Poker Superstars 2 & being 'above the game'

That guy · #1 03-20-2005, 12:23 PM

Negreanu writes:

"The Super Stars Invitational II also has an exciting format that I would have loved to participate in. Unfortunately I agreed to a vote along with 17 other players on whether or not we would play in the event based on the amount of money that would be added to the event.

I voted that we should play thinking that no group of 24 players was “above the game“, but when the majority of the others realized that it was silly not to play it was too late. We were replaced by other players as I would have expected. The vote initially looked something like 13 against playing and 4 pro playing, but if we'd voted three to four days later it would have been 15-2, or maybe 14-3 in favor of playing. I hate even thinking about the whole mess because I find it personally very aggravating."

Discuss.

Why would the vote change so dramatically a few days later? I guess the players are feeling a little exploited here. I kind of understand this as a TV network can make good money off an event like this... OTOH, winning a big TV event would surely be good for leveraging yourself to the poker boom.

aeakos · #2 03-20-2005, 01:26 PM

I asked Howard Lederer about this on FTP, he said that Fox didn't want to pay the players what they felt they (the players) time was worth. Evidently the majority had agreed to make it a group decision (I suppose for bargaining power.)

As far as why a few days later it all changed, I have no clue.

touchfaith · #3 03-20-2005, 01:56 PM

My guess is that the Networks are not about to let themselves get bully'd by who, in their eyes, amount to little more then reality TV participants.

TV Executives have lost a lot of power over the years to 'talent' and I think that they want to quickly squash any notions the players have of considering themselves 'talent' and making demands.

aeakos · #4 03-20-2005, 05:09 PM

That being said, I'd much rather watch Howard Lederer, Danny N., and Gus Hansen than Kathy Leibert, Dewey Tomko, and others. No offense to them of course.

That guy · #5 03-20-2005, 05:16 PM

<<That being said, I'd much rather watch Howard Lederer, Danny N., and Gus Hansen than Kathy Leibert, Dewey Tomko, and others. No offense to them of course.>>

I agree with not interested in watching Kathy, Dewey etc... but some well selected others would be fine with me...

Huck Seed, Martin deKnijffe, Erick Lindgren, Hoyt Corkins, Layne Flack, Prahlad Friedman, Sam Farha, Dan Harrington,... there are lots of interesting players to choose from... I don't really need to see Doyle and TJ Cloutier anymore.

Punker · #6 03-20-2005, 06:25 PM

I suspect the vote would have changed when the players realized that if they voted not to play, the network would just scroll down the list and take then next 10 players. Even though some of these players make the final table "often" its not like they are there every week, and thus the network realizes they can pretty much plug in whoever and the show will work.

That guy · #7 03-20-2005, 07:46 PM

Other potentials:
Car Wash Guy
Chick from Maxim who made the money at WSOP ME
Clarkmeister
Matadors Daughter
El Diablo
Jerry Tarkanian (Honeymoon in Vegas reference)
Jason Lesters hot blonde 'friend' from 2003 ME
Jennicide
The drunk guy from Fri night or last night Seat #4 from Live at the Bike

any others?

Russ McGinley · #8 03-20-2005, 08:52 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The drunk guy from Fri night or last night Seat #4 from Live at the Bike

[/ QUOTE ]

He is a star in the making.

duma · #9 03-21-2005, 03:13 AM

it was seat 8 btw.

aeakos · #10 03-21-2005, 03:46 AM

I wouldn't mind seeing any of those you mentioned either...

On a side note, anyone else notice how bad tonight's episode was? I think perhaps a total of 10 hands were shown, roughly all of them all-in. Bad TV poker, Bad.