| Will economy affect poker? |
| 01/06/2009 |
| Without question, 2008 was a great year for poker. WSOP broke all sorts of records and breakout years from true poker superstars. It was a year that the poker industry is looking to build on, but with struggling economic times, will the poker industry be given a bad beat in 2009? |
| |
WSOP faces a tough 2009
After five years of increasing field sizes, prize pools and total numbers of players, 2009 will be a down year for poker's biggest brand. The reasoning falls into the category above, but more specifically, an increased number of those who win satellites from online poker sites will take the money instead of buying into the tournament. To explain further, when one wins a satellite online, the site then gives the player the cash instead of just simply buying him into the event. In the past, we've seen nearly 50 percent of satellite winners play the main event, but we can't see the same happening this year. Given the financial constraints, more will take the money in 2009, creating lower field sizes.
When it comes to preliminary events, we believe there will be a small drop in attendance simply because everyone wants to play for the bracelet. Players who aren't playing on the circuit will be saving their money for the big show and enter the WSOP.
There will also be a greater shift in 2009 in international players. As the European Poker Tour, Latin American Poker tour and Asian-Pacific Poker Tour continue to boom, more players will head overseas to play in Las Vegas.
Rookies of the Year
While the 2009 rookie class (that is, those turning 21 between the 2008 and 2009 WSOPs) doesn't feature any one rookie with the stature of Tom Dwan, its depth will ensure it will make its mark. Adam Junglen signed a deal with Full Tilt Poker more or less on his 21st birthday, while cash-game monsters Ozzy "Ozzy87" Sheikh and "ActionJeff" Jeff Garza have to be preparing themselves for their first runs at American bracelet events. One of them wins a bracelet before next December.
Strides will be made in poker legislation
After a year of scandal and frustration for poker's advocates, there's hope on the horizon. President-elect Barack Obama is well-known to be an avid player, the decidedly Democratic shift in Washington bodes well and the constant diligence shown in 2008 by the Poker Players Alliance -- the game's largest lobby -- seems to have laid the groundwork for good things in the 12 months to come.
"The next Congress and new administration should give advocates for regulated online poker much reason to feel optimistic in 2009,"
said PPA executive director John Pappas. "The previous year's efforts have set the stage, and the public policy and fiscal arguments for regulation are ripe for action."
This may be the year the U.S. government finally sees the revenue lost from the lack of taxation and does something about it.
Mike Sexton will be named to the Poker Hall of Fame
Most of you may have assumed that Sexton, known worldwide as "The Ambassador of Poker," was already a member of this elite company. Although modern-day players synonymously link his name with the World Poker Tour, longtime players recognize Sexton's poker contributions go far beyond the WPT.
On the felt, Sexton has had a tremendously successful career, earning more than $3 million. In 1989, he captured a WSOP bracelet in $1,500 seven-card stud split and also won the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions. Afterward, Sexton lived up to his poker nickname by donating half of his post-tax winnings to five different charities. Recently, at the 2008 WSOP, he came close to winning his second bracelet when he finished fourth in Event 1 ($10,000 World Championship pot-limit hold 'em event). As of 2008, he is also among the top-10 in all-time WSOP cashes with 44. Recently, the usually reticent Erik Seidel wrote a post on the 2+2 forum, supporting Mike Sexton's inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
"Next up should be Mike Sexton," said Seidel. "He has some impressive accomplishments as a player, he won the Tournament of Champions in 06', the European Heads Up, and is one of the leaders in WSOP cashes including one bracelet … I can't think of anyone though who has contributed more to the growth of the game than Mike and that's why he should be the next inductee … Mike loves poker and fortunately is able to translate that for the viewer … He is one of the best ambassadors poker has ever seen and I hope he is on deck for admission in '09."
If Seidel speaks up, the poker world listens. Enough said.
Source: ESPN |
|
|
|
