Quote:
Originally Posted by housenuts
What's the big issue with deals? Wsop just should allow/encourage it, just don't talk about it on the broadcast. Even then, could make an argument it would attract even more amateurs/recs if they didn't think they had to win it all to get 12m, if at f3 they could make a deal for 7.5m each. Of course the amateur doesn't need to know that a pro wouldn't structure such a deal with them.
When they present the WSOP Main as the "World Championship" and not just another poker tournament, they have to maintain the pretense of intense competition. You wouldn't see someone make a deal in the Super Bowl, Olympics, or NBA Finals. If the WSOP presents itself as the poker equivalent then it's a bad look if players are making deals and soft-playing each other because they don't care all that much about the bracelet.
I remember many years ago Chino Rheem and Scotty Nguyen chopped up
a big HORSE event at the LAPC where they got equal money in exchange for Scotty being named the "winner" and getting the trophy. You can imagine the problems it might pose for the WSOP brand if people are making similar deals for bracelets. The idea that the bracelet is more important than money is core to their marketing strategy. Strip that away and what separates them from Wynn, Venetian, Aria, etc? It becomes just another MTT series.
I think that's why they're hush-hush about things like selling action and making deals. It detracts from the legitimacy of the competition if they are trying to present it as the Super Bowl of poker. Of course, everyone who is embedded in the game at an even moderate level understands that it's a lot of smoke and mirrors. Daniel Weinman isn't the world champion of poker just because he luckboxed one $10k event. It's a marketing gimmick. In reality, winning something like GPI POTY is much more akin to being the world champion in a calendar year.