Doyel Dumps On WSOP

[TexanBob]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/story/10250057

CBS Sportsline columnists are generally pathetic but I was taken aback by this column that basically asserts that the pokerheads are losers and addicts. He calls the WSOP shows essentially advertising for addiction, comparing them to heroin or crack.

IMO, the addiction is with the tv networks that show poker programs ad nauseum because it is cheap programming that pulls decent ratings even at odd times of the day. Between poker and the ultimate fighting dolts, I wonder sometimes when real sports got kicked off the sports channels.

[That One Guy]

That's awesome, I pull up the story and the banner at the top is for youbet.com. I bet they LOVE being advertised at the top of that story.

[Killericon]

You won't hear about the man who called a gambling hotline to confess that he had embezzled $48,000 from his job and lost it at a poker table and now is afraid he's going to jail.
I'm sorry, but is he trying to make us feel sympathy?

Of all the things to go after on TV, he picks poker? Okay then.

Freedom is cool. Gambling is not. Freedom to gamble is like freedom to inhale crack or inject heroin.

Okay, sport. Whatever you say.

[That One Guy]

I'm sorry, but is he trying to make us feel sympathy?

Of all the things to go after on TV, he picks poker? Okay then.



Okay, sport. Whatever you say.

Of the "addictions" out there, I think gambling is the easiest to by sympathetic with. You can play and get over your head but there's always the possibility that with the next play, you'll hit it big and never have to work again. All your worries will be gone and the money lost will be replaced. The people just want to make things good again but it's quicksand.

[rbackfactory80]

There are two sides to every story and Espn fails to keep it balanced. I come from a long line of gambling addicts so I understand what comes along with it. I have no problem with him pointing it out and unless you win your way in to the wsop, you end up spending 10000 whichis a problem for most.

[Popps]

Wow, what a garbage article. Guess someone wants to make a name for themselves.

First off, to state that there are some addicts playing poker is like saying that there are alcoholics drinking beer.

You have to love the.... "what they don't tell you" shockers this guy trots out.

Look genius, everyone on the planet knows that there are people who abuse booze, gambling, whatever. I'd even go as far as to say that things like gambling and alcohol are probably more than our society can handle.

But, they're legal... and some people enjoy them responsibly.

I play in a ring game with friends every so often. It's a great get together. Laughs, good times, win a few bucks, lose a few... most people probably don't even care either way.

I love to watch TV poker, as do a lot of people I know who don't even PLAY the game.

I love playing "play-money" poker on-line when I have a few free minutes.
It's a great strategy game and is extremely challenging. Wouldn't really recommend playing on-line for money, but that's just me.

His comparison of poker to "heroin" is right out of a junior high school debate. Because people abuse two things... they must be EXACTLY alike.

Funny, I didn't see mention of beer, fast food... or any other number of life's pitfalls.

Some people shouldn't gamble. Some people shouldn't drink. I wonder if Mr. Doyel ever enjoys a cocktail, or a glass of wine? I hope not, because I'll guaran-****ing-tee you that booze does more harm to this country than playing Texas hold-em ever will.

I realize it's editorial, but CBS might want to just do the slightest bit of quality control before a nimrod like this compares playing cards to heroin.

[Kaylore]

Of the "addictions" out there, I think gambling is the easiest to by sympathetic with. You can play and get over your head but there's always the possibility that with the next play, you'll hit it big and never have to work again. All your worries will be gone and the money lost will be replaced. The people just want to make things good again but it's quicksand.

Great post. Personally I think it's boring, but there are a lot people struggling with this. Some do it just for the thrill of putting the money there and the rationale of "getting the money back" is totally gone. They just want the hit.

[Broncobiv]

For a few minutes, I thought you meant Doyle Brunson. I was like, what does he have against the WSOP??

Anyhoo, carry on...

[theAPAOps5]

I thought the same thing Biv. I think that article is very much crap. Every sport, event, situation has its extremes. Its stupid to call out poker as this evil thing because of extreme cases. Thats like saying Football is barbaric because men get paralyzed or have post concussion syndrome. That just represents a few outliers and not a whole population.

[Popps]

For a few minutes, I thought you meant Doyle Brunson. I was like, what does he have against the WSOP??

Anyhoo, carry on...

Ha! I actually thought that, too. Thought someone just misspelled his name.
That would have been the ultimate in hypocrisy.

