03 WSOP was on ESPN Last Night

[J.R.]

makes me long for the Return of Cool.

You'll be waiting a long time if you expect to find it in poker.

[dirty_dan]

What's wrong with Skittles?

[Slowplay]

Not only do I expect to find our collective definition of "Cool" in the coming years, I guarantee it--the WSOP has, like or not, started to bleed into the mainstream and when this happens we are powerless against the media juggernaut and it's handling of marketablility. Why do you suspect that ESPN launched this year's broadcast with Lucky Robby and Brunson's table? They certainly were not targeting the die-hard poker fan (the quality of play would have been clearly better at a different table). They were, of course, appealing to the masses; an audience that would respond favorably to their Reality-TV approach, pitting the weathered old pro whose game has diminished against a lucky amateur whose only contribution to the event might ultimately be luring more dead money next year, inflating the purse, and the pockets of professionals who make money playing in side games. Christ, ESPN even flung those nauseating player profiles at us. It was like Brunson and Robby were voted off the fu**ing island.

So, yes indeed, poker will--has--been subjected to one big fat focus group that are the narrow-minds and wide-waists of America and guess what--Robert V. just doesn't fit. I'll bet the remaining telecats will focus on the self-proclaimed John McEnroe and the weird, long-haired card-thrower; however, all of the attention will eventually shift to Ivey, the African American youngster who wears Blue Marlin throwback jerseys, real sunglasses (no Ray-Ban knock-offs here) and is in a word, "Cool". Cool as the other side of the pillow.

SP

[J.R.]

I hope you are right. Maybe I'm too self-deprecating/lack vision, but sitting around a table gambling all day with the cast of characters often found in a casino has never really seemed to me to be the culturally desirable thing to do (although I personally may never get enough of it).

[Stork]

I guess they're kinda like p*ssified eminems...
Personally, I don't have anything against them though

[asdf1234]

Not to be picky, but a few corrections on the 2002 WSOP hands.

When Shipley doubled up Robert big time, Robert had JJ and Shipley had AJo.

The TT vs.JJ vs. AA hand. Gardner did have TT, but it was Ralph Perry, not Harley Hall who had JJ. Harley finished fifth.

Also, I believe Julian Gardner knocked out Harley Hall with K7o when Hall had A2.

The final hand Robert won with QT, but he busted Julian, with it, not Harley. He caught his boat on the river with the ten of clubs, making Julian's flush, but also making it no good.

And yes, I also think it's sad I have these hands memorized.

All that being said, I think it's good if amateurs win. If amateurs never won, do you think fish would be more or less inclined to venture out into their local casino only to be gobbled up by sharks? Just a thought.