Learn, Chat & Pray for the Pros: Doom of the WPT

[gaboonviper]

With all the new legislation and craziness in the poker world we have all been focusing on the poker sites. Lets take a look at poker on television and see where that is going. Lets take a look at the World Poker Tour since they were a major factor in the poker boom. Here is a quick rundown of how they are doing: 1. Their stock price has plunged from a high of $24.35 on 7/8/05 to $3.82 as of yesterdays close; 2. their ratings have plunged over the past 2 years; 3. their online poker room is a total flop; 4. Mike Sexton is going to retire; 5. The PPT was a big fat flop; 6. they lose money almost every quarter; 7. they are being sued by many of the top pros including Lederer, Raymer, Duke, Hachem and a few others. So what do you really think their future is? With the new poker environment far less people will be competing in WPT events and WPT itself has stated they are no longer taking online qualifiers. Also as less people play poker due to the sites shutting out Americans even fewer people will care much about watching the WPT; and as I said the number of viewers has already been going steadily down over the past 2 years. In addition, they will be getting fewer sponsors as few reputable companies will want their brand associated with something considered by the government to be illegal. And as the remaining poker sites pull out of the US more sponsorship money goes up in smoke. All of this on top of the 7 factors I pointed out at the beginning. I give WPT about 2 more seasons--long shot could be 3-- but I doubt it. However you look at it, and especially in the current poker environment, they are doomed.