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#1
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Linda Johnson released this Press Release earlier today (I wish my name was on that list... maybe next year):
----- WPT Enterprises has created the Professional Poker Tour (PPT), a series of $500,000 freeroll events. Season one will consist of five event with the first one scheduled to take place at Foxwoods on Nov. 9 & 10. The final table will be filmed for televison on Nov. 19. An advisory committee came up with criteria to narrow the field to approximately 200 invited players for season one. Some of the criteria included: All WPT Champions (i.e. winners of any WPT regular season event) Anyone who made more than one final table in a particular season of the WPT First, second, or third place in the $25K WPT Championship event Top ten players on WPT Player of the Year list (Season II) All winners of World Series of Poker $10K championship event First, second, or third place in 2003 or 2004 World Series of Poker $10K event Top ten players on Card Player Player of the Year list (2002, 2003) Top Ten Players on Phil Hellmuth Champion of the Year List (2002, 2003) Members of WPT Poker Walk of Fame Members if the Poker Hall of Fame Fourth, fifth, or sixth place in the $25K WPT Championship event Fourth, fifth, or sixth place in the $10K World Series of Poker event - 2003-2004 Players selected by Advisory Committee Top Ten Players on Poker Europa List (2004) World Poker Tour Commentators The following players were invited to play on season one of the Tour: Benyamine David Brenes Eric Brunson Doyle Corkins Hoyt D'Agostino John Darden Paul De Knijff Martin Elezra Eli Esfandiari Antonio Flack Layne Francisco Noli Goehring Alan Gordon Phil Greenstein Barry Hansen Gus Helppi Juha Johansson Christer Judah Mel Karagulleyan Chris Kinney Michael Laak Phil Lederer Howard Lindgren Erick Negreanu Daniel Phillips Paul Rose Ron Rosenkrantz Jose Sunar Surinder Ulliott David Gerasimov Kirill Ivey Phil Habib Hasan Matros Matt Preston "Amarillo Slim" Pearson Puggy Baldwin Bobby McEvoy Tom Johnston Barry Hellmuth Phil Matloubi Mansour Daugherty Brad Dastmalchi Hamid Bechtel Jim Hamilton Russ Seed Huck Nguyen Scotty Furlong Noel Furguson Chris Mortensen Carlos Varkonyi Robert Raymer Greg Chan Johnny Moneymaker Chris Farha Samy Williams David Arieh Josh Harrington Dan Watkinson Lee Liebert Kathy Reese Chip Moore Roger Berman Lyle G Tony Nguyen Men Cloutier T.J. Seidel Erik Juanda John Plastik David Seif Mark Pham David Jett Chip Shoten Charles Meehan Jim Vahedi Amir Benvisitsi Tomer Brecher Steve Forrest Ted Grijalva Richard Hoeppner James Lester Jason Rosenblum Russell Alspach Dan Awada Joe Barton Don Baxter Billy Beevers Joe Bigler Chris Bjorin Chris Bloch Andy Bloom Tony Boatman Ross Boatman Barney Bonetti John Bonyadi Farzad Boubli Jan Brenes Humberto Brindley Roy 'the boy' Brunson Todd Bush Garry Caro Mike Cassidy Joe Cernuto John Chiu David Clarke Paul Colclough Dave Cordovez Diego Costa Peter Cousineau Tony Cuningham Allen Deeb Kassem Demetriou Harry Duarte Billy Duke Annie Enright Barbara Esposito John Faltinsky Ron Feduniak Maureen Feduniak Bob Fischman Scott Fitoussi Bruno Flaton Ken Franklin Tom Friedman Prahlad Gazes Bill Gazes Kristy Giang Chau Goldstein Stan Goldstein Ken Gregorich Mark Gresch Joseph Grey David Hansen Thor Harman Jennifer Haveson Brian Hayden Melissa Hennigan John Hinchcliffe Chris Hoff Robert Holland Randy Hua Can Kim Hufnagle Tommy Ibrahem Mohamed Jacobs Tom Jaffrey Allyn James Kenna Jensen Randy Jones Jesse Kabbaj John Kaplan Gabe Kastle Casey Keller Thomas La Meng Laing Mike Le Hon Lent Gary Leonidas Toto Levi David Longson O'Neil Lund Tuna Luong Dee Luske Marcel Ma Tony Magriel Paul Marmorstein Phillip Matusow Mike McKelvey Carl McManus Jim Mehrmand David Ng Evelyn Nguyen Minh Nguyen Phi O'Dea Donneca Oppenheim David Parkinson Padreig Perry Ralph Phan Young Ramdin Victor Reyes Cecilia Rice Shawn Roberts Ben Rodman Blair Rokach Lucy Salem Lee Schoenfield Adam Shirey Hilbert Shulman Barry Shulman Jeff Song Kevin Stonum Al Tann Willie Tomko Dewey Tran JC Tran Jimmy Tran Mimi Tsiprailidis Chris Turner Robert Vaswani Ram Vinh Vinny Violette Cindy Waggoner Marsha Waterman Dennis Williamson Robert Wolfe Paul Zolotow Steve WPT COMMENTATORS Sexton Mike Van Patten Vince Johnson Linda |
#2
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Funny, I didn't see "Aequitas58" anywhere. Is that the updated list?
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#3
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I am a bit of a cynic by nature, but I think the whole PPT thing is due to the "pros" being tired of relative newbies buying into big events and taking them down.
I reckon they think it makes them look bad - people watching on TV and thinking, "That pro just got his ass handed to him by that kid". Anyone can outplay anyone else in one specific hand. That's why Mike McD in "Rounders" was an idiot - imagine thinking you could win the WSOP just because you laid a big bluff on an old pro in one hand. CF |
#4
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Dude... it was just a movie
![]() Kidding... I know what you mean. I think the PPT is a result of finally getting some big money sponsors and trying to remodel (as in business model) the sport. They are going to try to make it more like the PGA, and honestly, I think it's a great idea. They needed to start somehwere to find the initial 200 players, and I think the process they used was as good as any other... |
#5
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Poker is alredy being divided into groups. Now people will push to try to get onto the PPT. Should be interesting to see a final table full of pros.
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#6
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freerolls???
The only problem I have with the idea. At least, it will be a problem till I'm on the list ![]() Last edited by BlibbityBlabbity; 10-22-04 at 10:31 PM. Reason: clarification |
#7
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the only thing that bothers me about this is that they decided to make it a freeroll invitational, not just add money to a regular event. sure, you want to see the best of the best fighting it out, but the biggest bump for poker recently is the idea that everyday schmoes can make final tables and change their lives with a big win. i think everyone recognizes this "moneymaker effect."
i can understand that sponsors want to ensure that their investment will be profitable, but eliminating a huge part the player base doesnt seem to be particularly smart. |
#8
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Exactly, why is it that pros, who assumably are asking for this as a way to compete without less experienced players cramping their style, should have this as a freeroll? I don't get it.
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#9
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One big problem with sponsoring IMO is that you take away the deal making possibilities.
Defendant |
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