I imagine Doyle's got no problem with the WSOP.

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/S2ART/GDP105~Doyle-Brunson-Legend-Posters.jpg

[Popps]

Speaking of hypocrisy, doesn't CBS Sportsline operate a massive gambling operation called fantasy football with leagues that cost up to $1000 per player to join?

I wonder if crusade-boy will refuse his paycheck, coming from dirty gambling money and all?

[Steve Prefontaine]

Wow, I feel dumber for reading that article. Now I'm just angry that I read that sh*t and moreover wasted my time.


• You won't hear about the man who called a gambling hotline to confess that he had embezzled $48,000 from his job and lost it at a poker table and now is afraid he's going to jail.
• You won't hear about the woman who called a gambling hotline in tears after spending her family's grocery money on slot machines.


These comparisons are hilarious. He can't make a distinction between poker and other casino games? So poker is the equivalent of roulette or playing the slots? Please. Poker is not a game played against the house. True, the house does take a rake which makes it more difficult to profit at lower limit games. But if you are a good poker player, in the long run you will make money. I have yet to find a "good" slot player.


They're coming at a faster and faster pace, if the World Series of Poker is an accurate reflection. This thing started as a quaint little lark, a nine-player event in 1970 that was decided not by attrition but by congeniality -- a vote among players at the table. By 2003, it was still a humble event counting 839 contestants. After Moneymaker, it began to grow exponentially. Last year, there were more than 8,000 entrants. This year, almost 12,000 were expected.

Do your f-ing research. The number of entries and the prize pool decreased from last year. No one with a half a brain thought there would be 12,000 entries. Way to pull a number out of you hat.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/poker/news/story?id=2930924



And this is why that Indiana hotline recently took a call from a man wanting help for his wife, who gets paid every other Friday and then disappears for the weekend. She always comes back on Mondays because she's broke and has nowhere else to go.


Was she playing poker, blackjack, craps, slots? Another awesome, vague example.


Here is my point. People blow money on stupid sh*t all the time and go broke. My sister has no money, but spends hundreds of dollars on DVD's, cell phone ringers, and other assorted crap. People that have addictive personalities will always find someway to blow their money. The heart of the issue is not the WSOP or poker in general.

[TexanBob]

People that have addictive personalities will always find someway to blow their money.

Sadly, I've learned this is true. There's a percentage of people out there that will drift from one addictive behavior to the next because they are in search of some high they can't achieve unless they are overdoing something, be it booze, gambling, drugs, smoking, video games or whatever. If you bar them from one addiction, they will simply find another. Case in point: John Daly.

[sixtimeseight]

I should write that guy and let him know that I made triple his pittance of a salary playing poker last year.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

There are two sides to every story and Espn fails to keep it balanced. I come from a long line of gambling addicts so I understand what comes along with it. I have no problem with him pointing it out and unless you win your way in to the wsop, you end up spending 10000 whichis a problem for most.

Please educate and inform yourself before spouting this kind of ignorant crap around.

[Popps]

Please educate and inform yourself before spouting this kind of ignorant crap around.

For those wondering what he meant by this post...

The WSOP has many events, with buy-ins considerably lower than the main-event buy-in. There are $1500 events, and maybe lower.

[Killericon]

For those wondering what he meant by this post...

The WSOP has many events, with buy-ins considerably lower than the main-event buy-in. There are $1500 events, and maybe lower.

Me and my friends play a game every week with a $10 buy-in. :thumbs:

He should go after "Casino Royale". That movie made poker look cooler than all the WSOP events ever did, combined.

[broncocalijohn]

This guy is a freaking jackhole. He better demand CBS doesnt post odds on football games then because that might get gambler addicts to put some money down on a said game. 10% of the people in these WSOP tournies make the money. Many that sign up won the entry from a satellite and as low as $58 as Chris Moneymaker did on his way to win the 2003 Main Event. This guy is a waster of time and can we move this to the poker forum so we have more than AK , me and hotrod in the forum.

[rbackfactory80]

Please educate and inform yourself before spouting this kind of ignorant crap around.

I used the main event as my example because I see people pay money year in and out that shouldn't and can't afford it retard just to play in the "main event". I know more about poker then your dumbass will ever know you self-righteous peice of crap. Get informed about life you ****ing queer.