Shuffle up and deal!

June 26, 2006 2:29 PM

When it started more than 36 years ago, the World Series of Poker was more like a trappers' rendezvous than anything else: a small gathering of professional poker players and road gamblers getting together amongst themselves to see who was “the best.” Now, of course, it is an industry unto itself, with extensive media coverage, televised coverage on ESPN, and a large fan base that follows the daily results of this now six-week long series of tournaments, which culminates in the $10,000 buy-in “main event” to determine the “world champion.” In 1970, eight gamblers put up the $10k each to play in the main event; in 2005, that number had grown to more than 5600, making the total prize pool of $56M one of the largest ever contested, a number that is either exciting or appalling, depending on your point of view. The 2006 WSOP begins today with the casino employees event, and then the larger “open” events begin tomorrow, and continue until July 28, when the main event kicks off. This year’s main event has been lengthened to almost two weeks to allow for enough play to reduce the field from the estimated 6000 starting participants to the final 9 who will vie for an estimated first prize of $10M. Shuffle up and deal!
posted by mosk (59 comments total)

Administrator, please hope him!
posted by monju_bosatsu at 2:32 PM on June 26, 2006

Will the poker bubble burst at some point? Is it a bubble or truly a sustainable situation? My bet's one any guy (or gal) named Cash McMoneywinner.
posted by Juggermatt at 2:35 PM on June 26, 2006

poker is a dying fad past its zenith.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 2:37 PM on June 26, 2006

Juggermatt, you may have to settle for this guy.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 2:39 PM on June 26, 2006

The world has seen enough Phil Hellmuth to last it several more millenia. I'm ready for poker to not be as "cool" as it is now.

But I'd ten times prefer to watch poker than pro dominos or bass fishing.
posted by fenriq at 2:39 PM on June 26, 2006

Thank you for bringing this new poker fad to my attention. Who knew?
posted by surplus at 2:40 PM on June 26, 2006

fenriq, i suppose you are watching far too much ESPN Channel 70001, right before ESPN channel 70000 which features arm wrestling and conkers nightly.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2006

Link #2
Link #3
Link #4
Link #5
Link #6
Link #7 Same as #5
posted by Elim at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2006

Poker on TV is just like pro wrestling. Big time personalities on the screen give it a staying power that the act itself hardly warrants.

And millions of guys play poker in thier buddy's basement every Thursday or Friday and provide the 'sport' with an easily accessable core fan base. Add the 'OMG 10 MILLION $$$!!' factor and I think it will be around for a good long time.

And if you don't have a group of poker buddies, you should really get one. It's a lot of fun.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:42 PM on June 26, 2006

Only cause me hates broken links...
posted by Elim at 2:42 PM on June 26, 2006

Yikes! Sorry about the broken links! (and I know the last link is a repeat of an earlier link, but it was to a table wioth both tourney dates and television dates.) Slinking away now...
posted by mosk at 2:44 PM on June 26, 2006

poker is a dying fad past its zenith.

As a TV phenomena, yes.

As a gambling game, no.
posted by I Love Tacos at 2:46 PM on June 26, 2006

Oh, and there's no question that the poker fad has peaked...but it's still mighty popular, and some of us drool at the thought of six weeks of non-stop poker. Or maybe we're just droolers.
posted by mosk at 2:47 PM on June 26, 2006

That's quite a prize pool.
posted by smackfu at 2:50 PM on June 26, 2006

I don't think the 'fad' has peaked. The influx of new donkeyfish isn't any slower today than it was a couple of years ago. I think the peak is still a year or two away.
posted by solid-one-love at 2:52 PM on June 26, 2006

i will win it all
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 2:53 PM on June 26, 2006

I enjoy playing Texas Hold'em, but it's kind of refreshing to gack back and play good ol' five card draw once in a while, the game that most people cut their teeth on.

Much harder to get a strong hand.
posted by bardic at 2:56 PM on June 26, 2006

And if you don't have a group of poker buddies, you should really get one. It's a lot of fun.

