Five Thoughts: WSOP Improves, Kid Poker Doc Rocks, and Ole Schemion Truly Wins Twice
With the 2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final wrapping up over the next couple of days, the collective attention of the poker world will soon be turning towards the World Series of Poker.
The 2016 edition of the greatest tournament series on the planet is just a few short weeks away, and I, for one, am looking forward to it.
At the 2015 WSOP, some of the stories we covered here on PokerNews included heads-up cheating accusations, prize pool and structure controversies, and player complaints about the quality of the cards. Of course, we also ran strategy articles, winner and top pro interviews, and a number of poker community interest stories.
At the time, some may have thought PokerNews was being overly critical of the WSOP, but nothing could be further from the truth.
We all love the WSOP, and simply cover the newsworthy stories that are brought to our attention. If anything, we hold the WSOP to a high standard because they are the biggest and the best in the game, and we all want the WSOP to continue to be the best it can be.
1. Improving the WSOP Experience
It was great to see the WSOP announce last week it is making a few changes in an effort to improve the fan and player experience. This is far and away the biggest and best poker series on the planet, but, like anything, it can always get better.
Introducing a more inclusive online registration process, an eQueue Payout Process so winners don't have to wait in line, using software similar to PokerNews' MyStack app to allow players to get their chip counts on its updates blog, and hiring poker's resident Twitter king Kevin "Kevmath" Mathers to run its social media campaign are all solid moves that can only help to improve the WSOP product.
Here's the the 47th annual WSOP being the biggest and best ever.
2. Give the Devilfish His Due
The winners of the 15th edition of the Global Poker Index European Poker Awards were announced at a ceremony in Monaco this week and PokerNews cleaned up in the media categories.
Hard-working contributor Remko Rinkema took home the well-deserved Media Person of the Year award and a PokerNews article celebrating the life of Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott by Jesse May and Mickey May won for Poker Media Content of the Year.
In accepting the award, the Mays took the opportunity to point out what a travesty it is that Ulliott has yet to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, with Jesse jokingly claiming the Devilfish would have had a good laugh at the fact he hasn't been honored, but his obituary is an award winner.
In conversation later, May described Ulliott as Europe's Chris Moneymaker, saying he was the face of poker on TV on that side of the pond for many years, and his entertaining personality was as much responsible for poker's European boom as anything.
Having watched numerous reruns of the British television series Late Night Poker, I have to agree with him, and I can't help but hope the Poker Hall of Fame will one day take it's head out of the sand, drop what appears to be a bias against European players, and recognize Ulliott's great contribution to the game.
3. Back-To-Almost-Back For Ole Schemion
Ole Schemion was down to five big blinds as the final table and money bubble approached in the 2016 EPT Grand Final €100,000 Super High Roller in Monaco this week. He got it in with king-queen, made trips, tripled up, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Schemion, who recently took a little time away from the game to welcome his first child into the world, went on to win the title, the trophy, and the lion's share of the prize pool after striking a deal with fellow high roller killer Mustapha Kanit. A couple days later, Schemion's hot run continued and he found himself in the dealmaker chair again, chopping the €50,000 Single-Day Super High Roller heads up with Fabian Quoss.
Quoss actually went on to win the title, trophy, and the €50,000 they set aside to play for. He even posed for the winner's photo and PokerNews ran a story all about his win. But I'm here to tell you, Schemion really won that tournament. At the end of the day, and their deal, Schemion walked away with more money than Quoss, and in poker, isn't that how they really keep score?
As far as I'm concerned, Schemion went back-to-back in high roller events at the EPT Grand Final, and he's got the Euros to prove it.
4. Kid Poker Doc Rocks
Last year, PokerStars produced a documentary dubbed Kid Poker, telling the story of Daniel Negreanu's meteoric rise in the poker world.
The film has since premiered at the TIFF Lightbox Theatre in Negreanu's native Toronto, and has been shown on the Canadian sports network TSN. Later this month, when PokerStars and the Eureka Poker Tour heads to Bucharest, Romania, they'll be taking Negreanu with them, and festival attendees will have a chance to watch the film as well.
According to PokerStars PR, a digital copy of the film will also be made available to the entire world, sometime during the 2016 World Series of Poker.
I got mine a little early, and I can definitely say it's worth watching. Negreanu's story is inspirational, emotionally charged, and entertaining. The family angle, explored through a great interview with Negreanu's older brother Mike, old photos, and videos, is pure magic, and really gives viewers a true insight into where poker's greatest ambassador gets his passion for the game, and life.
5. REG Asks for the SCOOP Pledge
With PokerStars' Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) kicking off May 8 and running through May 22, The Raising for Effective Giving (REG) charity has put out the call for players to pledge three percent of their final table winnings.
High rollers Liv Boeree, Igor Kurganov, and Philipp Gruissem sit on the board of the charity, but the chance to sidle up to them is not the only reason why this is a good idea.
REG Chairman Adriano Mannino and the rest of the organization subscribe to a philosophy known as effective altruism. This is essentially a scientific approach to charitable donations, whereby evidence and reason are used to determine the most effective ways to make the world a better place. This means REG doesn't just blindly throw darts at a board. The organization's approach to philanthropy includes doing the research to find out the most effective places to donate.
Poker players often get a bad rap for what appears to be a minimal contribution to society. Donating to REG is an opportunity to turn that around — effectively.
*Please note that the thoughts and opinions expressed in this article reflect those of the author.
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