Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Mirpuri
I think the answer to the decline in backgammon popularity is the rise in the popularity of poker. There is just more money to be made in poker. You hear of backgammon pros learning poker: Magriel, Robertie, Hansen but you do not hear of the reverse.
Chip Reese and Puggy Pearson were playing heads-up cash games in the 70s at the World Amateur Championship tournaments at the Dunes;
Chip continued to play off and on, including fairly recently (no, not since he died). He was a frequenter of Gamesgrid, playing sessions with many of the toughest moneygame players. And he showed up at more at least a couple Monte Carlo world championships, but I don't think he actually played the tournament; it was for the high-stakes chouette at Hotel de Paris. Chip wasn't the sort to give up equity (poker terms: "leak -EV" or whatever) without a solid reason, so I think he used the online sessions as training (he did pretty well in MC). His playing Gus Hansen (which gives you a time-frame) could have been for every reason you can think of: fun, mental exercise, challenge, a way to help Gus out if Gus were having bankroll problems, a way to corner Gus's sports action (hey, I'm not necessarily reaching here), etc.
And then there was Stu Ungar, who definitely was captivated by backgammon...