One of Ivey's biggest advantages as winner would be high profile evidence that "poker is a skill game", which helps for poker legislation and with general impressions of poker. Being black also helps, although it would better if Ivey was more "stereotypically black" in order to trigger a black poker boom. It would also increase the final table's ratings - perhaps not so much amongst new players, but quite probably lapsed players.

wtf lol nit. he's still sick deep in the event. a bit more chips than day 1.

go IVEY, ESFANDIARI, EASTGATE

Theyre seated next to each other today.

i think the final table will be this:

Phil Ivey, Esfandiari, Eastgate, Phillips, Lichtenberger, Friedman, Hac Dang, Noah Boeken & Kenny Tran

so what are the payouts looking like at the mo?

The last time I checked the population of China was somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.3 billion, so if you want a real poker boom that's the population you want to tap into. I don't know who Tian Shou is, but he sounds Chinese. Go Shou!

http://www.pokernews.com/wsop/2009/event-57/payouts/

Everybody thinks they're really good at poker, even people who've only played a handful of times. Emphasizing that poker is a game of skill will draw more fish, not scare them away. Unlike chess or billiards, it is difficult for most people to evaluate who is outplaying who in a poker game, and even after being crushed and losing all their money fish still come away thinking they were the better player.

In addition to that, Ivey taking it down would be another chink in the armor of the UIGEA, and we all know that the best thing for the games is for people to be able to impulse-deposit with their credit card after seeing a Full Tilt commercial during half-time.

I would be surprised if even 2 of them make it. And one will NOT be Kenny Tran.

Regarding the Phillips AK hand, It was also just one hand you saw out of how many thousands that week. It is easy to say it was horribly played when there is a hole cam so you know exactly what everyone has.

All of you are hoping for another money maker BOOM??

Well here it is... Charlie Elias is the chip leader atm and is a part of team APL (Australian poker league) and won his seat through a freeroll donkament.

gogogoogogogo Chalie.

I think the best chance at another boom would be another rounders-caliber movie. Poker movies have sucked bigtime since then so I don't hold out too much hope. As far as winning the main event, people are mostly over "omg an amateur can win" but I think a woman winning or a player from a country that currently has a small poker market would help. It's my understanding that poker in Australia exploded after Hachem won.

edit: never mind, it got it's own thread

1.3 billion but with a GDP per capita of ~$6k. Not the best gambling market out there.

yeah right

There is not going to be any poker boom, deal with it

When Tiger is in contention, the ratings of normal PGA Tour events are much higher than when he's not on the leaderboard. Why? Because people want to watch someone they've heard of.

A final table with a couple of big names will generate much more buzz, and have a lot more casual people watching than would a table of unknowns.

I'm pulling for Ivey to win the ME.

Cheers, Carl.

I'm hoping Jamie Gold wins again. The sport really took off when he won - kind of a Moneymaker Redux. I remember going down to the local 7/11 the week after it was on tv and there were 3 kids with Buzz Nation hats and they were opening packs of baseball cards. One kid, really nerdy, pasty and obnoxious was so pleased with his pack that he yelled at his friends, "top top, bitches!" Brought a tear to my eye. I couldn't help but think, "that kid is gonna be the next Jamie Gold. God bless him." And poker has never looked back.

lollllllll, that will certainly boom pub poker here

if antonio/phil ivey busts out, i hope some $50 satellite kid wins it

LOL but who watchs poker on TV, POKE PLAYERS do everyone who is going to care about the ME winniner alreadys plays poker for the most part

over/under on the amount of sick calls Kenny has made this ME?

Line is at 4.5

If Ivey wins the ME, will we see a genuine smile when he poses with the bracelet?

We don't really want a "Chinese Moneymaker" so much as a "Chinese Bill Gates". We want Chinese businessmen who currently gamble it up at Baccarat in Macau to think that poker is the hot new thing.

The point is, he misplayed a number of hands at that final table and generally looked uncomfortable and lost the entire time. He went from 1st to last before even 1 player got eliminated, then nitted up and was lucky to eek out 3rd. It would be interesting to see how he responds to another shot at the final table with more experience under his belt.