Poker Tour Workings

RacersEdge · #1 03-01-2005, 01:42 PM

I'm just starting to follow these high stakes poker tours, and I was curious how they worked. Do the name players get an incentive (free entry?) to play on these tours like the WPT? What's the incentive to make a pro not just stay in Vegas all year and just play there?

They seem to travel to a lot of out of the way places and I just wonderde what their motivation was. Obviuously money in some way.

btk202jazz · #2 03-01-2005, 01:57 PM

I have wondered the same thing. You would think they would give the pro's some sort of incentive to play in their tournament. Like you said free entry, or some sort of VIP treatment not offered to the small fish. Whenever I turn on the poker tour I am always suprised who I see at these places, traveling to Fox Woods and out of the way. I would like to know the dirt behind this.

exeph · #3 03-01-2005, 02:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Obviuously money in some way.

[/ QUOTE ]

Give the man a prize

RacersEdge · #4 03-01-2005, 02:59 PM

Great insight - glad you took the time to post.

Tevyee · #5 03-01-2005, 03:24 PM

I'm sure all hotel accomodations are covered for the pros. That's why they love travelling to places like Tunica to play in the WPO. The money and prestige are just bonuses on the side.

jojobinks · #6 03-01-2005, 03:51 PM

it might be the money. if there are 100 entries, and 20 of them are chumps, that's free money that's gonna be split up among the pros. an overlay, if you will.

J-Lo · #7 03-01-2005, 04:00 PM

I think u give the pros way too much credit, there are alot of pros who are broke, and they get backers to try and get a "big hit." Only of few of the tourney pros are winning, the rest are degenerate gamblers. (ie. Cloutier)

InfernoLL · #8 03-01-2005, 04:04 PM

No, the name players have to pay their own way into the tournaments. Some are staked of course, or get sponsored by businesses, but the casinos/tour organizers don't give them anything. They travel around because these events have potentially big payoffs that the better players will collect far more often than their fair share. And because travelling is fun. Also, the TV exposure from just making a few final tables is worth a huge amount. One of the best tournament Hold 'em players in the world, Hellmuth, has undoubtedly made more money in the last 3 years selling DVDs and books then playing poer, and they took off because of his TV exposure. If no one had heard of him, they wouldn't buy that crap.

So, big payoffs, fun and entertainment, and major publicity that leads to even bigger future payoffs. I don't know why they don't just stay in Vegas.

InfernoLL · #9 03-01-2005, 04:06 PM

You can be a winning poker player and still be a degenerate gambler. Losing money somewhere else doesn't subtract from poker accomplishments.

riffraff · #10 03-01-2005, 07:16 PM

umm... Stu Unger? =)

I haven't heard anything of the such about TJ (except the same 1 or 2 posters here) and have great respect for him. If he is pissing away his poker winnings at the craps table.. well that just sucks.