Well I did, but then most of them went pro. :-/
posted by fFish at 3:00 PM on June 26, 2006

Funmonkey1, conkers is on tv now? I suppose Shin Kicking is about to asplode onto the international sporting scene now too.

I am going to enjoy remembering when ESPN used to televise real sports, just like MTV used to play music.
posted by fenriq at 3:03 PM on June 26, 2006

And if ESPN gets its way, in three years someone will post a nearly identical entry as this one, except "poker" will be replaced by dominoes.
posted by Juggermatt at 3:03 PM on June 26, 2006

Dominoes? Before you know it, it'll be dodgeball.. nevermind.

Anyways, yea, I have two circles of friends I play poker with. And I enjoy taking their money (I've won most of the last few times we've played). And I'm only about 5 miles from where the WSOP is taking place too.. hmm..
posted by SirOmega at 3:27 PM on June 26, 2006

Hold 'em does make for good TV. At least, it can.

The best televised poker I've seen though was on the Gameshow Network, with Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza hosting (kind of a winner right there, no?). It was a cash game, something you don't see on ESPN. Real bricks of hundred dollars bills. It's a totally different game than tournament play (and a Helmuth meltdown over real money is far more entertaining than one over tournament chips).
posted by bardic at 3:42 PM on June 26, 2006

Dominoes would be cool to watch, but wouldnt it be sort of boring waiting for them to get ready? And what happens if your opponent knocks yours down early? Is that a foul?

What? They lay them flat?

Fuck that.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:45 PM on June 26, 2006

Dominoes. Wouldn't surprise me. I came across High Stakes Backgammon on the TV last night after I drunkenly staggered in from the pub.
posted by bap98189 at 3:48 PM on June 26, 2006

fenriq, I agree with you completely about ESPN showing sports and MTV playing music videos.

God those days seem far away....
posted by Funmonkey1 at 3:49 PM on June 26, 2006

Of course, there's always Chessboxing.
posted by Ty Webb at 3:52 PM on June 26, 2006

bardic I completely agree -- I love "High stakes Poker" on GSN. It is far and away the best poker show out there, IMHO, and very interesting if you are really into the game. All of the previous and current seasons' episodes are available via BT, and they're definitely a fun time (assuming your idea of a fun time is watching a bunch of pasty-faced white guys sitting around a table, playing cards with bricks - BRICKS - of hundred dollar bills). Despite making this FPP about the WSOP tournament, I'm essentially a cash game player; HSP is about as good as this genre gets.
posted by mosk at 3:59 PM on June 26, 2006

you know espn needs wo sham boo tournament....
posted by Funmonkey1 at 4:00 PM on June 26, 2006

Its been on already, Funmonkey1. Not on ESPN but on A&E.
posted by fenriq at 4:14 PM on June 26, 2006

I leave Thursday to start my run at this year's WSOP. As far as I can tell, the phenomenon has not yet peaked. Most events that I play have more entrants than the year before. Most experts predict the Main Event will run around 7,000 this year, which means 70 million dollars will be wagered in one single tourney. That's a lot of cash.

It certainly does appear that the TV bubble has peaked. Ratings across the board are lower as the lineup is saturated with crappy programming.
posted by Lame_username at 4:15 PM on June 26, 2006

Good luck, Lame_username. I'm not going this year, but hope to go next year when my kids are a bit bigger, and either leaving them at home with my wife or bringing them all along is easier to manage.
posted by mosk at 4:29 PM on June 26, 2006

These tournaments are rigged. What happens is a syndicate of players sacrifice themselves to their leader, giving him a chip advantage. Poker is for two types of people: marks and sharks.
There, now you are informed. I know you won't listen. You never do.
posted by Osmanthus at 4:36 PM on June 26, 2006

I third the recommendation of High Stakes Poker. I generally do better in tournament play, but I loves me a good cash game. It's much more fun than watching the televised tournaments which basically amount to highlights reels.

