Re: how can poker be dying...
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As far as poker in East Asia goes, there's definitely plenty of room for growth. In Macau recently I figured I could find a game for sure in one of its many casinos and walked out stunned by the bizzare Asian gambling atmosphere instead (with an INSANE number of baccarat tables). I think the influx of western casinos, notably the MGM/Grand that will be finished soon, will create a more American-style atmosphere. Give them a year or two to get their gambling industry up to par and I'm sure their involvement in various outlets of the poker industry will develop, giving the poker boom more fuel yet.
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TV will be the key.
WPT will air in Macau and Singapore starting 2007.
WSOP is currently NOT airing in the Chinese-speaking markets because of a contract dispute between ESPN, Inc. and ESPN STAR Sports Limited (ESS), which operates all ESPN-branded networks in Asia except in Japan and the Middle East.
ESS is managed by ESPN's arch enemy News Corporation Limited (NewsCorp), which is chaired by none other than Rupert Murdoch.
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