Phil Ivey sitting out WSOP in protest-Running 2011 World Series of Poker thread

Was hoping you'd cash, BB.
Where'd you stay?

 

I'm not enough of a high roller to get a comp room at a casino, but I'm a Marriott high roller so I stayed at the Fairfield Inn on Paradise (right behind the Venetian). It's a 5-minute drive from the Rio, and I wasn't there too much. I've stayed at the Rio before, and it's convenient, but on a weekend it's not that cheap, and if you want to go anywhere else you need a cab or one of those shuttles.

Free hotel + rental car was cheaper than Rio + cabs.

By the way, here's what it looks like to have 31,000 WSOP chips... too bad I lost them within an hour of taking this picture

 

I still follow and watch poker regularly.

Couple weekends ago, I made a final table at a local tourney. Top prize was $1100 or so and a gold bracelet. I had the second lowest chip stack at the final table, and was seated directly behind the big chip stack. I finished 9th for $75.

Played a lot of good poker that day. Threw down cards that I really wanted to play but didn't trust them and thanks to some rabbit hunting, I learned I made some good laydowns.

Now that I get to play every week at the local spot, I like where my game is right now. But I need to experience a larger field of sorts. Casino is right down the road, but I'm not going unless I know I can spend the kind of cash and be OK with losing it in case it happens.

 

Here are full reports of my tourneys, for the super poker geeky who are interested...

http://internettexasholdem.com/poker-forum/2010-ith-wsop-news-f41/fletch-s-wsop-trip-report-t4556918.html#p7709380

http://internettexasholdem.com/poker-forum/2010-ith-wsop-news-f41/fletch-s-wsop-trip-report-t4556918-15.html#p7709394

 

Joe Barton introduces a bill to legalize online poker. Barton is a pretty good poker player, btw.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ONLINE_POKER_LEGISLATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

I'm a lifetime winner online, and I currently have a low four-figure total stuck on FT. There are lots of stories floating around like the ones in this thread about people making deposits before Black Friday and never having it withdrawn from their banks; Full Tilt's ridiculously shoddy business practices with shady/illegal payment processors is a significant part of the reason it can't get its finances together and allow U.S. customers to cash out.

A large percentage of people who are/were online winners are volume grinders who multitable 20 sit-n-goes or low-limit cash tables at something like a 1% ROI + rakeback deals or specialists who can crush certain games that are particularly soft (I have a friend who made a living at heads-up super turbo tournaments); these people are likely having a difficult time finding comparable profitability in live games.

 

To revive this thread: Placed second tonight at the local game. Survived a harrowing all-in from my 8s vs. a friend's 7s (both pockets). I'm really playing some great poker right now.

 

I think your low four figure amount turned to zero yesterday.

 

Imagine if a major tournament is taking place, and few people other than those involved in it, actually care....

I'm thinking we are pretty much there with the WSOP - and it doesn't help that it is almost over (at least in terms of there are only like three or four bracelets to be won) and I have never heard of any of these people who have won the events with the exception of Juanda.

Poker's popularity as a game people will play is probably at an all-time high.

Poker's popularity as a spectator sport has officially jumped the shark.

 

Re: Phil Ivey sitting out WSOP in protest-Running 2011 World Series of Poker thr

Based on what I've seen in several casinos, it's not nearly as difficult to get a seat as it was just two years ago.

The explosive growth then oversaturation and decline of poker has been interesting to watch.

 

Very true at Foxwoods. Going back five or six years, you could put your name in for a seat at a $1-$2 no-limit table, go get a meal and be back to the floor before your name was called. In the last year or so, waiting more than 5-10 minutes for a seat is a surprise.

 

Don't discount the effect the economy has had on poker either, though. I'm sure its popularity has slipped, but I'm equally sure that the vast decline in expendable income has had a big effect on it was well.

I used to play at Foxwoods at least once a week, often two or three times. I've been there exactly twice in the past three years because the cost of gas and need to build up a savings account in case of layoffs has sapped me of my extra spending money.

I took a trip to Thailand, bought an expensive DSLR and a computer (among many smaller purchases) on the money I used to win there. It basically supplemented my meager journalism income for about five years and allowed me to buy most of what I wanted. I still love playing and would play more often if I could afford the risk of losing $200 or $300 on a given night. Just because there are fewer people playing, doesn't necessarily mean it's just because it's less popular. The game has been played since, what the 1800s? Doesn't that disqualify it from being a fad?