I'd probably pay money if they were to do a nonstop internet stream of the big game at the Bellagio. With the currented edited hands you miss seeing how seemingly inconsequential hands set up big moves later.
posted by bashos_frog at 4:38 PM on June 26, 2006

Also, I wonder when backgammon is gonna make a comeback. It was popular in the 70s IIRC, and now partypoker has just rolled out partygammon.

I did most of my gambling in the park with backgammon before I started dabbling in poker about 12 years ago.

I've gotta say, it's one of the best internet applications out there, given how hard it can be to find opponents/games/clubs offline anywhere but AC, LV and the reservations.
posted by bashos_frog at 4:43 PM on June 26, 2006

I need a sheet beside me explaining what hands beat the others. Would this be interpreted as a sign of weakness at the WSP?
posted by reidfleming at 4:59 PM on June 26, 2006

bashos_frog said It's much more fun than watching the televised tournaments which basically amount to highlights reels.

Yeah but live poker doesn't have those awesome slow motion instant replays.
posted by surplus at 5:17 PM on June 26, 2006

Bashos: I'm right there with you. If someone finally rolled out a for-stakes backgammon online, I'd finally be able to earn enough to pay off my student loans!
posted by absalom at 6:49 PM on June 26, 2006

absalom - partygammon is for stakes, but right now it seems the limit is $10.
the games have a stake and a limit (beyond which cubes and gammons don't apply).
Right now it seems set at a minimum of .50/point and a max of $10/game. I haven't tried the match play yet.
posted by bashos_frog at 6:59 PM on June 26, 2006

When can we have the world series of bridge? (televised)
posted by notreally at 7:08 PM on June 26, 2006

In all sincerity, I don't fuck with serious backgammon players. They can be fairly badass.
posted by bardic at 7:14 PM on June 26, 2006

I don't get the poker craze at all. It seems like a bunch of guys with a good grasp of numbers thinking that that alone will allow them to overcome the natural randomness of a poker game. It just isn't interesting to me.

Now, World Series of Euchre, that I can get behind.

But I would like to say that this FPP is a great example of "The Best Of The Web." Despite my indifference to poker, I found it an interesting post with interesting links and solid narrative. This is what we should be striving for, people.

So I say to mosk, SA-LUTE!
posted by dw at 8:51 PM on June 26, 2006

Most experts predict the Main Event will run around 7,000 this year, which means 70 million dollars will be wagered in one single tourney. That's a lot of cash.

This year’s main event has been lengthened to almost two weeks to allow for enough play to reduce the field from the estimated 6000 starting participants to the final 9 who will vie for an estimated first prize of $10M.


What the hell happens to the other 60 million dollars? That's one big house cut.

If you come in 45th place, do you keep the money you won up to that point or something?
I always figured the tournament was winner take all.
posted by madajb at 9:54 PM on June 26, 2006

Whenever this comes up, I like to mention my friend. He just graduated and has been hanging out before starting work consulting in the financial services field.

He claimed over 100k last filing period, and due to his extended downtime, most recently claimed over 200k. He's ridiculous. He plays almost exclusively online. He even tried to teach a group of friends his method and was able to turn about 30% of the players into consistent winners.
posted by WetherMan at 10:02 PM on June 26, 2006

A friend of a friend just took third place in the Mandalay Bay tournament, for $300-odd thousand dollars. And he's Canadian, so he doesn't pay any income tax on it. Daniel Negraneau maintains his Canadian residency and citizenship for the same reason.
posted by solid-one-love at 10:10 PM on June 26, 2006

Oh, and madajb: last year, the top 560 players cashed. The guy who came in 45th walked away with $235,390. There are a couple of pretty standard formulae for events of that size.
posted by solid-one-love at 10:13 PM on June 26, 2006

