when it is broadcast, there will be greater attention on the drama of who WILL win the event. It will truly be a cliffhanger ending to the most prestigious event in poker.”
The tournament, set to start on July 3rd, will play down to the final table roughly around July 14th. At that time, play will be suspended, the final nine players will receive ninth place money at that time and the players sent home for roughly four months (actual time is 117 days). They will reconvene at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on November 9th and will play down to the final two players, who will return the next day to determine the champion. ESPN will cover the action and turn around a broadcast for November 11th that will show who has won the title in what is now planned to be a two hour broadcast.
In an attempt to drive viewership for the Final Table, ESPN is also planning to have a one hour special on November 4th. This broadcast will focus on the final table participants and presumably will follow them around for the four months following their achievement of making the Final Table and their preparations for that event.
For many poker purists, this could be a tremendously troublesome move for what is recognized as the Olympics of poker. Poker is a linear event, played out under a continuous timeline that demonstrates the skill, stamina and expertise (or, admittedly, even the luck) of the players who are participating. To have a forced delay built in for the benefit of television coverage corrupts the very tenets that the game of poker is built on.
For their part, ESPN and Caesars see the change as something that will accentuate the Final Table rather than hurt it. “People didn’t like it when there were changes in baseball, such as the Wild Card implementation, or in NASCAR, with the Chase for the Championship,” Horowitz elaborated. “This will only add more drama and excitement for the viewers.”
The problem with those analogies is that they are apples to the WSOP’s oranges. Neither of those organizations mentioned delays their championships for an extended time period to build the drama. Even the NFL (the organization that new Communications Director Palansky came from) only delays the Super Bowl for two weeks from their respective conference title games. Could you imagine what would happen with delaying the Super Bowl, the final race of the NASCAR season, or the NBA Finals for four months from the time the combatants are determined?
This doesn’t even begin to approach the possibilities that exist for bastardizations that may happen with the delay.
The Final Table at last year’s World Series Championship Event paid out over $20 million to its participants. Although Commissioner Pollack addressed this issue by saying, “We will conduct the Final Table ethically and without adjustment and we hope the final nine players will as well,” the probabilities of collusion, chip dumping, pre-Final Table deals and other such shenanigans increases exponentially with the delay. Although they have seemingly addressed if someone cannot return to the November playoff (if a player doesn’t return, he will be blinded off and awarded the position in which he finished), the possibility of some (or maybe all) of the players reaching financial deals beforehand among each other is now a reality.
And let’s not even enter into the speculation of death, incapacity or other nefarious activities that may occur with the amount of money that is on the line.
Another thing that will become evident by the time the Final Table plays is the lack of continuity of the players. While former World Champion Johnny Chan, in a USA Today article that details the story, stated that “Poker is a game of skill. The hands are random. … It's how you play your hand. I don't believe in hot streaks,” the change will enable a player to come to the Final Table now with potentially a completely changed game. When we watch the broadcasts of the Championship Event that will lead to the Final Table, the styles of the players more than likely will have completely changed, affecting the continuity of what is supposed to be tournament poker.
Players will hire coaches (presumably professional players), drill themselves on the nuances of the game rather than their instincts (one of the charms of the game of poker) and scouted their opponents through the ESPN broadcasts or other methods. This doesn’t seem to be a cause for alarm for Pollack, who said “…it makes it more like a sporting event.”
Although it may appear that there are only negatives, there are potential positives to the move. The players will have more time to obtain sponsorships outside of the poker realm (Pollack said he envisioned the Final Table players “looking like NASCAR drivers”), there will more than likely be an increase in attention on the tournament (not necessarily viewership, but other mainstream media attention) and the Final Table will now have the opportunity to be stars, instead of just the winner. But do these pros outweigh the potential cons?
All in all, it looks like a troublesome move for the World Series of Poker and the sport of poker in general. The potential for skullduggery, the interruption of the basic concepts of tournament poker and the drive to make the WSOP more of a poker reality show than a sporting competition are all ominous omens for the game we love. It remains to be seen what will happen and whether the move will be a prosperous one for the WSOP or be its demise.
