Pokermillion returns next year

It has been announced that the UK Pokermillion tournament will run next year March 28-31. The organisers say that they have already secured TV coverage contracts. For those of you who did not see the last event - they show hole cards during TV coverage thus making it "watchable".


Unfortunately it appears that the players will not benefit from the TV income. The payout schedule is not entirely clear as it quotes the entry in British pounds and the payout in US dollars. It appears that if 300 enter, entries will total £2,100,000 and the prize fund will be £2,000,000 (with a first prize of $1,000,000). So £100,000 will go to the organisers.


With some rather optimistic marketing hype, they say that they will restrict the entry to 300. Given the present world political situation and the tournaments proximity to the world series, I suspect they will struggle to attract US players (perhaps you could prove me wrong on this point) and there is virtually no chance of making the numbers from domestic and European players.

Not only that, somewhere in the small print it says that entrance fee must be paid three weeks before the event. Poker players just don't operate like that. I'm sure they will go back on that when the time comes though.


I thought the quoted first prize was $1.5 million but it's all on www.pokermillion.com (http://www.pokermillion.com)


Andy.

being able to see the hole cards did indeed make it an interesting tv show, and I hope they are able to do again this year.


if I recall, they were disappointed about # of entrants last year and I do not see haw this year could be better??? why didn't they get further away from WSOP??

The problem with low turnouts is that it often becomes a vicious circle. Even if rumours get about that a tournament has a low number of entries, this will put people off from entering and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.


Last time the whole concept was flawed from start to finish because marketing wanted to push it as "Win a million for £10". The million first prize was guaranteed, it soon became clear that there weren't enough entries to fulfil that, at the last minute they added £250K and even then there was next to no money left for the place finishers (10th place only got £2000 of his original £6000 back !). That put a lot of people off.


This time they are not offering any absolute guarantees (once bitten ...) but I am still not convinced they are going to fill it up because of concerns in the US about air travel and security in London (both personal security and the security of the whole event) ; the requirement that entry fee is paid 3 weeks in advance (no doubt this will be waived but it's there for now) ; and my personal feeling that the poker scene in Europe is becoming top-heavy with large events and that the poker economy can't handle it.


As a pointer, there is a big competition in England next month, £2500 entry and the casino is offering a £250K guarantee. Whether this stands or falls (there is no way they will put it on with say 50 runners) could be an indicator.


Andy.

haven't been there but I understand that the English bookies will make a line on most anything.....possibly they should try this!