Poker News

WSOP Critique

I waited until the WSOP ended to begin this series on what is wrong with the WSOP, and what needs correction. I didn’t want anyone to think we might impact the participation in this year’s events. In my 35 + years of publishing in this field, I have studiously avoided criticizing the industry, with a few exceptions. Onthe other hand, as the founder of the modern day gambling press, I feel obligated to take the lead in protecting players from a tournament that has become dominated by greed, instead of what is best for the game we all love so well.

Now if you agree with what I will be expressing in these pages over the next six months, YOU need to speak out to affirm what you believe is right. I am but one voice in the wilderness. Despite the fact that 50,000 people read this publication every two weeks, and considerably more in the future as we begin our subscription program, I was unable to persuade the WSOP management to bar Jamie Gold from the main event. I know many of you agreed with me because I received considerable supportive response from the public, as well as from one other publisher-Poker Pro Magazine-in this field. To encourage you to speak out, I give you this quote from the past, from philosopher Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil in the world is for good men to do nothing.” Are you a “good man?” Maybe you need to do something to prove your worth.

Now that is not to imply that WSOP management is evil; I don’t think it is. But, without a doubt it is greedy, incredibly greedy. As my former mentor used to tell me, “A business goes to hell when the accountants take over.” So, let this be a warning, lest Harrah’s Entertainment be looking at that downhill slide that so invariably comes when businessmen lose sight of what their obligations to their customers really are.

What is wrong with the WSOP, the premier event of the poker industry, is so extensive that it cannot be covered in one issue of Poker Player Newspaper.

In the next 10 or 11 issues, I will deal with the major points, one at a time, so you can consider each issue without being overloaded. If you agree with what I say, I encourage you to speak out to Harrah’s, letting them know what YOU think. And if you don’t agree, tell them that, as well.

Here are the tentative topics for my future editorials, not necessarily in order: If you read the issue before the last, you know it was about “the error of selective rule enforcement.” Here are the titles: Disgrace at the Top-The Miller Boycott; Commissioner Who?; Sharing with the Players; The $2-$4 million Chip Error; Scheduling the Flights; Overcharging the Exhibitors; The Mistake of Media Partnerships; Reciprocity; After the Fact Fees; Denying the Internet Reality. By and large the staff that runs the WSOP has done a marvelous job handling such a large and complicated event. These remarks are aimed principally at those who make the final decisions. In addition to these there are hundreds of little things that need correction, which will be deferred here, however, if you think there is a major issue I have missed, please let me know

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