WSOP Bigger than NASCAR?
You think NASCAR is a growing sport, then you should know that Texas Hold'em Poker is exploding. The WSOP just crowned their newest champion. That's the World Series of Poker if you don't watch or have someone in your house that watches ESPN.
The WSOP isn't just one game, it is a 6 week series of different types of poker games leading up to what is called the Main Event. It is a $10,000 buy in tournament. With having to pay 10K you may think that this is a small field, and it was the first one they had in 1970. It was started by Bennie Binion to see who the best poker player in the world is, he found 7 to play.
The explosion hit in just after the 2002 event. In 2003 there was a record field of 839, 2004 it went to 2576, and in 2005 it ballooned to 5619. All the players either put up or had put up for them the 10K to play. In addition to that there was over 13,000 people who took part in one of the smaller games that require much less to enter.
So what is the big draw. Just like the phenomenon of Who Wants to be a millionaire, people watch it and then go and play with their friends. Soon they begin to think "Ahhh I could do that, I beat my friends all the time I know that I can beat these so called Pros."
Sure the rules are simple but it truly does take skill. Not only do you have to be a master of numbers and statistics you also have to be able to read peoples non-verbal queues. The Pros live this kind of action day in and day out, and that is why some guy from Gary, IN doesn't have a chance. With a surprising number of the pros having their Phd's in some type of mathematics it's like shooting fish in a barrel for them.
But the biggest reason its so popular is the money. This years WSOP main event winne
r, Joseph Hachem (pictured) is a pro from Australia and he took home 7.5 million. Makes you want to get 10K together and practice saying "I'm all in."
Until I can come up with 10K to blow I will just stick to www.pokerroom.com where they give you fake chips and the ability to play people from all over the world.
The WSOP isn't just one game, it is a 6 week series of different types of poker games leading up to what is called the Main Event. It is a $10,000 buy in tournament. With having to pay 10K you may think that this is a small field, and it was the first one they had in 1970. It was started by Bennie Binion to see who the best poker player in the world is, he found 7 to play.
The explosion hit in just after the 2002 event. In 2003 there was a record field of 839, 2004 it went to 2576, and in 2005 it ballooned to 5619. All the players either put up or had put up for them the 10K to play. In addition to that there was over 13,000 people who took part in one of the smaller games that require much less to enter.
So what is the big draw. Just like the phenomenon of Who Wants to be a millionaire, people watch it and then go and play with their friends. Soon they begin to think "Ahhh I could do that, I beat my friends all the time I know that I can beat these so called Pros."
Sure the rules are simple but it truly does take skill. Not only do you have to be a master of numbers and statistics you also have to be able to read peoples non-verbal queues. The Pros live this kind of action day in and day out, and that is why some guy from Gary, IN doesn't have a chance. With a surprising number of the pros having their Phd's in some type of mathematics it's like shooting fish in a barrel for them.
But the biggest reason its so popular is the money. This years WSOP main event winne
r, Joseph Hachem (pictured) is a pro from Australia and he took home 7.5 million. Makes you want to get 10K together and practice saying "I'm all in."Until I can come up with 10K to blow I will just stick to www.pokerroom.com where they give you fake chips and the ability to play people from all over the world.
posted by Brian Shannon at 9:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home