Every week from today we’re going to explore a different issue from two opposite perspectives in Yes/No.
This week we ask if it would have been better for poker if Phil Ivey had won the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
No! says PKR_Billy
There is no doubt in my mind that Phil Ivey failing to win the WSOP Main Event was a good thing. Why? Quite simply, everyone loves an underdog because it gives us the feeling it could also happen to anyone.
You only have to look at what’s dominated the news this week to see that we are not yet tired of reading about those who have beaten the man against the odds. Two winners each scooping over £45 million on the Euro Millions is what everyone is talking about and this proves we still love the long shot chance of getting rich.
Phil Ivey is no doubt the one of the world’s best tournament players (if not the best), but let’s face it, if the best player always wins, things get boring. Look at the way people lost interest in Formula 1 a few years ago when Michael Schumacher won almost every race and look at it now with a more exciting and open championship.
Joe Cada for me represents the little guy and sends the message out to those just starting out on their poker journey that if they do get that little bit of luck along the way they could also make it big!
Yes! says PKR_Colin
Phil Ivey winning the World Series in November would have been fantastic for poker - a recognised pro and one of the best tournament players in the world at the top the game taking down poker’s biggest tournament. What’s NOT to like?
Sure, Chris Moneymaker’s win in 2003 did a lot to publicise poker and plant the dream that every one with a laptop and a hand ranking chart could compete (and win) against the world’s best.
But when the underdog wins every year is he really an underdog? This year’s second place finisher Darvin Moon admitted himself that he’d been lucky telling Cardplayer magazine, “There were 6,494 players in (the main event) this year, and there were probably 6,300 people in it who are better than I am.”
Everyone knows the structure of the World Series and high number of runners the event needs to get through makes it a lottery. That’s fine (and I certainly have no problem with high volume event that has a huge prize pool) - just don’t call it the ‘Main Event’.