Would poker be more popular if David Williams won last year?

[Dacoops3]

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What if moneymaker were to win again?

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Ha ha, funniest thing I've read all day. He's too busy playing heads-up in the paper goods aisle of your local supermarket to win the WSOP again

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What is that supposed to mean?

[Tonsafun]

Moneymaker isn't at the WSOP right now; he's hawking Canadian Club in a grocery store in Baton Rouge and playing heads up with customers.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...14&fpart=1

[Degen]

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Or what about a well known celebrity?



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Ding ding ding!

We have a winner!!


If Ben Affleck or Toby were to win this it would do a tremendous amount of good for the game.

[grandgnu]

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Moneymaker isn't at the WSOP right now; he's hawking Canadian Club in a grocery store in Baton Rouge and playing heads up with customers.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...14&fpart=1

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Wrong link, it's here:

I Found MoneyMaker Thread

[grandgnu]

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Or what about a well known celebrity?



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Ding ding ding!

We have a winner!!


If Ben Affleck or Toby were to win this it would do a tremendous amount of good for the game.

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My money's on Chris Kattan or Norm McDonald, w00t!

[sexdrugsmoney]

Although Greg Raymer seems like a stand-up guy, you would have to kidding yourself if you can't see how much poker would have exploded in black communities had Williams won, here's a few reasons:

1) Race:

He's black, and America being forever obsessed with the "race" issue would have been quick to pander by not only having a young man win the World Series of Poker, but more importantly a young black man who isn't a gangsta and loves his momma ... journalists everywhere would have creamed their pants if he had won.

2) Minority Stereotypes:

Although David had a life most black people in low-socioeconomic areas would have dreamed of, and as such Williams is not cut from the same cloth Paul Darden or other African-American figures that rose to prominence from those areas are, nothing would stop the sheer marketing and salesman ship of poker to the black community like a Williams win, princeton or not.

3) Youth:

All due respects, middle aged men (be it white or black) with less than atheltic bodies just don't sell as well as "beautiful people". (if this sounds bad, don't blame me, blame the world you live in, because this is how it is)

The reason "celebrities" are all beautiful is because thats what other people want and aspire to be, and Raymer and Moneymaker may have great skills but the media isn't interested in that, they would rather a young man with good looks to sell the whole "tall, dark & hansome young wild gambler" motif to the masses.

In closing, yes Poker would have been more popular had Williams won, though I'll concede it's popularity would have only gone up by a fraction outside the black community, where most poker players are middle aged white men ... and not "beautiful". (ie- in the harsh materialistic way, inner beauty is immeasurable)

[augie00]

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A 21 year old absolutely stunning biracial female that talks a lot of [censored], is full of spunk and is just and all around great player. One that is willing to pose for playboy would be great too.

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I will marry her. Right now.

Seriously.

[brokedickrooster]

As long as the WSOP has a seperate Women's Championship, women will always be looked at as less than equals by some. If they are equal, why do they need their own seperate event? Can you imagine the firestorm if there was a African American Championship?

[knifeandfork]

williams is a very vibrant person i dunno how fame and money have affected him but he never lacked personality. if you were to meet him as a friend of a friend at a bar kind of thing you would quickly see his personality is not that of a slug as stated previously. the cheating issue was minor and likely unintentional. having a young guy finish second was enough to make us newbs "believe" if he had won it would have made a signifigant difference to those who were not previously following and playing poker. just my thoughts and of course 2+2 might be a little biased. on a side note what are we seeing for over under on age of the main event winner?

[Vlorg]

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the cheating issue was minor and likely unintentional.

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Williams being disqualified wasn't minor as it cost him at least $6,500 and a potential $35,000. However even those that disqualified him said he wasn't cheating. Article

Williams is a pretty charismatic guy and would have been a fine WSOP champion.

Vlorg