Time to Step Forward
mmal...@ix.netcom.com
I've been reading the on going discussion of problems with poker
tournaments and the WSOP in particular. I haven't responded to date
because I wasn't sure what to say.
I don't know Maria Stern but I do know Adam Roberts and have a high
opinion of him. He is an outstanding stud player and is one of the few
people who does well in both the side games and the tournaments.
One of the questions that is being asked by many people is "Are the
tournaments honest and are they worth playing." My answer is that there
are some problems, but they are no where near as bad as the rumors make
them out to be. I know both Jim Albrecht and Jack McClelland well and
believe that they do everything possible to keep their tournaments
clean.
But there are two areas that concern me. First are the self proclaimed
great players who appear to have great tournament results (but who also
enter every tournament) who always seem to require someone to stake them
in action. Those players who are broke but want to play in the highest
limit games and all the big tournaments are in my opinion candidates for
some form of impropriety. To be fair I know of no such wrong doing.
The other concern I have are the rumors themselves. I have seen several
cardrooms collapse. I believe that some of these rooms, such as the old
Bell Club in Bell, California (which in its day was the biggest and
busiest club in California) failed because people became convinced that
they were full of cheaters. Whether this was true or not I don't know.
But I did do very well in the $10-$20 draw games in the early 1980s at
the Bell. So at least at that limit I'm sure there were no cheating
problems.
What I'm trying to say is whether these problems really exist or not
may not be as important as to whether some people think they exist and
to what degree. That is even if there are no collusion problems at the
WSOP, I still think it needs to be addressed simply because some people
out there seem to think that some collusion exists.
Specifically for the good of the "future expansion of poker" deal
making, staking, and buying pieces of players needs to be controlled. I
don't necessary believe that they need to be ended, but everything needs
to be done in the open as much as possible, and perhaps it may be best
to end the deal making at the final table.
The WSOP has done poker an incredible "amount of good." I would hate to
see it be damaged by half truths and other exaggerated claims. On the
other hand, it might be time for its directors to step forward and make
a more public stand on their policy towards these matters. I can't
believe, as several posts to this news group have pointed out, that
sponsorship will ever come as long as deal making and the rumor of other
problems exist.
I also feel that instead of criticizing and attacking the WSOP as some
people have done it is important to do just the opposite. The WSOP is
without a doubt poker's premier event and we all should give it our
fullest support. I have the utmost confidence that Jack Binion, Jim
Albrecht, and Jack McClelland will solve these problems and the event
will achieve a higher level of greatness in the future.
Mason Malmuth
Chiefchill
> Specifically for the good of the "future expansion of poker" deal
>making, staking, and buying pieces of players needs to be controlled. I
>don't necessary believe that they need to be ended, but everything needs
>to be done in the open as much as possible, and perhaps it may be best
>to end the deal making at the final table.
I agree with Mason, Deal making at the final table should end.
Reason: If players know in advance that no payouts will be different than
as
posted, I think they will be less inclined to use inappropriate tactics to
win the
money and more likely to play their best poker.
After the money is won, if a player wants to give his share to a backer
that is his
business.
The observation of people making deals appears to the public that they are
using
a scam, even when no scam is really happening. A clean public image must
be maintained for poker to remain a growing industry. Deal making
appears dirty
to some people who know nothing about tournaments, but, these same people
may some day have the vote in your city, county, state to end poker. What
do
you want them to notice?
Then God created Poker and said it was Good.
Aloha,
Chiefchill (John Scigliano)
TIGER123
Mason Malmuth writes:
<<Subject: Time to Step Forward
From: mmal...@ix.netcom.com
Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 23:43:35 -0700
Message-ID: <338A82...@ix.netcom.com>
What I'm trying to say is whether these problems really exist or not may
not be as important as to whether some people think they exist and to what
degree.>>
------------------
indeed, i've counseled many of my clients (including one or two members of
this newsgroup) that the perception of reality is just as important as
reality itself.
i agree that the wsop has done much good for poker in general, and that
messrs binion, mcclellan and albrecht and their associates are beyond
reproach.
and i also agree that deal-making (and in particular secret deal-making),
**and potential sponsor's perceptions that deal-making exists** is very
bad for poker.
so i must conclude that deal-making must be prohibited for the good of the
game. if this means that the payout structure should be adjusted, then
let's adjust the payout structures.
tiger