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

[tubalkain]

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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

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It cost him a three year ban too. Someone should set up a side bet on whether he'll try to play bent AKs this year...

[OrangeCat]

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As long as the WSOP has a seperate Women's Championship, women will always be looked at as less than equals by some.

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Well, sorta. Last year Annie D. won an Omaha event that was held on the same day as the Ladies event. That was great but only people in the poker world even know what Omaha is. A woman winning the ME would be huge publicity for poker in the non-poker world. Especially Jen Harmon as another poster mentioned.

I suppose they will abolish the Ladies event someday soon. It's already an anachronism.

Some are saying the DW winning would lead to a poker boom in the black community. Being white, I could be very wrong but isn't poker already popular among blacks? I play at Hollywood Park fairly often and there are a lot of black poker players are there.

[Matt Ruff]

Meg and Jennifer Tilly, heads up at the final table. After Meg busts her big sister with a lucky catch on the river, the flustered announcer credits the win to Marisa Tomei.

-- M. Ruff

[superleeds]

Famous Actress followed by famous actor followed by hot looking young chick followed by hot looking young guy followed by big Poker name followed by me [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[J_V]

Poker would be MUCH more popular. It's not even close. Charisma or not.

[Cased Heel]

It might be more popular now but I voted for the same. I think there are a lot of players out there who depend on being down to the felt with 17 people left, and doubling up to stay in, then again being almost crippled about 2 more times just to hit gold and stay in finishing 2nd. I'm sure there are a lot of players who would have looked to Williams as "inspirational".

No doubt after his awesomely wonderful heads-up play against Negreanu on the WPT this year. Boy did I see some plays there. Wow. I've got to remember the move of putting your opponent all in on the river when he's got a made hand and I can't beat a bluff. Not only that, but the pot was so big that Negreanu has to call with virtually any hand. That was simply amazing.

Man is he good. Although, I'd venture to believe that about 80% of the players on this forum, had they luckily won $3.5M at age 23, would have gone on to make a much, MUCH larger impact in the sport. DW hasn't done anything. His performance at the 04 WSOP was only slightly better than MM's '03 fiasco.

I love these people who think DW is some kind of up-and-coming poker star. This way, I know that there are still plenty of clueless fish roaming Party. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Mano]

I was watching last years final table the other night, and my wife was with me (she is not a poker player). When she saw how Greg conducted himself both after laying bad beats on a Anderson and McClain as well as when he got sucked out on the river by Krux, she turned to me and said "that Fossil Man guy is a class act". I agree whole heartedly. I think Greg has been a fine ambassador for poker, and hope the next champion does as well.

[BB_Specials]

OMG, I thought you were kidding when you said "Magic the Gathering". Hilarious. Williams is a bigger geek than all those pattent attorneys and accountants.

[autobet]

The current surge popularity has happened because of:
TV Coverage
Internet Poker
The game itself: skill, strategy, luck, people, psychology, etc.
Hollywood celebrities embracing the game.



Varcony and Moneymaker have also had an impact, not so much who they were individually as much as they were unknowns. Watching Varcony win I thought was a great thing for poker. Too bad he didn't shave Phil's head. But he could have been any unknown, just the common man who give all the hope we could do it too.

By the time it got heads up between Raymer and Williams. First off, they were both winners. One would win first and 5M and the other would win second and 3.5M. Two unknowns (sorry Greg, I know you were known on 2+2) would come in first and second, and that would be good for poker. But would it matter much to poker who won first? I don't think so.

If 3 jerkish pros battle it out this year, will poker drop in popularity ...probably not.

[m bozeman]

I would like to see a head-up final with Vince Van Patten against Norman Chad. They could make a deal, and say that the winner gets to host the WPT next season, and that way we can be done with "mr. wired pair". Norm could win the match when he looks at just one card, the beautiful ace of spades, and goes all-in, and Vince looks down at a wired pair of two's, and calls, and loses. Phil Hellmuth could do the post match interview.