Professional Poker League

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A comparison between Borgata Poker Open and the USPC:

2005: WPT 515 USPC 226
2006: WPT 540 USPC 261

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The USPC did NOT advertise in CardPlayer Magazine in 2005, but did so in 2006.

FullTilt did NOT run satellites for the USPC in 2005, but did so in 2006.

The superb TV coverage of the 2005 USPC by ESPN Original Entertainment is one factor for the increase in the number of players for the 2006 USPC, despite the best efforts of the PPL to try to "cripple" the USPC by removing "64 of the best poker players in the world" from the USPC field.

[Army Eye]

A shame if you ask me. I love watching the USPC and I'd rather see the pros in that tournament instead of the goofy PPL.

[NickMPK]

Why would the PPL try to kill off the USPC? I can't understand why the best players in the world would skip this tournament to attend a draft that won't even happen until the day of the USPC final table.

Is there actually any money behind the PPL? I haven't heard anything about how much it is or where its coming from, but if it is anything like the PPT, I'm sure it pales in comparison to what could be made at a deep-stacked major event like the USPC.

[Kevmath]

I'd suggest reading Daniel Negreanu's blog entry regarding the PPL. It seems they have the money and TV behind it.

[NickMPK]

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I'd suggest reading Daniel Negreanu's blog entry regarding the PPL. It seems they have the money and TV behind it.

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Yeah, I've read this, but he doesn't say anything about how much money is involved, or where it is coming from, or where this is going to be on television. Given the PPT's experience, I'm very suspicious.

[Kevmath]

That's all a big secret until Saturday I suppose. It would seem it's a major network if some of those 64 decided not to play in the USPC.

[olivert]

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Why would the PPL try to kill off the USPC? I can't understand why the best players in the world would skip this tournament to attend a draft that won't even happen until the day of the USPC final table.

Is there actually any money behind the PPL? I haven't heard anything about how much it is or where its coming from, but if it is anything like the PPT, I'm sure it pales in comparison to what could be made at a deep-stacked major event like the USPC.

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You still think like a gambler and/or a journeyman poker player.

The "64 of the best poker players in the world" think like ENTERTAINERS.

When given the following choices:

1. Risk $10000 of either your own money, your backer's money, and/or your sponsor's money with a 90% chance of losing all of it, or

2. Getting GUARANTEED TV exposure time, a GUARANTEED sponsorship fee (from one's sponsor), and a GUARANTEED TV appearance fee for showing up at a TV taping dubbed the "inaugural draft" (one would be naive to think that a real draft, i.e. one that hasn't been "scripted", will take place.)

The choice is very clear: getting guaranteed money with ZERO RISK is always better than putting your own money at risk.

And yes, the PPL has every reason to try kill off PPT and to try cripple the USPC, regardless of whether the scheduling of the PPL "inaugural draft" TV taping was done intentionally or not in order to accomplish both.

(The PPT was dying anyway, so the PPL didn't have to do much to put the PPT "in the coffin".)

The TV poker industry in the U.S. is now a zero-sum game, as that genre has matured (flat TV ratings year-to-year after a decline from their peak in 2004).

With the pool of online gaming advertising dollars to be spent in the U.S. shrinking dramatically, rival programs will have to fight for every sponsorship dollar available. Advertising money spent on the PPL can't be spent on the PPT or the USPC, and vice versa.

Remember that NBC Universal tried to wound the WPT by scheduling Bravo Celebrity Poker Showdown in a head-to-head confrontation. Ultimately, Celebrity Poker Showdown lost that battle and has been put on "indefinite hiatus".

[olivert]

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That's all a big secret until Saturday I suppose. It would seem it's a major network if some of those 64 decided not to play in the USPC.

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Any promotion can get on any U.S. TV network if the promoter is willing to write a fat check for $150,000-$250,000 per hour of TV time.

The PPL, much like PokerDome, had to raise a lot of money (believed to be in the mid 8-figures) in order to get off the ground.

[NickMPK]

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Why would the PPL try to kill off the USPC? I can't understand why the best players in the world would skip this tournament to attend a draft that won't even happen until the day of the USPC final table.

Is there actually any money behind the PPL? I haven't heard anything about how much it is or where its coming from, but if it is anything like the PPT, I'm sure it pales in comparison to what could be made at a deep-stacked major event like the USPC.

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The "64 of the best poker players in the world" think like ENTERTAINERS.

When given the following choices:

1. Risk $10000 of either your own money, your backer's money, and/or your sponsor's money with a 90% chance of losing all of it, or

2. Getting GUARANTEED TV exposure time, a GUARANTEED sponsorship fee (from one's sponsor), and a GUARANTEED TV appearance fee for showing up at a TV taping dubbed the "inaugural draft" (one would be naive to think that a real draft, i.e. one that hasn't been "scripted", will take place.)



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This would all make sense if there actually were guaranteed money and TV time behind this. But I haven't seen anything to suggest this is true. The PPT seemed to have far more publicity and far more promise when they started than this PPL does, and we know how that turned out.

[dstyle]

Can anyone tell me what happened to the NPA Tour that was supposed to have an event at Hollywood Park last month (and that Matusow talked about during his Circuit interview)? Or any links to articles and/or threads would be appreciated, thanks.