Negreanu seems like a stand-up guy compared to most of the celebs in the poker world. I'd love to here some batshitinsane stories about his personal life, if they exist.
posted by bardic at 11:08 PM on June 26, 2006

solid-one-love -
Interesting.
It'd be more entertaining if it was winner take all.
posted by madajb at 11:17 PM on June 26, 2006

a couple of weeks ago A&E broadcast the Rock Paper Scissors Championship.

talk about exhilerating...
posted by pruner at 11:19 PM on June 26, 2006

madajb, I don't think it would be, because nobody would enter.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:27 PM on June 26, 2006

These tournaments are rigged. What happens is a syndicate of players sacrifice themselves to their leader, giving him a chip advantage.

I don't know if you were serious, but there are many that believe that a very well known poker player has done essentially what you suggest. In a large event, it isn't as likely to come up.
posted by Lame_username at 1:32 AM on June 27, 2006

I need a sheet beside me explaining what hands beat the others. Would this be interpreted as a sign of weakness at the WSP?

I've seen this three times. In each case, the guy was actually pretty good and trying to be funny. I've also seen someone insist that his six card straight beat a flush and demand a ruling from the floor. I did take this as a sign of weakness.
posted by Lame_username at 1:35 AM on June 27, 2006

Poker remains kick-ass, and will probably continue to be played in one form or another until long past when our grandchildren are dead.

Televised Poker, on the other hand, peaked when David Cross beat out Scott Stapp. That sort of thing can simply never be repeated, like the 2004 Red Sox post-season. But with poker, and snarky comedians, and uber-shitty rock stars.
posted by Navelgazer at 1:42 AM on June 27, 2006

I'd love to here some batshitinsane stories about his personal life, if they exist.

You won't get many stories about Daniel these days. Once he became a devout Christian and stopped drinking, it put an end to the good stories. In the old days, he was a belligerant drunk and egomaniac. I'm trying to think of a good story that would appeal to you. My favorite one involves a long-running fued with Annie Duke (the soccer mom favorite of ESPN). Daniel went into a whole long rant about her poor personal hygiene, stinky feet and rude treatment of Daniel (and most everyone else). The best part is it all happened on the Internet so it is preserved for posterity.
posted by Lame_username at 1:43 AM on June 27, 2006

What the hell happens to the other 60 million dollars? That's one big house cut.

The house cut (or juice in poker lingo) at the Main Event is 6%, which means Harrah's will keep more than $4 million for running the event. For the smaller events, the juice is 9%. This is an endless source of complaint from us, since these percentages are much higher than they used to be. However, there is so much dead money from players without a clue that it is still well worth playing.

Despite the fact that 3% of the pool is reserved for "tipping" the dealers and staff, there is tension between those who think that should be adequate and those who think that winners should give another cut to the dealers. You can probably guess which side the dealers are on.

In general, the top 10% of the field or so usually gets paid something. Last year everyone on the final table got at least $1 million.
posted by Lame_username at 1:55 AM on June 27, 2006

One more post and then I'll stop babbling. Here is a complete list of payouts for the WSOP Main Event last year.
posted by Lame_username at 1:57 AM on June 27, 2006

solid-one-love -

Well, to be honest, I'd rather watch The International Old Folks Walker Invitational Cricket Tournament than the World Seres of Poker, but I'd watch a live broadcast of a $70 million dollar poker game.
posted by madajb at 2:28 AM on June 27, 2006

Thanks, dw, I tried to put a good post together, even though I broke the links in the FPP.

For those that really get into the game, there's tremendous depth and complexity. Oh, yeah, and there's money in it as well - "a tough way to make an easy living," as Amarillo Slim once said.
posted by mosk at 3:08 AM on June 27, 2006

I think it all really took off when the tv networks got the go ahead to have cameras which could see each players hand.... poker was REALLY boring to watch prior to this.
posted by premortem at 8:32 AM on June 27, 2006

Good luck, Lame_username.
posted by SaintCynr at 3:31 PM on June 28, 2006