What made POKER take off?

shanesinnott said:
Pretty sure a Poker thread would be NPR :) and I am guessing there are many people on this board that would enjoy the updates (in NPR)
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I posted this on NPR, but Tony is well known to many pool players who frequent Las Vegas. Tony came in sixth place at a WSOP event.

Card-Players-dot-come did an interview of Tony. He is actually quite an interesting gentleman, with a very diverse background not only in pool and poker, but boxing as well: http://www.cardplayer.com/tv/31887

JAM
 
JAM said:
I posted this on NPR, but Tony is well known to many pool players who frequent Las Vegas. Tony came in sixth place at a WSOP event.

Card-Players-dot-come did an interview of Tony. He is actually quite an interesting gentleman, with a very diverse background not only in pool and poker, but boxing as well: http://www.cardplayer.com/tv/31887

JAM
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Yep, saw that on Cardplayer the other day, seems like an interesting guy. Didn't know he played pool?
 
Jaden said:
I know, the first thing a lot of people are going to say is that this isn't pool related but it is.....

It was not long after the movie rounders came out that poker shot off like a sky rocket and everyone and their sister thought they could win the WSOP. Then ESPN started showing it all the time and the viewership hit such numbers that other channels started carrying and then it was self fullfilling, it was inundating the airwaves so more and more people got into it.

The question therefore is, why hasn't that happened with pool. Anyone who was into pool in the mid eighties might have thought that it was going to go that way for pool after the color of money came out and was so successful and it might have.

This very fact got me thinking just now as I finished watching Rounders. I was thinking what made all of these people start taking poker seriously after watching rounders and start getting interested in watching poker on TV and the answer I came up with was two fold.

First, although the movie focused on the darker side of poker, the only people that could really be looked up to in the movie were those who either won or wanted to win the WSOP. The most important thing is that poker allows for people who don't know what they're doing to get lucky and win.

People who watch it on TV see the bad beats when people make the wrong moves and think, "Oh I can get lucky too!!!!"

Pool has done the opposite, the people who have shown pool on TV have focused only on the perfect play making even the illusion of being able to compete ridiculous this cancels people's interest.

Therefore my conclusion is that we need a catalyst like the color of money or a reality show or something and we need to start showcasing the blunders and mistakes made by the pros instead of the perfect play.


Jaden
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There are many reasons, but IMO they show the characters in poker, warts & all, & people love it. Pool has been trying to hide this for years - can't smoke, can't drink, dress code & on and on. Watching Earl or Sigel go off would give the seven to any of the poker players little tirades. John Henderson
 
shanesinnott said:
Yep, saw that on Cardplayer the other day, seems like an interesting guy. Didn't know he played pool?
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I think he is more of a pool enthusiast today. I will have to ask KM. They are very good friends and speak to each other every single day on the phone. Tony opens his home to many pool players when they visit Vegas, as long as there isn't a boxing match going on. He is very generous.

He invited us to stay there when we went to the IPT event a few years ago, but I did not know Tony and thought that we would be better staying in a hotel. Little did I know. After looking at that beautiful home and all the boxing stuff, I would have had a blast staying at Tony's house.

He's even got a pool table there, which would have been great for practicing, even though it does have red felt. :p

JAM
 
I think a big plus to the matches shown on ESPN would be better camera work.
I realize a lot of people enjoy the emotion in the face of a player that just made/missed an amazing shot... but honestly, I don't care what the person looks like, I also don't REALLY care if the 6 ball drops, I want to see where the rock went. Did they get position, or not?
edit: Maybe a split or a picture in picture of the table cameras, and the cameras focusing on the player

Also, I think if they showed more matches of the early games in a large tourney (like the US OPEN)... just random matches from no name players... and then follow the winner until they lose, then follow that winner up to the finals.
It'd show the different levels of game play that you see in the U.S. Open, thus... it'd be easier to relate.
Maybe if they showed more life in the players like you see on the WSOP or in Golf. Sure, they're serious when they're at the tee about to make a drive... but then you see them joke a little and their personality comes out the rest of the time.

What I'm getting at is there are SO many people that drink, and shoot pool between bs'ing with friends. Bring something these people can relate to... Show the relaxed "habitat" of a pool player. Show them drinking pepsi or a beer. Show that they're real people too. Not just a Paul Newman or a Tom Cruise hot shot...


One last thing..........
I wasn't there, but some of the glimpses (pictures and stories and such) I've seen from the DCC have interested some of my co-workers (only 2, but still) into playing pool a lot more often.
Just a thought
 
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Oh yeah! And ESPN should change the game. 9 ball.... let's add some of these other games (not 7 ball either)
8 ball
1 pocket
straight pool/14.1
3 cushion
etc. etc. etc.

