National Poker Fixation On The Way Out?

[Leavenfish]

My buyer at a certain major bookstore chain, has begun to give us substantially decreased orders for some poker magazines. He noted, "It is official, poker is the new Low Carb". By that he meant that the low carb craze in society came crashing down quickly early this years...and magazine sales seem to indicate it is heading in that direction.

MIND YOU, he is only talking about magazines...but it could perhaps be argued that magazines are a bell-weather of an item/comodity/national fixation.

Perhaps he is right, perhaps not--I have not had time to run the numbers. I tend to think the proliferation of titles on the market is more what we see at work than any general trend...but who knows, poker could well be on it's way 'out'.

---Leavenfish

[A_Junglen]

Nah

[Leavenfish]

Well, like I said, I think it probably has more to do with the glut of magazines on the market than anything else. Each new title -- even if ultimately unsuccesful, canabalizes sales from others.

I think his remark comparing poker to the 'low carb' industry might be a bit premature--that really crashed with a thud! Still, it bares watching as I have seen a LOT of trends come and go which seemed to show up first in the magazine industry.

---Leavenfish

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Fish:

One thing for sure. The poker explosion will eventually fade. The only questions are When? and How much?

best wishes,
Mason

[Lottery Larry]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Fish:

One thing for sure. The poker explosion will eventually fade. The only questions are When? and How much?

best wishes,
Mason

[/ QUOTE ]


Any guesses on the answers? Fade like gasoline prices- to a higher level than before the boom? Or back to approximately the pre-boom levels?

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Fish:

You may be right but I suspect you're not. Some of us in the Two Plus Two organization were talking about this precise topic today. There are probably seven or eight of these magazines right now, and it seems as if each one has the very same articles. You get your Fossilman story, your Doyle story, your Negreanu story, your Annie Duke story, and so on. That may have something to do with a drop in interest in poker magazines.

In fact, my sources tell me that one of them (which had a booth at the WSOP) has already ceased publication. I suspect that several others will soon follow.

Best wishes,
Mason

[jokerthief]

Come on Mason, youre being too modest. Why buy one of those magazines when we can read the 2+2 magazine for free right here with out cluttering up our home.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi joker:

That's exactly right. None of these magazines are doing anything to distinguish themselves from any of the others. The only exception is our very own Internet magazine.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Jorge10]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi joker:

That's exactly right. None of these magazines are doing anything to distinguish themselves from any of the others. The only exception is our very own Internet magazine.

Best wishes,
Mason

[/ QUOTE ]

Ill take it one step further it seems they all copied each other. I got about 6 different ones here I got from different casinos and they all have the same stuff on them.

Also the stuff they have is the type of articles the WSOP has had a player talk about on camera. Like for example Doyles life story, which was on the WSOP and on Beyond the Glory on Fox Sports Net, so theres even video version of this stuff.

The only ones that dont have the same stuff as all the others are Card Player and the 2+2 Magazine and thats why they are the only ones worth reading.

Also one other did try to separate itself from the pack though, Top Pair. It basically tried to combine poker with softcore porn. It still sucks cause the poker material is the same as the others so that sucks and the porn sucks. Overall it sucks at both. That is the only Magazine besides Card Player and the 2+2 Magazine that at least tried something different even if their idea was poorly executed.

Also Poker + Hardcore Porn would seem to be a winner.

I mean old people and kids in their late teens/early 20's play poker and they both have porn addictions. Im shocked someone hasnt done this.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Jorge:

I understand that Top Pair is currently not publishing.

best wishes,
mason