[TheMathProf]

Call me a pessimist, but I believe this is the worst possible result. Let me offer three reasons why:

(1) While there is some debate as to how useful the argument itself is, the argument that poker is a game of skill would have been strengthened tremendously if somebody more recognizable to the public at large could have taken down the main event. Scotty Nguyen would have been perfect, but I think getting a pro to take down the main event solidifies the argument that poker is a game of skill. Jerry doesn't do this. Jerry didn't look like a skillful player, he just looked like a player who the rest of the table didn't adapt to. (The one positive to this is that it probably has a fantastic chance of increasing the number of fish in the pond who will continuously throw money at the pot... if they are determined enough to get their money online.)

(2) Most of that $8 million may very well be out of the poker community for good. If we are really lucky, his 10% charitable contribution and other work to make his own life a little better will be all that gets drained from that prize fund.

(3) Most importantly, I don't think the argument that Jerry is a Christian, therefore other Christians will soften their view holds any water. I don't think many Christians will accept Jerry as a representative of their religion, and will instead denounce him.

When it comes to matters of religion, you can make as many rational and logical arguments as you like, but you're going to have a hard time overcoming their faith and belief structure. Those people who already were OK with gambling don't need their minds changed, and those who were not aren't going to be swayed by a Christian winning the Series. In fact, many of them won't even know about it.

But I think videos like the one that fun160 linked to are incredibly bad for poker. I'm significantly non-practicing as a Christian these days, and something just struck me as completely and totally wrong about the way Jerry would pray for particular cards. My wife, who is significantly more practicing, referred to it as the most blasphemous act she's seen in awhile (she doesn't watch the news thankfully [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ). I worry that many Christians will share a more cynical view of these actions, should they be made aware of them, and want to separate themselves further from this behavior.

The worst part is, there's almost no way that this is getting edited out, because it's a part of his story, and isn't that what ESPN is all about?

In my view, trying to sway the religious right into having a reasonable view regarding gambling is going to be a losing proposition. Trying to sway the moderates and the undecideds is going to be a significantly easier proposition. I think that these people are more largely swayed by arguments related to games of skill, or being allowed to spend our money as we choose, or avoiding nanny-state types of behavior.

Instead, what we got is a final table where people couldn't help but give away their chips recklessly, where people needed protecting from themselves almost and had no one to do it, and had two fanatical individuals (Yang and Khan) who clearly weren't among the norm.

Just my two cents.