Negreanu to Harrah's: It's the World Series of Poker, Not the World Series of Hold'Em

Posted Oct 31st 2005 1:07PM by Wil Wheaton
Filed under: Professionals, World Series of Poker

Daniel Negreanu has seen the 2006 WSOP schedule, and he is not happy. In his great-but-non-full-feed-friendly journal at Full Contact Poker, Daniel writes, "After the complaints the floor people received this year, I was all but certain the World Series of Poker would bring back the mixed game event and make sure to protect the integrity of the event by maintaining a wide variety of games.

Screwed! That's how I felt when I saw the schedule. The World Series of Poker is an inappropriate title for this mockery. The World Series of Hold'em, sure, but how dare they call this the World Series of Poker when they've eliminated most of the other tournaments in favor of even more hold'em events."

Daniel suggests that the "non-poker-playing suits" at Harrah's only care about the bottom line, and are sacrificing other poker games to include more hold'em events. I've heard from several top poker pros in the last two years that the best players in the world earn that distinction by playing more than just NLHE, and they all loved the mixed-game bracelet event in the WSOP. I'd love to watch that on television, but I don't know if it has an appeal beyond serious players. The aforementioned non-poker-playing suits at Harrah's must feel the same way.

Daniel concludes, "Poker is dying. Not hold'em of course, but poker as we once knew it is becoming extinct because the people in control aren't interested in helping poker flourish, they have a bottom line to think about that takes precedence over all else. I have no idea who is at fault so I won’t place blame. I’d sure like to know, though, who- who exactly is making these decisions?"

Daniel is a normally soft-spoken guy (he infamously wasn't always this way, but unlike Hellmuth, Daniel has clearly matured over the years) so when he gets upset enough about something to go off about it, it's worth listening. Daniel clearly loves poker, and respects the history of the game, but even more than that he respects the best players.

As poker becomes more and more popular, and as it continues to grow as a business, desicions which affect the game and its players will be increasingly made by business -- not poker -- people. I think Daniel is correct to wonder who these people are. I hope he finds out, and I hope they will listen to the pros who made poker the booming industry it is.

Link via Iggy.
Photo courtesy LasVegasVegas.com

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. I totally agree with Daniel and about Harrah's. Do not think that Harrah's is good for the industry as their approach is ALL about Business, rather than a broader and longer term approach, which will be good for business over time!!!

Posted at 7:16PM on Nov 1st 2005 by stevew407@cox.net

2. I will admit that I play, and watch, Hold 'Em more than other poker games. But that doesn't mean I don't think much of Stud, or Omaha, or Draw, or the other variations that have been or are being played professionally. Because I have become hooked on Hold 'Em, I haven't taken the time to learn more about how to play those other types. I've had enough trouble figuring out the right strategies for HE! But I agree that if you are going to have a World Series of POKER, then the other versions of the game shouldn't be overlooked or diminished in favor of one flavor. Will the suits figure that out? Only if they take the players' concerns, and the integrity and history of the game, into serious consideration.

Posted at 4:24PM on Oct 31st 2005 by Dave Westbay

3. i think the WPT is a huge reason the WSOP is becoming primarily a hold'em event. think about it - the WPT only televises hold'em, and largely no-limit hold'em. televised poker wouldn't be what it is today w/o the WPT, but when other networks started catching on they followed the WPTs example: no-limit hold'em final tables generate the best television. now that ESPN has expanded their coverage of the WSOP, guess what they wanna show? exactly.

i think the WSOP's mistake was replacing some of the other games w/ hold'em. i think they have 42 events...they should have just expanded to include more hold'em w/o getting rid of the other events.

Posted at 5:02PM on Oct 31st 2005 by chrisofspades

4. I tend to agree with the post but I would not say that Daniel is an infamously soft-spoken person. He's called Annie Duke an angle shooter (and worse) and told Chris Ferguson that using the nickname "Jesus" was insulting to Christians. I'm not saying he's right or wrong in his beliefs, only that calling him infamously soft-spoken might not be totally accurate.

Posted at 6:30PM on Oct 31st 2005 by Bill Rini

5. Bill, I was refering to exactly those comments when I said "he infamously wasn't always this way . . ."

I didn't mean to give the impression that he's infamously soft-spoken now, or ever has been, just that he's toned it down recently.

I guess I need to work on that whole "clearly conveying ideas" thing that writers do, eh? ;)

Posted at 6:43PM on Oct 31st 2005 by wil

6. Oh, and I was under the impression that he'd made up with Annie, and apologized to Howard for some really inappropriate and immature things he said years ago.

Posted at 6:44PM on Oct 31st 2005 by wil

7. Wil,

I guess I missed where you were going with that. :-)

I think he did attempt to make up. He's been on Full Tilt's Learn From the Pros on several episodes so at least one can presume that they aren't at each other's throats.

I like the guy. I respect the fact that he says what's on his mind even if he has to swallow his words later.

Bill

Posted at 7:54PM on Oct 31st 2005 by Bill Rini

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