Poker Den and Player Power

[TightEnd]

therefore Mr Hearn, astute businessman that he is, gets a free lunch...the players put up the risk capital, he freewheels on the back of it

and the players put up with it, because the exposure creates its own $ via sponsorship etc, notwithstanding the oppotunity to win the thing

[Harry Demetriou]

Interesting stuff and particularly the rules for The Poker Den and especially the one about £51k to be paid to the winner and yet later on a mandatory gratuity of £1k being removed for staff.

Obviously this is the organizers chosen way of circumventing the gaming law regulations covering such things but it is important for the development of poker that organizers do not flout the law as it can only be detrimental for us all in the long run. (BTW I sent an e-mail to the gaming board about all this earlier today but will probably get a generic response saying that I neeed a lawyer to interpret the law for me).

I have no problem with tipping the staff but this would be a first in the UK as all other televised tournaments have nothing taken out of entry fees and begs the question as to why Matchroom don't pay the staff seperately and handsomely for their work and not rely on the players. It just seems to be a very cheap way for them to decrease their costs by a mere £1000 at the players expense.

I have set up a blog called pokerplayerpower and will be toying around with it over the next few weeks until I get some kind of acceptable format and basic framework from which to launch some kind of campaign.

We as players are desperately in need of a body or something that can help us move forward. It's just sickening to see everyone taking the piss out of us when we pay for everything and yet have absolutely no say.

Appearing on TV is important for players as it has been quite rightly pointed out that it assists us to get sponsorship deals. However we have to draw the line somewhere and programs like the Poker Den in my opinion do more harm than good.

To be honest and personally speaking I have absolutely no time at all for Matchroom events as they appear to me to have come about purely for the benefit of the organizers/promotor and all at the expense of the players. Particularly distressing is Ladbrokes association with Matchroom for the Poker Million Masters events. Ladbrokes appear to have gone out of their way to add prize money and promote poker via their sponsorship and interent site but their association with Matchroom is (in my opinion) detrimental to their image.

Nobody can deny organizers and promotors are entitled to make money out of events but something has to be done to stop this parasitic association. A symbiotic relationship would benefit us all and I sincerely hope that I find the time and energy to follow this project through.

[TightEnd]

We as players are desperately in need of a body or something that can help us move forward. It's just sickening to see everyone taking the piss out of us when we pay for everything and yet have absolutely no say.

Absolutely everyone here agrees with this.

How do we take this forward?

[ifm]

hey Harry if you need help with anything in this project (it is a big undertaking) then post on here and i'm sure some of us folks can chip in some time to ease the burden on you.
Ian

[Royal Flush]

Tight this takes a well known and experienced player to lead the charge, i am not saying he has but it looks like Harry has stepped up to the plate.

I will support with whatever assistance i can give, evreyone has said for a long time we should setup a 'players union' but the right person hasnt come along, if Harry is up for it then i am sure blonde will fall in behind him.

[TightEnd]

I agree guys, if Harry wants to go with this, I know many on  Blonde will be with him every step of the way

[vampitup]

The tournament database is such a good idea.  Hopefully the casinos will listen to the comments!

[ariston]

If you need a mouthy one for the union, someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind I would be interested in helping with the union.

[TightEnd]

I'd help too...if anyone's prepared to do the legwork and hassle needed to start this, then they should be supported

[wsopin07]

Im in to help with anything Harry, maybe we need to "host" a boycott of a major event, go to a WSOP circuit event or a wpt event and get people not to play, better yet lets host a competing comp at the same time as one of these events in the same city and get people to play a comp w/ added $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Lets do it in the Bahamas in Jan 06 when the WPT is at the Atlantis, I have good contacts at the Crystal Palace Casino just 10 minutes away.

( only an example, just throwing out ideas)

Brian   

[The Truth]

Harry

I have emailed you about something else, but as always you have my support.

[Yogi-Bear]

Union is such a bad word with the images it brings up.

Plus you would have to voice other peoples opinions Ariston not just your own.
 

Yogi

[TightEnd]

Player's Organisation then

[The Truth]

Band of Merry Men?

[The_Ant]

Here!Here!...or is it Hear!Hear!