[dismalstudent99]

Let's break out of this "Fake" vs. "Real" dichotomy we've been using so far. (We can blame Scotty for his loose language.)

The real questions we should ask are:

"Are there players on HSP that are swapping percentages, AND, if so, does that significantly alter the way they play, AND, if so, is this a good thing or bad thing for us?"


I wouldn't be surprised if the answers are yes to all three. Here's why:

Suppose you're a player on the show:

1 -- Given the size of the stakes, the quality of (most) the opposition, the TV/endorsement pressure to not be nitty, and the few amateurs you will want to play big pots with in a short period of time, if there's a time to swap, this would be it.

2 -- If you are heads up with someone you have swapped, say, 25% with, you will play more LAG against that person.

3 -- LAG is good for the show, good for your popularity, and good for your image at your normal game.

4 -- You'll still care about losing a big pot to someone, even if you own 25% of them, because you will still lose money. You will simply have your losses cut, from say, $100,000 to $75,000. Therefore, your reactions will be "real."

5 -- HSP may take an official stance against percentage swapping, but it may be weakly enforced. The players have an incentive to do it, and HSP has an incentive to "look the other way" because of the great fireworks swapping can produce. On the other hand, HSP has an incentive for fans to believe this stuff is not prevalent, so they will want to deny it.


So if all these side deals are going on, is this bad for us?

The up side is that a lot of action will be produced, which is fun to watch.

The down side is that the educational value for us will be reduced because the players on HSP will be making moves based on calculations that most of us won't normally need to make when we play.