-----
Having had a few weeks to mull it over, there is a greater chance that this will build into something. I've talked with several people, including Robert Williamson III (who was on my radio show at Hold 'Em Radio) and other compatriots, who seem to think that we should give this a shot.
Oliver Tse, whom I have always respected for his insight onto matters in the poker world, sees this as a last ditch effort to save the game of poker on television. When you look at many of his thoughts (which are plentiful at 2+2 and other poker discussion groups), there is a logic to what the WSOP is doing. When shows like "High Stakes Poker" get dropped despite being one of the best shows out there, what will the game of poker do?
So now I have to adjust my thoughts...I'm willing to give this a look and see what happens. I still think the possibility of critical problems exist and, even with the 117-day delay to puff up the final table players, still don't think that it will save poker on television. I would love to be proved wrong...
Friday, May 23, 2008
A Rebirth Of Poker World Wide
For those of you who may have been here before, then hopefully the rebirth of Poker World Wide will be a welcome return. For those of you who haven't come across this blog before, welcome and please let me reintroduce myself.
For the past five years, I have written about poker. Over approximately 800 online articles, numerous magazine pieces (including Poker Player Newspaper, Woman Poker Player Magazine and TopPair Magazine), I have written about the people in the game, tournaments, offered my opinions on the game and many other topics. One thing that is consistent is that I often have an opinion on poker and am not afraid to share it!
With the introductions out of the way, one of the reasons for the "comeback" (if you want to call it that) is that currently I have no outlet for my writing. While I have been searching for another place to call home (after working with two prominent outlets), the poker media today is dwindling perhaps to a point we haven't seen prior to 2004. This makes it difficult for established writers who want to work daily or newcomers to get into the game. Still, I will attempt to plug along and hopefully will find another place to call home in the near future!
Now...on to the news of the day (OK, maybe the past few weeks!).
The World Series starts in a week and it will be a penultimate time for poker itself. With the current recession in the United States, exorbitant travel costs for players from outside the U. S. and the new 117-day delay on the WSOP Championship Event final table, anyone who can predict what will happen over the next six weeks should just step immediately to the sports book and bet the champions of major sports over the next year (they would make much more money!).
Will we see a drop off of epic proportions? Will we see an increase, as players throw caution to the wind and take their shots? Finally, how will the delay in the final table affect player participation? It all becomes a test of many aspects of the poker world and it is impossible to predict at this time what will happen.
In the future, I'll throw out my thoughts on the FT delay (trust me, I'm not fond of the idea, but there are logical reasons). I will also keep an eye on the action at the WSOP and other instances throughout poker. Hopefully you'll enjoy my return to my thoughts of the poker world and, most particularly at this time of the year, the WSOP.
For the past five years, I have written about poker. Over approximately 800 online articles, numerous magazine pieces (including Poker Player Newspaper, Woman Poker Player Magazine and TopPair Magazine), I have written about the people in the game, tournaments, offered my opinions on the game and many other topics. One thing that is consistent is that I often have an opinion on poker and am not afraid to share it!
With the introductions out of the way, one of the reasons for the "comeback" (if you want to call it that) is that currently I have no outlet for my writing. While I have been searching for another place to call home (after working with two prominent outlets), the poker media today is dwindling perhaps to a point we haven't seen prior to 2004. This makes it difficult for established writers who want to work daily or newcomers to get into the game. Still, I will attempt to plug along and hopefully will find another place to call home in the near future!
Now...on to the news of the day (OK, maybe the past few weeks!).
The World Series starts in a week and it will be a penultimate time for poker itself. With the current recession in the United States, exorbitant travel costs for players from outside the U. S. and the new 117-day delay on the WSOP Championship Event final table, anyone who can predict what will happen over the next six weeks should just step immediately to the sports book and bet the champions of major sports over the next year (they would make much more money!).
Will we see a drop off of epic proportions? Will we see an increase, as players throw caution to the wind and take their shots? Finally, how will the delay in the final table affect player participation? It all becomes a test of many aspects of the poker world and it is impossible to predict at this time what will happen.
