As the world prepares to usher in a New Year in just a couple of days, I find myself reflecting on the past year in the world of poker. For many, especially in the United States, it has been a tumultuous 2011, but there is some hope on the horizon. In looking back at the past year, there have been moments of extreme excitement and, at the same time, those moments we in the game would rather forget.
The Good
The most international final table in World Series of Poker history – After the tsunami that hit the poker world in April (more on that later), many expected the WSOP Championship Event to be on a huge downswing. Some estimates even saw the WSOP falling to as low as 2500 players. Not only did that not happen, but the players also proved that the game has never been stronger.
After seeing preliminary events set records for player attendance, the 2011 WSOP Championship Event drew in the third largest field in history, 6865 players. By the time the “November Nine” was determined, it became the most international field in the history of the event, with seven nations represented including first timers the Ukraine, Belize, Germany and the Czech Republic. When this happened, it indicated that poker is no longer just “America’s Game,” it is now the “World’s Game.”
Add in the factor that many major tournaments on the different international circuits (the European Poker Tour, the World Poker Tour, etc.) continue to thrive, we can determine that the tournament poker world is in excellent shape.
Erik Seidel takes the tournament poker world by storm – By the time the WSOP rolled around, the dominance by poker pro Erik Seidel was unprecedented in tournament poker history.
Yes, most of his “big” scores came in those “High Roller” events that have become popular with the big money pros, but Erik still had to perform and he did. By June of 2011, Erik had taken in over $5.5 million and won the (final?) NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship and High Roller events at the L. A. Poker Classic, the Five Star World Poker Classic and the Aussie Millions.
Erik didn’t slow down after the mid-point of 2011, however. He added four cashes at the WSOP in Las Vegas, two more at the WSOP Europe and two final table performances on the burgeoning Epic Poker Tour. If it hadn’t been for a German by the name of Pius Heinz, Erik would have been the top money winner for the year. As it was, his excellent 2011 tournament poker season will go down as one of the great individual performances in the history of the game.
The WSOP goes “live” – The WSOP broadcast much of the Championship Event “nearly live” on the different ESPN channels, which could usher in the future of television tournament poker broadcasts. With a thirty minute delay (set by the Nevada Gaming Control Board), poker aficionados could see every nuance of the game as it occurred, with the drama unscripted by the packaged productions we’ve seen in the past.
While there is great debate as to whether this will bring new players into the game (some believe that the packaged shows are a much better presentation that the laborious live broadcasts that sometimes show the huge downtime in a tournament), the “nearly live” broadcasts actually are a better way to show what actually happens in a tournament. With hope, we will see this type of tournament broadcasting done in the future and with more events.
The Bad
The politics of poker – After the “Black Friday” indictments of April (and we all know enough has been said on that subject), the political involvement in the game was a see-saw event. Different states, including Florida and New Jersey, attempted to pass online poker legislation, but shot it down in the end. Nevada, however, moved ahead and passed legislation to regulate the online gaming industry, albeit not until the federal government clarified its stance on the subject.
On the federal front, it was a mixed bag as well. Although hearings in a House subcommittee recognized the need for regulation of the industry, the bill presented by Texas representative Joe Barton hasn’t even seen a committee vote, let alone movement to the full House. Then, in December, the Department of Justice decided that their long held belief that the Wire Act of 1961 prevented online gaming and poker didn’t apply, setting off another round of cheers from the poker world.
It all sets up for an interesting 2012, but what we’ll see could either be a full regulation of online poker – and its return – or nothing done at all due to the fact it is an election year. I, personally, am not holding my breath for the federal government to act.
Online poker pros find new homes – Once again after “Black Friday,” many professional online poker players suddenly had their main source of income yanked out from under them. Their response? To move to other countries to pursue their livelihood.
I put this in the “bad” category because no one should have to uproot themselves from all they know to continue to make a living, even if it is that of a poker player. With hope, we will see them return to the U. S. in 2012…IF online regulation brings the game back in full force.
Doyle Brunson “retiring” from tournaments? – After being awarded a Lifetime Membership Card on the Epic Poker Tour, Doyle cited the continuous grind of tournament poker as to a reason he might not play much in the future. He had to be persuaded by his friend Dewey Tomko to come out to the WSOP Championship Event this year and, as 2011 came to a close, has been seen less and less on the tournament stage.
Doyle still has the game to compete, but it is, in his opinion, more profitable for him to battle it out on the cash game felt. Let’s hope that 2012 doesn’t see a departure of the “the Godfather of Poker” from tournaments, as a tournament poker world without Doyle Brunson just doesn’t sound right.
The Ugly
David Saab, Al Krux drug arrests – Fortunately, this is the only ugly that I can come up with over the span of the year. In January, Saab was arrested in Australia for smuggling 14.6 kilos of cocaine into the country, a charge which he pled guilty to in September and received a ten year prison sentence. Krux, along with his son, was arrested in October for possession of forty pounds of marijuana; at this time, the case has yet to go to trial.
It is tough to watch former professionals in the poker world fall to the depths of trying to become the next Tony Montana. Hopefully, this will not be a trend that continues.
Of course, there were other happenings in the poker world over 2011 that were notable…what would you say were the biggest stories of the year?
