From Josh Arieh's website

[qbvlay8]

The reason poker is so popular has more to do with ESPN and the pocket cam more than Moneymaker and Raymer.

[Sponger15SB]

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But if Ivey wins it will have its first real superstar, one that is telegenic, young, and a bona fide great all around poker player.

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I think Ivey is already married.

Nice try though.

[Shoe]

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I don't understand how it can be the best thing for poker. Wouldn't it just prove that you have to be a top player to do well? I'm confused by his statement completely. I don't see any logic in it. Would Sammy Farha winning in 2003 have been better for poker than Moneymaker?

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It would be good for poker because Ivey has a ton of fans and people like watching him play and want to be like him. If he wins a lot of people will start playing to begin their own personal quest to be like him someday. The thought that hey this guy is a pro that is better than I will ever be is thinking on a level about 100x higher than any player new to the game.

[dlk9s]

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Well anyway... ROOT FOR IVEY!!!!! I promise its the best thing for poker if he wins... If Ivey wins, the ratings on the ESPN show will be so rediculous, you wont even have to be a winning player anymore to make a living playing poker..... so GO PHIL IVEY!!!!!!!!!!!

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Agree?

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Except for the fact that Ivey has zero charisma at the table. I've never spoken to him personally, so I can't speak to that. But to a normal, every day fan, he's not too exciting to watch.

Awesome player, though. Fun to watch if you are really into the actual poker being played.

[yimyammer]

A black woman winning the WSOP has to be best of all the rest for poker...IMHO

[astarck]

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A black woman winning the WSOP has to be best of all the rest for poker...IMHO

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Like Tiffany?

[ohkanada]

"CardPlayer.com has done the math, and Table 119, the one housing Farzad Bonyadi and Greg Raymer, is home to 15% of the chips in play. With 12 tables still in action, the average table should have about 8 1/3% of the chips in play. "

I wouldn't be surprised to see them make this table the espn table after the dinner break. Of course maybe mike the mouth with chips is just too good for them to make the change.

Ken

[MoreWineII]

ESPN just showed the replay of last year around 18th-19th place where he calls all-in with a straight flush draw, whines like a sissy-girl to his fiancee about god-knows-what, hits the draw on the river, then taunts <I forget his name> about the hand.

I had forgotten what a tool he was.

[ziggy_m]

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ESPN just showed the replay of last year around 18th-19th place where he calls all-in with a straight flush draw, whines like a sissy-girl to his fiancee about god-knows-what, hits the draw on the river, then taunts <I forget his name> about the hand.

I had forgotten what a tool he was.

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Really. He whines, "I can't believe you put all your money in with AJo" (after hitting his ace on the flop), when he had all his in with 89h on a draw.

Then like two hands later, "I can't believe he put all his money in with JJ", when he had all his in AK.

Like double standards much, Josh?

[zipo]

LOL - hilarious.

That insufferable clown Arieh is still steaming after getting busted in last year's WSOP by Raymer.

A Raymer repeat would be good for poker. Arieh *not* winning is great for poker as well.