In the future, I'll throw out my thoughts on the FT delay (trust me, I'm not fond of the idea, but there are logical reasons). I will also keep an eye on the action at the WSOP and other instances throughout poker. Hopefully you'll enjoy my return to my thoughts of the poker world and, most particularly at this time of the year, the WSOP.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Yang Jams WSOP FT - So Now What?
For those of you who didn't see it last Tuesday night Jerry Yang, a previously unknown poker player from Laos and living in California, took down the $8.25 million first place prize at the World Series of Poker Championship Event. For those of us (yes, I did) that viewed the entirety of the fifteen plus hours of PPV coverage, it was very interesting to watch this final table play out. Yang went on the attack from the outset and seemed to throw everyone off their game, including the two notable professionals at the final table in Lee Watkinson and Alex Kravchenko (who was my choice and went out fourth). He's admitted that he knew that was the only way to get out of his eighth place starting position and it seemed to work magically for him.
I've hypothesized that Yang used a "reverse" strategy in this tournament. In most tournament strategy it is thought that you play tight at the onset of a final table and, as the players drop away, relax your starting hand standards. Yang seemed to turn this around from the start of play at the final table, using a hyper-aggressive style early and tightening up late, and it worked perfectly for him. As the players dropped away and his chip stack dominated the table, he selectively chose hands to eliminate his opponents and is a deserving champion.
The next question to answer is what kind of World Champion and ambassador of the game will Jerry Yang be? I don't see him rushing to play in every poker tournament that comes around. He seems as though he wants to do well for his family and for his community (his donation of 10% of his championship purse is an excellent statement to this) and, as such, could be just what poker needs at this point. Yang can show something that many of us involved in the poker world know...that the poker world is filled with players with just as big a heart as they display at the tables, that they can do admirable deeds from within their own convictions and, yes, that a man who has a deep devotion to religion is a part of the poker community and is successful at it.
Some may say that his "prayers" at the tables were disconcerting and wrong and, yes, I would be one of them. After some thought, though, I have to let that go. Yang is a man who simply was caught in the moment and vocally stated what many players potentially do in their heads when they play. I don't think that we will have this type of situation show up at the tables so it isn't a thing we have to worry about.
We will see Jerry Yang at some tournaments, perhaps increasing knowledge about charitable causes, perhaps serving as a spokesman regarding how he quantifies his faith with gaming, perhaps in ways we haven't thought of yet. I believe he will be a gentleman first and will be something that was necessary for the game of poker. And if he doesn't win another tournament, earn another cash or even participate in another game again, he has given us a champion that we can be proud of definitely.
I've hypothesized that Yang used a "reverse" strategy in this tournament. In most tournament strategy it is thought that you play tight at the onset of a final table and, as the players drop away, relax your starting hand standards. Yang seemed to turn this around from the start of play at the final table, using a hyper-aggressive style early and tightening up late, and it worked perfectly for him. As the players dropped away and his chip stack dominated the table, he selectively chose hands to eliminate his opponents and is a deserving champion.
The next question to answer is what kind of World Champion and ambassador of the game will Jerry Yang be? I don't see him rushing to play in every poker tournament that comes around. He seems as though he wants to do well for his family and for his community (his donation of 10% of his championship purse is an excellent statement to this) and, as such, could be just what poker needs at this point. Yang can show something that many of us involved in the poker world know...that the poker world is filled with players with just as big a heart as they display at the tables, that they can do admirable deeds from within their own convictions and, yes, that a man who has a deep devotion to religion is a part of the poker community and is successful at it.
Some may say that his "prayers" at the tables were disconcerting and wrong and, yes, I would be one of them. After some thought, though, I have to let that go. Yang is a man who simply was caught in the moment and vocally stated what many players potentially do in their heads when they play. I don't think that we will have this type of situation show up at the tables so it isn't a thing we have to worry about.
