[jimmym]

I assume the poker pros "the corporation" and the organisers of this event were all in favor of it not being televised due to the impact it could have on the growing popularity of poker.

The common person sitting at home who watch poker on television always seem to select and root for the player who has come from nowere, the guy who won a place for a few dollars and then takes home a few $100,000.

This is was makes poker so popular, the thought that one day it could be you. Now noway am I saying that Andy Beal shouldnt play against these people, but it shows that money can buy you anything wether it be a game against the best or going into space.

and I suppose paying 16million to play against Phil Ivey is acceptable to some I think I may wait until I win a $3 satalite, hey it happened to C Moneymaker.

We have this kind of buying into success over in the UK at the moment in other sports, were very rich Russian billionairs are buying football teams and the best players for huge amounts of cash.

It just seems wrong to me that this happens, but I have to accept and sometimes applaud the cost of what trying to by success is costing some then only to find out that the $3 players or low finance clubs have got the required skill they never could afford to buy.

Mr Beal may be a great man in his own field he may help deprived kids and have solved mathamatical problems, but I am really glad he was beaten even if the amount is so small to him that it wont affect his life but it will affect his ego and help in the promotion of poker which when all said and done is a great game that everyone can play but only a small percentage are truley great my hat goes off to Phil Ivey well done.