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Everyone
is still buzzing about the number of entrants (2,576) in
the World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in
championship event. That is an amazing number. I keep
thinking of the price I could have gotten a few years
ago had I bet there would be more than 2,500 players in
that event in 2004. I might have made more than the $5
million that Greg "Fossilman" Raymer made by capturing
the title! Kudos to Greg for his magnificent play and
for carving his way into poker history.
Obviously, the growth seen in the 2004 championship
event (more than triple last year's attendance) is the
result of a few things: first and foremost, the exposure
of big-time poker on television. The credit for that
must go to the World Poker Tour on the Travel
Channel. The WPT is the reason poker has been
accepted and watched by mainstream America.
ESPN's expanded coverage of last year's event was
done only because of the success (that is, ratings) of
the WPT. Remember, for years, the WSOP was
shown on ESPN months after it concluded at 3 a.m.
and without anyone knowing it was being televised. The
people at ESPN finally saw the light — which was
turned on by the WPT.
The
second thing contributing to the growth of the WSOP
is the expansion of satellites — primarily online
satellites. Word has it that 912 Texas Holdem players
won their seats in the championship event online, which
is more players than ever entered the event before.
And
more players bought in or tried to win their way in via
brick-and-mortar casino satellites, especially those
held at the Horseshoe. (And hats off to those
responsible for putting in the $1,000 buy-in
supersatellites. That was an idea that stemmed from
Bellagio's success in doing them for the 2004 WPT
Championship. Players love them.)
Finally, it's fortunate for everybody in the poker
community that a guy named Moneymaker invested $40 in an
online tournament to win his seat in the 2003 WSOP
and then went on to win the title and $2.5 million. He
provided the dream and inspiration for everyone that "it
can be done." On behalf of the poker industry, allow me
to thank Chris Moneymaker for a wonderful reign as
champion.
The
question that everyone is now asking is, "How many
Texas
Holdem
players
will be in next year's event?" I've heard numbers
ranging from 5,000 to 12,000. Not so fast, my friends —
the number may not be as large as you think.
Online sites qualify players for the WSOP
primarily for PR reasons. However, with the decision
that players cannot wear any logos at the final table,
the value of qualifying players on a site diminishes
greatly.
Perhaps the most amazing accomplishment at the WSOP
the last two years is something I don't hear anyone
talking about — and that's the fact that Dan Harrington
made it to the final table both years, finishing third
in 2003 (winning $650,000) and fourth in 2004 (for $1.5
million)! And it's the fourth time he's made it to the
final table in the WSOP championship event, which
he won in 1995. Talk about a moneymaker, Harrington's
won more than $3 million in the championship event in
the last 10 years!
Harrington is known as "Action Dan" in the poker world.
I propose we change that name to "Dan the Man"
Harrington.
Take
care. |