We will see Jerry Yang at some tournaments, perhaps increasing knowledge about charitable causes, perhaps serving as a spokesman regarding how he quantifies his faith with gaming, perhaps in ways we haven't thought of yet. I believe he will be a gentleman first and will be something that was necessary for the game of poker. And if he doesn't win another tournament, earn another cash or even participate in another game again, he has given us a champion that we can be proud of definitely.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Let The Games Begin!
The World Series of Poker $10K Championship Event (and that's what it is called...the "Main Event" monicker is a television creation) is about an hour away from its start and, from the reports I have viewed, there could be anywhere from 4000 to 12000 players that come to the felt to take their shot at becoming the next World Champion. There are many aspects that will bear watching as the cards fly.
First off is that question of how many players will actually be there. There was a much ballyhooed annoucement last week that TPTB at the WSOP (read: Harrah's) added a fourth day to the action, but this is to alleviate overcrowding and to avoid having to use the much hated Poker Tent there at the Rio. I have long contended that there will be around 5500 players who will be there and, even over four days, this still sounds logical (1500 players over the four days runs out to 6000 players). If the numbers approach last year's record, then we can definitely say that the 2007 has been an overwhelming success.
Secondly, who will win it? Looking back at the winners over this year's preliminary events, it was a pretty even balance of professionals (both notable, as in the case of Phil Hellmuth, Allen Cunningham and Erik Seidel), "unknown" professionals (just look at double bracelet winner Tom Schneider, who played excellent poker to take down the WSOP Player of the Year award) and newcomers who now can say they are a World Series champion. This is the year, though, that I believe a notable professional can take it down. I think Allen Cunningham last year demonstrated what has to be done...patient play, grind it out and, once at the final table, let the game come your way.
I certainly hope that some of the issues that plagued last year (the "mystery" chips, youthful and inexperienced "exuberance" to the point of arrogance, etc.) won't come into play. It would be refreshing to see a couple of known names make it to the final table and battle it out with the hopefuls without any theatrics being played out.
With that, let's get the chips clicking and the cards in the air. About eleven days from now, we will find out who is the champion of the World Series of Poker.
First off is that question of how many players will actually be there. There was a much ballyhooed annoucement last week that TPTB at the WSOP (read: Harrah's) added a fourth day to the action, but this is to alleviate overcrowding and to avoid having to use the much hated Poker Tent there at the Rio. I have long contended that there will be around 5500 players who will be there and, even over four days, this still sounds logical (1500 players over the four days runs out to 6000 players). If the numbers approach last year's record, then we can definitely say that the 2007 has been an overwhelming success.
Secondly, who will win it? Looking back at the winners over this year's preliminary events, it was a pretty even balance of professionals (both notable, as in the case of Phil Hellmuth, Allen Cunningham and Erik Seidel), "unknown" professionals (just look at double bracelet winner Tom Schneider, who played excellent poker to take down the WSOP Player of the Year award) and newcomers who now can say they are a World Series champion. This is the year, though, that I believe a notable professional can take it down. I think Allen Cunningham last year demonstrated what has to be done...patient play, grind it out and, once at the final table, let the game come your way.
I certainly hope that some of the issues that plagued last year (the "mystery" chips, youthful and inexperienced "exuberance" to the point of arrogance, etc.) won't come into play. It would be refreshing to see a couple of known names make it to the final table and battle it out with the hopefuls without any theatrics being played out.
With that, let's get the chips clicking and the cards in the air. About eleven days from now, we will find out who is the champion of the World Series of Poker.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The End Of An Era
Over two and a half years ago, I started writing for PokerNews (and I am not going to glorify them with a link in this article). I had been writing about poker for about a year at that point and, when they said they liked my work and wanted me to write EXCLUSIVELY for them, I was more than happy to take part in the work. Thus started what has been a great journey which will only get better.
Over the past 2 1/2 years, I have written over 600 (and that's conservative) articles that have been repeated around the world, for which I am grateful (if you don't believe me, Google it...Earl Burton and Poker, or you can go to PokerNews and put my name in their search area). I covered tournaments from LA to Mississippi and wanted to do more (I actually pushed PokerNews to cover tournaments...I was told it wasn't "financially viable" as they got no extra signups to earn them money from reporting tournaments). I covered the last two World Series and really wanted to be there for this one.
