60 Million Dollar Live Tourney on Fox Sports Network

[BDMK]

apparently, they struck a deal with an up and coming poker site...i found it pretty interesting, especially the part about hosting it in an environment employing some of the brand-new instant electronic chip count techniques we discussed on another thread some time ago (in other words, best of both worlds scenario!).

also, the freeroll/sat possibility to qualify to the 60M tourney as a 'fresh-faced noob' sounded appealing to me as well.

you can read the details here:

[Robbie Robb]

Definitely seems like an interesting series. I didn't see the part where a "fresh-faced noob" could win their way into the $60M tourney. All I saw was where it would be made up of 6 players, each buying in for $10M. They said the first rich-guy-poker-player in it was to be announced yesterday and some big poker event in CA. My guess is that it's either Hellmuth or Doyle (with the whole "multiple WSOP bracelets" thing) but there are many other multiple bracelet winners - just not sure how many of them would have the $10M to pony up (thinking without backers here).

I liked how FSN used RFID in the cards at the FTP Invitational to read the cards without having to use the hole-cam. It was good they kept it there as a backup though as there were some problems. Now it looks like they're extending that tech to the chips themselves for instant chip counts. I believe some casinos in Vegas (Wynn??? That's what comes to mind) now has RFID in each chip and can track its history from game-to-game.

[Favre[4]]

Its the 13th who is in?

[BDMK]

well first they need to launch their site in jan 2006, then we'll have to look what the satellite options are...etc etc.

worth at least taking a look IMHO.

[Robbie Robb]

Well, PokerNews is reporting that it's all but confirmed that Phil Ivey is one of the people. But the release said the first person would be someone with multiple bracelets - has Ivey got any yet?

The guy at FSN states that it'll take a couple months to pull the people together. There was also talk in the Poker News write-up that there will be at least a couple spots open to internet players. I'm sorry, I just can't see that. There's no way you're going to get 4 players (and their backers) to put up $10M each to end up going against two nobodies that win there way there and have absolutely NOTHING to lose for a shot at winning $60M. I think you'll see the first one made up of 6 professionals who have bought in for 10 mil apiece in a winner-take-all slugfest.

[Gordogg]

I believe Ivey has five bracelets.

[BDMK]

well, i think THAT will just make it all the more fun. 2 satellited/freerolled 'amateurs' with nothing to lose against 4 grizzled pros fully bankrolled in.

IMHO the respective pros/cons-advantages/disadvantages kind of roughly cancel each other out.

the amateurs have no money pressure but nothing near the experience the pros have.

it will definitely make for great poker on TV and anything that helps promote good poker is something im in favor of.

[Talking Poker]

How can you say there is no money pressure on the amateurs? They are the ones not used to playing for NEAR these stakes, and the difference between winning this and losing is HUGE - we are talking major life changing money here. If Phil Ivey loses, it's not going to break him. It's probably not even life changing money for him - At least not significantly life changing.