Making poker more and more popular

[jwvdcw]

Obviously, poker has enjoyed a boom of sorts lately. It has been great as its attracted tons of fish to the internet tables. So what needs to be done in order to continue its popularity// Here are a few of my thoughts...

1.There cannot be any deals where the top 2 or 3 players agree beforehand to split any winnings. Imo this diminishes the honor of it all and makes it into a pro wrestling type affair. Also, neither competitor is nearly as intense with no money on the line, so it won't make for as good tv.

2.I think that many people want to see glasses and headphones disallowed. Although, I could really care less about the issue, I think that it would help poker's popularity to no longer allow this.

3.I think they need to markey their stars more. There are tons of great personalities that have the ability to be mainstream product endorsers and mini-celebrities. I think that appearances on late night talk shows, commercials, etc. are very do-able and would greatly help the sport.

Anyway, thats all that I can think of for now, but I just wanted to open this up for discussion to everyone....Obviously, we all want to see poker prosper. Well, what steps should be taken to further increase its popularity/

[Dynasty]

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1.There cannot be any deals where the top 2 or 3 players agree beforehand to split any winnings... Also, neither competitor is nearly as intense with no money on the line, so it won't make for as good tv.

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I believe the WPT and WSOP (main event) already prohibit this. So, that's not an issue for any televised poker tournaments.

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2.I think that many people want to see glasses and headphones disallowed... I think that it would help poker's popularity to no longer allow this.

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This would only hurt the game by preventing people from doing what they want. Are we eventually going to have dress codes too?

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3.I think they need to markey their stars more.

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Who is they? Poker doesn't have a governing body, a league, or any type of union.

[jwvdcw]

2.It might hurt the pros that want to wear the sunglasses but my initial post wasn't concerned with them; it was only worrying about the viewers and those who have yet to get into poker.

3.Well then, I think 'they' could use a player's union of sorts...some group to promote their sport. Thats what I was getting at.

[Dynasty]

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2.It might hurt the pros that want to wear the sunglasses but my initial post wasn't concerned with them; it was only worrying about the viewers and those who have yet to get into poker.

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Forget the pros. What about the guy who likes to listen to his music while playing cards on Friday night? Why do you want to tell him he can't do that anymore?

Why do you want to stop the 22 year old kid from enjoying his time at the table by wearing his "cool" sunglasses and looking like the part he's trying to play?

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3.Well then, I think 'they' could use a player's union of sorts...some group to promote their sport. Thats what I was getting at.

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I already pay rake. I'm not paying union dues too.

[Duke]

1. Deals are already prohibited for the TV tourneys, though if the players really wanted to make one, there's nothing really stopping them from it. If corporate sponsors want to add a significant amount to the prize pool, then they can make whatever rules they want regarding deals. Until then, deals will always be a part of tourney poker, especially with the top-heavy payouts.

2. I think you are wrong.

3. I think the WPT is doing a hell of a job making the stars famous.

~D

[Mike Gallo]

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Forget the pros. What about the guy who likes to listen to his music while playing cards on Friday night? Why do you want to tell him he can't do that anymore?


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They do not allow players to listen to personal stereo devices in Atlantic City. I for one do not like that rule.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Are we eventually going to have dress codes too?

There already *is* a dress code for the WPT final table.

[Duke]

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Why do you want to stop the 22 year old kid from enjoying his time at the table by wearing his "cool" sunglasses and looking like the part he's trying to play?

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Excellent point. Making it illegal for a card player to look like his idea of what a card player is supposed to look like would hurt more than help the popularity.

I think every point was flawed. Most people think that a hundred thousand bucks is a lot of money, and aside from stock traders, card players are one of the few groups with members who experience wins and losses of this magnitude. For new people who think that Daniel Negreanu was a jerk for downplaying a $65k profit from a 3-day tourney, they obviously think that $65k is a ton of money, and they would think anyone who did -not- make a deal to save a sum greater than that from the short-term luck factor is a gambling fool.

And unions go completely against the general idea of what a poker player is. They think we're all like Kenny Rogers' Gambler. That we're all some sort of rogue, moving from city to city and score to score. They think we have sex with new hot women every night. They don't think about "running bad" or know it exists, since we enter into games of chance and somehow know how to win every time out. The second card players lose that aura of independence, and instead form a union, we look like a bunch of factory workers. And who on earth would want to join that group?

And how in the hell would a union operate anyhow? What, we're going to go on strike?

~D

[baggins]

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They think we have sex with new hot women every night.

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um. Anytime i survey the patrons of my local cardroom, I'd be surprised if more than a couple people get laid at all, even by their spouses. i mean, there are some slobs in poker rooms. anybody who thinks we're all cowboys who get mad pussy is delusional at best.

[Duke]

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anybody who thinks we're all cowboys who get mad pussy is delusional at best.

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Oh! So someone was reading! Yeah that was meant as a joke, but I'll stand by the image I think the general populous has of a card player.

~D

[El Dukie]

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mad pussy

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Why do I get a vision of a soaking-wet Persian cat that's just had its dinner taken away and been given a bath? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif