Poker Forum

There are too many poker tournaments. Tournaments suck the money out of poker. Poker is shrinking.

Poker tournaments sucked the money out of poker once, and are doing it again. Unfortunately, I watched this happen once before to poker, in the 80's.

Poker Tournaments "hold" takes LARGE CHUNKS of the poker players pools bankroll all at once.

The numbers don't lie! Ask the card room employees - too many rooms, not enough players.

Tournaments involve a 10% house hold (at least) and a 40% tax. No poker player can fade that!

Want Proof?

World Poker Tour 2008 Main Events
2008 Borgata entries 507 down from 2007 - 560 entries
2008 Tunica entires 259 down from 2007 - 294 entries
2008 Los Angeles entries 665 down from 2007 - 791 entries
2008 Reno entries 261 down from 2007 - 592 entries

World Series of Poker Cirucit Events 2008
2008 Tunica entries 180 down from 2007 - 377
2008 Council Bluffs 99 down from 2007 - 142
2008 Harrah's San Diego 148 down from 2007 181

Tournament Poker Players should be playing for sponsors money, not their own. (like the PGA Tour)

Tournament Poker Players do not share in advertising revenue or TV revenue for the events they play in.

There is a sucker born every minute!

Poker tournaments = suckers. It is only a matter of time and the "house drop" and goverment taxes will have ALL THE TOURNAMENT MONEY - no one can fade a 40% hold.

Why do you think there are so many tournaments today?
So the house can drop more money quicker.

Look at this months Tournament Poker schedule. Events on top of events.

One good thing about poker tournaments, they do bring poker players together, so the better cash game players can get the money!

I agree with most of this, MtMike. It would make sense for large sponsorship dollars to be placed in the prize pool. Yes they could then reduce the size of the buy in but do you really want 10k+ players in tourneys?

Your last sentence is the key. Tournaments do make for great cash games.

Tournaments for fame but cash games for real money.

Sponsored events do not have to have 10k fields, that does not have to be.

Poker tournaments could be sponsored and have "qualifiers" with $100 entries (which would go to purse or expenses - like dealers, staff, cards, room rental) - limit the size of the quailying field, x amount qualify for the main (sponsored event) event with the size of the main event field limited.

x amount of "leading tournmanet money winners" would be exempt and winner of previous event would be exempt. (much like the old PGA Tour - top 25 from week before and top 30 or so money winners would play the following week - otherwise, see you at Monday Qualifer)

The poker world has been a scam forever. There is a window of opportunity to change that, but that window is closing. Too many cheats, deals and team play.

The actual origin of the game of poker is still in mystery. The game has been played for hundreds of years. It has come through many cultures and through many countries. The online poker has become a very pronounced form of entertainment on the internet and there are millions of players who unite to play the game of poker. They play for fun or for real money.