I don't mind watching the matches on espn... but the same 9 balls over and over.... it only gets semi-interesting when a safety battle ensues. but 4 innings later it's back to the same 9 balls.
There's not as much strategy involved compared to these other games.

Hit the lowest ball on the table, that's your first goal. Beyond that, make the 9


Don't get me wrong, I like 9 ball... I just wish ESPN would expand their tunnel vision.
 
thyme3421 said:
Oh yeah! And ESPN should change the game. 9 ball.... let's add some of these other games (not 7 ball either)
8 ball
1 pocket
straight pool/14.1
3 cushion
etc. etc. etc.

I don't mind watching the matches on espn... but the same 9 balls over and over.... it only gets semi-interesting when a safety battle ensues. but 4 innings later it's back to the same 9 balls.
There's not as much strategy involved compared to these other games.

Hit the lowest ball on the table, that's your first goal. Beyond that, make the 9


Don't get me wrong, I like 9 ball... I just wish ESPN would expand their tunnel vision.
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I agree with them showing 8 ball instead of nineball. Why would you not show the game that 99% of ball bangers play.

People say 9 balls fast and therefore good for tv but if ur gonna edit the 9 ball and show runouts most of the time. Why not just do the same with 8 ball
 
Jaden said:
I know, the first thing a lot of people are going to say is that this isn't pool related but it is.....

It was not long after the movie rounders came out that poker shot off like a sky rocket and everyone and their sister thought they could win the WSOP. Then ESPN started showing it all the time and the viewership hit such numbers that other channels started carrying and then it was self fullfilling, it was inundating the airwaves so more and more people got into it.

The question therefore is, why hasn't that happened with pool. Anyone who was into pool in the mid eighties might have thought that it was going to go that way for pool after the color of money came out and was so successful and it might have.

This very fact got me thinking just now as I finished watching Rounders. I was thinking what made all of these people start taking poker seriously after watching rounders and start getting interested in watching poker on TV and the answer I came up with was two fold.

First, although the movie focused on the darker side of poker, the only people that could really be looked up to in the movie were those who either won or wanted to win the WSOP. The most important thing is that poker allows for people who don't know what they're doing to get lucky and win.

People who watch it on TV see the bad beats when people make the wrong moves and think, "Oh I can get lucky too!!!!"

Pool has done the opposite, the people who have shown pool on TV have focused only on the perfect play making even the illusion of being able to compete ridiculous this cancels people's interest.

Therefore my conclusion is that we need a catalyst like the color of money or a reality show or something and we need to start showcasing the blunders and mistakes made by the pros instead of the perfect play.


Jaden
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Simple:... BIG BUCKS $$$$$
 
The money is not the selling point. If it was big purses that made people watch, KT would have been able to pull more than a .2 with his events. He was paying out some serious jack with that theory in mind and the result was that the same people watched those events as watch the stuff on classic and the occasional event on the flagship.

To get the casual viewer, you need to explain just how good these players are in a way that everyone can understand. Unfortunately, the telestrator just doesn't cut it, unless of course it's Jeanette drawing a big old schlong. Now that pulls ratings!
 
This is exactly my point.

TXsouthpaw said:
U can take offense to that statement if u like russ, but i stand by it. Thats the way the "average joe" me included, sees the WSOP and thats why its still so popular. Everyone thinks they have a chance. Whereas in pool it only take 5 minutes of watching a pro tourney for most people to realize their out of their depth.


And for the record, I dont hate poker. it does nothing for me either way
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If instead of only showing stellar play, they jumped around and showed a lot of the slop and mistakes made by various players instead of focusing on one match and then only the best play of that match, I think it would go a long way toward increasing interest.

The average poker player at home doesn't have achance in hell of competing at the upper levels not matter how "lucky" they get. The same with every other major sport out there.

But the willing suspension of disbelief is there in those other sports. Golf, football, baseball, all of the former high school players and wannabes can have the willing suspension of disbelief and convince themselves that they could've had a chance and that gives them the interest in it. In pool, the way it's been showcased, doesn't allow for that.

That's my point, they need to start showcasing the mistakes and lucj that takes place if they want it to be successful.

Jaden
 
Jaden said:
The average poker player at home doesn't have achance in hell of competing at the upper levels not matter how "lucky" they get. The same with every other major sport out there.


Jaden
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I disagree. Poker is a game in which you can play perfect and still lose. How can you say someone doesn't have a chance in hell? Even if they play bad, and go all in on draws all day, they can still hit those draws and win.

Also, are you saying poker is a major sport?
 
I agree, but tht;s the opposite

easy-e said:
I disagree. Poker is a game in which you can play perfect and still lose. How can you say someone doesn't have a chance in hell? Even if they play bad, and go all in on draws all day, they can still hit those draws and win.

Also, are you saying poker is a major sport?
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That's the opposite. You're right. You can play perfect and still lose, but you can't play imperfect consistently and still win. That's the point

Jaden
 
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