When PokerNews started covering tournaments in 2007 (and, I must add, this is not going to be a full time thing...don't expect to see them cover every WPT, WSOPC or even major tournaments that are outside of those), I was somehow left out of the mix. When I wrote a three part preview of the WPT Championship that they asked to be cut to one article (which were run on this blog), flags went up. When I tried to repeat my 2006 series on the WSOP for this year's event, that was squelched as well. That was perhaps a warning of things to come.
I was a major part of making PokerNews what it is today...I can remember a time when it was me and a certain editor I won't mention were the only pieces. Apparently he forgot those times...I am no longer working with PokerNews.
I am not alone in this exodus from PokerNews, though. I am comforted by the fact that Tim Lavalli (the Poker Shrink) has also ended his association with them. Apparently there is much more going on than what I, sitting 1500 miles from the WSOP, knows about...which was one of my main bones of contentions to start with.
It is unfair to ask readers to read pieces that are written by someone who isn't there, giving them the stories as if they are. In the first 15 days of the WSOP, I wrote 38 articles like I was there, but did nothing other than read the live updates and create a story around them. Then I saw these stories chopped to nothing more than a scorecard that you could get from any site anywhere. That was the final straw.
I talked to two well respected poker people and they commiserated with me. Apparently it went to a length that it was mentioned to TPTB at PokerNews that I mentioned it. Well, PokerNews felt it was "insubordinate" of me to mention their transgressions and, thus, I am gone.
What is wrong is that people I consider great friends have not come to the defense of a fellow writer. Apparently they are more consumed with their efforts than the (correct) objections of a comrade who should have been backed. But perhaps that is the current state of poker reporting.
So, instead of the (edited) writing you saw over the first part of the WSOP, you now have a film student with no prior poker experience doing stories. I'll leave that to creative people to figure out who and what. It is the end of an era and perhaps it was overdue. There's quite a bit more that I could say but, for now, I won't. You can be sure of this, however...I am going to write about the poker world and I will find a new home soon.
Over the past 2 1/2 years, I have written over 600 (and that's conservative) articles that have been repeated around the world, for which I am grateful (if you don't believe me, Google it...Earl Burton and Poker, or you can go to PokerNews and put my name in their search area). I covered tournaments from LA to Mississippi and wanted to do more (I actually pushed PokerNews to cover tournaments...I was told it wasn't "financially viable" as they got no extra signups to earn them money from reporting tournaments). I covered the last two World Series and really wanted to be there for this one.
When PokerNews started covering tournaments in 2007 (and, I must add, this is not going to be a full time thing...don't expect to see them cover every WPT, WSOPC or even major tournaments that are outside of those), I was somehow left out of the mix. When I wrote a three part preview of the WPT Championship that they asked to be cut to one article (which were run on this blog), flags went up. When I tried to repeat my 2006 series on the WSOP for this year's event, that was squelched as well. That was perhaps a warning of things to come.
I was a major part of making PokerNews what it is today...I can remember a time when it was me and a certain editor I won't mention were the only pieces. Apparently he forgot those times...I am no longer working with PokerNews.
I am not alone in this exodus from PokerNews, though. I am comforted by the fact that Tim Lavalli (the Poker Shrink) has also ended his association with them. Apparently there is much more going on than what I, sitting 1500 miles from the WSOP, knows about...which was one of my main bones of contentions to start with.
It is unfair to ask readers to read pieces that are written by someone who isn't there, giving them the stories as if they are. In the first 15 days of the WSOP, I wrote 38 articles like I was there, but did nothing other than read the live updates and create a story around them. Then I saw these stories chopped to nothing more than a scorecard that you could get from any site anywhere. That was the final straw.
I talked to two well respected poker people and they commiserated with me. Apparently it went to a length that it was mentioned to TPTB at PokerNews that I mentioned it. Well, PokerNews felt it was "insubordinate" of me to mention their transgressions and, thus, I am gone.
