Paid to play

[Sark79]

In the latest copy of POKERPLAYER, there is an interesting interview with John Juanda.

In this he explains how in his opinion the WPT will not be the number one show in three years time.

He suggests that there is a new poker league being planned. In this top proffesional players will be paid for playing events.

I know this already happens to a certain extent. Sponsorship and appearance money.

He says this will mark the end for the WPT.

It would be great to see a Blonde player involved in a high profile league like this.

[I, Zimbra]

I have thought for a long time that this is the one step needed to truly bring poker in line with the 'sports' that one sees on TV.

E.g. people sometimes say poker isn't a sport, because the participants have to spend their own money to enter, and anyone can join in; whereas the same cannot be said of Wimbledon (for example).

To have a ranking system for the top players, where they are paid into the league events will truly make poker a sport, and in turn will generate household names; and then we won't have to explain to bemused relatives who these people are.

[Ironside]

It would be great to see a Blonde player involved in a high profile league like this.

i was thinking of playing but so far they havent offered me what i think is a suitable deal for a player of my stature

[ACE2M]

i think that is a terrible idea.

You got the best players in the world freerolling every event, it will kill it for everyone else. The odd one will break through but everyone else will get sick of not playing on a level playing field.

If big money was added to prize pools as well as the 'names' being paid to play that could work.

[snoopy1239]

Are we talking about the PPT here?

[The Baron]

i think that is a terrible idea.

You got the best players in the world freerolling every event, it will kill it for everyone else. The odd one will break through but everyone else will get sick of not playing on a level playing field.

If big money was added to prize pools as well as the 'names' being paid to play that could work.

I agree. The appeal of poker is being able to compete with the best - this is poker for the elites and ruins the one thing it has above all other sports.

[Ironside]

if poker wants to be taken seriously then it needs a proffesstional tour that people can aspire to join, at present we havent got one anyone with enough money can play the top players.

aslong as there is a way into the proffestional tour for the aspiring players then an invited tour where the player play for the sponsors money is a good thing its what happens in every other sport

each year the bottom player in the tour have to play off to get there place on the tour and the top up and coming players get invited into play offs

works for every other indivaul sport ie golf tennis snooker darts sqaush

below the top level the rest play on they just dont compete on the professional tour we stick to playing the same games we always have in our local casino and with a good run of form hope to win our way onto the tour

if the pro tour kicks off there is room for a secondary tour in europe and then britain etc etc

but before we can get sponsor to put money into a tour instead of the players always stumping up we need to have an organistation and we need to have a signature tour getting us the publicity

there will always be us amateurs plays and putting up our own money just as we do each week when we play the weekly medal at golf etc etc

[Sark79]

if poker wants to be taken seriously then it needs a proffesstional tour that people can aspire to join, at present we havent got one anyone with enough money can play the top players.

aslong as there is a way into the proffestional tour for the aspiring players then an invited tour where the player play for the sponsors money is a good thing its what happens in every other sport

each year the bottom player in the tour have to play off to get there place on the tour and the top up and coming players get invited into play offs

works for every other indivaul sport ie golf tennis snooker darts sqaush

below the top level the rest play on they just dont compete on the professional tour we stick to playing the same games we always have in our local casino and with a good run of form hope to win our way onto the tour

if the pro tour kicks off there is room for a secondary tour in europe and then britain etc etc

but before we can get sponsor to put money into a tour instead of the players always stumping up we need to have an organistation and we need to have a signature tour getting us the publicity

there will always be us amateurs plays and putting up our own money just as we do each week when we play the weekly medal at golf etc etc

I agree. If poker worked in a similiar way to other sports, there woud be no confusion who the best player is.

When people who don't follow poker ask who the best player in the world is?. I say well Gus Hansen is one of them, but so if Chan, DB ,Negreanu, Devilfish, John Juanda and Sark79. lol. They say Sark79, thats a strange name. I just say yea he is foreign  . Expect big things from him I tell them. After that they all look out for a guy called Sark79..lol

If there was a system like snooker. Everyone knows O'sullivan is the best and in tennis everyone knows Federer is the number one.

I think this would make it better and easier for the public to see who the numer 1 player is.

This should also work like the H.O.R.S.E event on the W.S.O.P.

Would Phil Hellmuth then be considered one of the all time greats?.... Maybey not

[madasahatstand]

this is a little off the subject but fits into the heading.

Has anyone ever been asked to play online for money? i joined a site (cant remember wht 1 now) and i got messages up asking me to go to such and such a table where they would pay me x amount an hour. anyone had this before?

mad

[Royal Flush]

this is a little off the subject but fits into the heading.

Has anyone ever been asked to play online for money? i joined a site (cant remember wht 1 now) and i got messages up asking me to go to such and such a table where they would pay me x amount an hour. anyone had this before?

mad

Crypto...?

[madasahatstand]

i really cant recall what site it was. is it common?

mad

[Royal Flush]

yes

[Ginger]

yes

Now now James, no need to ramble on about it! lol

[madasahatstand]

thanks ginger..lol
can anyone tell me if its worth doing and do you ever do it?

mad

[Ginger]

Sorry Mad, I know next to nothing about it. Prop players are common on sites to get tables up and running (cash games), I know a few people that have done this a long time ago, but I know none of the details or if it was worth doing it, sorry.

Hopefully James will give you some info when he comes back, as I  know he knows about it all.