Quote:
Originally Posted by Army Eye
How would their knowing Isaac Haxton is a better player make one bit of difference as to how much they enjoy watching Negreanu?
It wouldn't. If you think really really hard for like 3 mins maybe you'll realize you're not actually disagreeing with me. The average Poker Fan Joe Dip**** doesn't know/care who's actually at the top of the sport. He wants and enjoys that entertainment that Daniel/Helmuth and the rest of the old guard are so good at providing. That's why, like I said, DN is good for poker.
I agree the new guard is bad at entertaining. You know what they're good at?
POKER.
Poker as a sport is moving AWAY from entertainment. I foresee no more entertainment in it than during a TV broadcast of a chess tournament. Nerdy/geeky dudes who are probably the opposite of entertaining. I don't see any more reason for poker players to be entertaining than for chess players. I mean, of course I do - more entertainment - more fans - more $ in the sport (ads, sponsors, more fish at tables), I get it.
But the entertainment is not a natural part of this sport. It's a mind game like chess. The entertainment was originally there to entertain the fish so pros can take their money. But when you have a high-level match - entertainment is not just unnecessary - it's distracting.
Look at it this way - would you propose that chess grand masters be more entertaining during TV broadcasts? Good luck with that. Then why do you think suggesting same for poker players is appropriate? Why? Because there's an element of chance in poker? Because it's "gambling" and that makes it "entertainment"? Because "OMG WE NEED MORE FISH!" Meh.
Within probably 5-10 years poker will be as "entertaining" as chess. Only people who enjoy the intellectual aspect of the game will be into it - for the rest it will be like watching paint dry. Poker will probably lose a lot of it's coolness and will be seen as more of a geeky thing like chess. Which is 100% cool with me.
Last edited by Olaff; 04-24-2015 at 09:29 PM.