What is wrong is that people I consider great friends have not come to the defense of a fellow writer. Apparently they are more consumed with their efforts than the (correct) objections of a comrade who should have been backed. But perhaps that is the current state of poker reporting.
So, instead of the (edited) writing you saw over the first part of the WSOP, you now have a film student with no prior poker experience doing stories. I'll leave that to creative people to figure out who and what. It is the end of an era and perhaps it was overdue. There's quite a bit more that I could say but, for now, I won't. You can be sure of this, however...I am going to write about the poker world and I will find a new home soon.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Tired Of The Bitching
I just wrapped up my writing for the day, the twelfth day of the World Series, and I thought it would be a good idea to roam around and check out some of the other work by bloggers who ARE actually sitting at the World Series of Poker, rather than sitting in their living room writing about it. Boy, am I disappointed.
I really get sick and tired of hearing people whine in their blogs about how "tough" it is to cover the WSOP. I had done it for the past two years and, if I had my way, I'd be doing it again this year. I also went through those twelve to sixteen hour days, the hassles of people (both associated with the event and otherwise), questionable eating habits, the sleep deprivation and everything that I am reading about this year. You know what...if you don't fucking love poker, then get the hell out of there and let those who do (and perhaps have more of a care about the game than you do) take your place. It would be better for those who read about the sport as well as the game itself.
Yes, I am still bitter about not being in Vegas for the WSOP this year. But I am also trying to make the best out of it. Those who gripe about having to be there, well, they shouldn't be. Go ahead and leave now and maybe those who actually give a fuck can take over the guardianship of portraying poker as well as possible.
I'm not saying sanitize what goes on at the WSOP. But there is a line between telling a story and trying to make everything more tawdry than it is. It takes a little more work to present a good story than to pander to the lowest common denominator and most aren't willing to make that little extra effort. And if you don't like what you are doing, then leave...no one's forcing you to stay there.
I have some ideas for media coverage that I am working into a concise plan and many in the industry probably will not like it. But if poker is to become a major entity (perhaps even a major sport?), then it is necessary to do some of the things I am thinking. I'll tell you more about them after that plan is finished and in the hands of the proper people.
With that said, have to congratulate Phil Hellmuth on #11. He was killing the final table, got up to a point at one time when he had more than the remaining three players had total, and charged to the championship. Doyle Brunson himself called Phil, "the greatest no limit tournament player ever"...don't think you can get higher praise than that.
I really get sick and tired of hearing people whine in their blogs about how "tough" it is to cover the WSOP. I had done it for the past two years and, if I had my way, I'd be doing it again this year. I also went through those twelve to sixteen hour days, the hassles of people (both associated with the event and otherwise), questionable eating habits, the sleep deprivation and everything that I am reading about this year. You know what...if you don't fucking love poker, then get the hell out of there and let those who do (and perhaps have more of a care about the game than you do) take your place. It would be better for those who read about the sport as well as the game itself.
Yes, I am still bitter about not being in Vegas for the WSOP this year. But I am also trying to make the best out of it. Those who gripe about having to be there, well, they shouldn't be. Go ahead and leave now and maybe those who actually give a fuck can take over the guardianship of portraying poker as well as possible.
I'm not saying sanitize what goes on at the WSOP. But there is a line between telling a story and trying to make everything more tawdry than it is. It takes a little more work to present a good story than to pander to the lowest common denominator and most aren't willing to make that little extra effort. And if you don't like what you are doing, then leave...no one's forcing you to stay there.
I have some ideas for media coverage that I am working into a concise plan and many in the industry probably will not like it. But if poker is to become a major entity (perhaps even a major sport?), then it is necessary to do some of the things I am thinking. I'll tell you more about them after that plan is finished and in the hands of the proper people.
With that said, have to congratulate Phil Hellmuth on #11. He was killing the final table, got up to a point at one time when he had more than the remaining three players had total, and charged to the championship. Doyle Brunson himself called Phil, "the greatest no limit tournament player ever"...don't think you can get higher praise than that.
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