joe

THE MONEYMAKER EFFECT ON THE BIG SCREEN

 

ALL-IN – The Poker Movie is not the first cinematic release to highlight the “Moneymaker Effect”.

Cinema Chairs Ifpblog 21mar12The story of a novice player winning a seat to a major poker tournament via the internet formed part of the plot to the movie Lucky You starring Eric Bana and Robert Duvall, in which a father and son settled their differences at the poker tables of the World Series, all while an unknown “internet player” defied everyone to take the title.

While Lucky You portrayed the fictional story, ALL IN recounts in part the non-fiction version, of a Tennessee accountant named Chris Moneymaker (a name too good to make up) who now forms part of poker’s history; from the early days of the game in Las Vegas, to the current state of a game which, in the United States at least, is in legal turmoil.

In essence Moneymaker’s impact was simple. When he was pictured having turned $39 into $2.5 million, he showed the world how a few dollars on the internet could be turned into big money in Las Vegas (he has since added nearly $1 million in tournaments earnings to his record, having become known as one of the leading players of the past decade). It spawned countless new events such as the World and European Poker Tour, offering the same opportunity to new and old players.

The “boom” was at its loudest in the years following Moneymaker, who topped a field of 839 players. In 2004 the figure was 2,576, then up to 5,619 in 2005. At its most popular (and legal) in 2006 the main event had a field of 8,773.

Then the lawmen stepped in, denying poker to millions of American players. In the years following payments between players and poker companies was rendered almost impossible, and then last year Black Friday rolled back the law to effectively prohibit online poker itself. These draconian measures continue to be fought state by state, as well as on a federal level.

Lucky You had a happy ending. Father and son made up and, while neither won the World Series (a questionable fold, it should be said), poker was shown as the great game that it is, uniting people regardless of background to play a game loved by millions. Fiction perhaps, but hopefully the non-fiction version is not far off.

joe

CANADIAN POKER FEDERATION JOINS IFP

Canadian FlagThe Canadian Poker Federation (Federation Canadienne du Poker) has become the newest member of the International Federation of Poker, taking the number of official member nations of the IFP up to 41.

Canada has for many years been a poker playing nation, producing of talented poker players, perhaps most notably Daniel Negreanu, one of the leading players of his generation, and stars in the current game. In 2010 Jonathan Duhamel became the first Canadian to win the World Series of Poker Main Event.

The legal status of Canadian poker players remains stable. While the Quebec government has independently legalised online poker, the Canadian government does not issue licenses and players are free to play on foreign based poker sites.

By joining the IFP community the Canadian Poker Federation, chaired by Robert Storey, adds its weight to the shared aims of promoting poker as a skill game, a Mind Sport that can be played by everyone, regardless of background.

joe

INSIDE THE MIND (SPORT) WITH GUS HANSEN

Gus Hannsen Blog

Gus Hansen

Those looking for further proof that poker is a skill game will find ample evidence this week as the 2012 Aussie Millions gets under way in Melbourne, Australia.

Traditionally one of the winter getaways for northern hemisphere players looking for some sunshine, the series, which starts today with the main event beginning on Sunday, has in the past been won by some of thegame’s most complex talents, players who have consistently captured headlines with their results around the globe.  None more so than Gus Hansen.

Hansen, who was among those taking part in the IFP World Championships last November, and who serves on the IFP Advisory Panel, was already something of a legend prior to winning the Aussie Millions main event back in 2007.

Famously ambivalent about his talent, which would at times defy both odds and conventional poker logic, The ‘Great Dane’ has the capacity to make this complex game appear easy; every scrap metal starting hand turned into gold.

It all seemed entirely random, until Hansen wrote Every Hand Revealed, an account of his Aussie Millions victory which explained not only why he had taken to playing tournaments equipped with a Dictaphone with which to make notes, but also the thinking behind quite literally every hand played on his way to victory.

Hansen explained his thought process regarding his own hand, but also on how he picked up, with almost Holmesian flair, the smallest weaknesses in opponents, enough to quip him with a ruthless advantage to exploit. The book has since become a classic in poker circles.

Hansen followed up his win with a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet in 2010. His devil-may-care approach to the game has alwaysbeen obvious – he once claimed to be uninterested in the trinkets of poker success – but the WSOP win served as further proof of Hansen’s prowess and longevity in a constantly evolving game.

Hansen is not the only former winner to have turned success in Melbourne into an instructional guide to beating the best (and worst) players in the world. Lee Nelson, who won the event in 2006, went on to write Kill Phil, with the follow up Kill ElkY proving popular as an instructional tome. For those looking to learn how the minds of some of the best players in the game work, Aussie Millions winners seem to be a good place to start.

This year’s Aussie Millions will be as hotly contested as those in years past, with hundreds of players expected to arrive at the Crown Casino today as festivities begin. The poker world is sure to get a new champion to laud, and who knows, with ‘luck’ another inside account of what it’s like to be among the best players of this most intricate of Mind Sports.

 

joe

NATIONS CUP’S BARNY BOATMAN ON 2012

Barny Boatman Nc IfpThe Nations Cup and the International Federation of Poker was among the subjects discussed by Barny Boatman in an interview with Black Belt Poker this week.

Boatman, who captained a talented United Kingdom side in the Duplicate Poker Nations Cup in November, is among the most respected players of the game across the UK and the World and enjoyed something of a renaissance year in 2011.

Over the past 12 months Boatman earned more than in any other year since his game turned professional in 1998. Deep runs in four major tournaments, including a fourth place finish at the European Poker Tour main event in San Remo, Italy, gave Boatman a boost going into the new year.

“It’s a buzz when y Uk Nations Cup Team Ifpou’re getting there or thereabouts the whole time, so I played events I wouldn’t normally play simply because I was running well,” said Boatman.

What Boatman chalked to “running well”, was more accurately the work of a gifted player, one who has successfully withstood the swings of what can be a volatile game to remain a regular player in the biggest tournaments around the world. It was credentials like this that made him ideal choice to captain the UK Nations Cup side.

“I was very fortunate, and very honoured, and actually dumfounded almost, to be invited to be the captain of the UK team for the inaugural Duplicate Poker Nations Cup on the London Eye,” said Boatman, who mustered a selection of some of poker’s leading lights for the team event.

“I picked a team that I knew would take some chances and push their edges, and what a fantastic team it was with Sam Trickett, Jake Cody, James Akenhead, Liv Boeree, Sam Holden, JP Kelly – there’s a lot of youth, but also an enormous amount of experience, and some cool heads who have played under pressure and on TV before. But in the end, it wasn’t to be.”

The UK side weren’t able to conquer the new Duplicate territory, but Boatman and his players were quick to spot tactical implications of the duplicate game; details that Boatman is keen to explore.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now in terms of my involvement, but certainly the Federation are talking about being involved in the Mind Sports Olympics, and they’re also looking to host another Duplicate Poker Event,” said Boatman.

“I think by this time next year everyone’s going to be talking about [IFP President] Tony Holden’s organisation and the great things it’s done for poker, so that’s something to watch out for.”

The next 12 months on the IFP calendar certainly will be talked about, with the 2012 Nations Cup and World Championships, as well as the launch of the IFP’s online software, detailed in the coming months; the latter granting players all over the world the chance to compete at the Table. Boatman will likely be among them.

Read the full interview with Boatman on the Black Belt Poker website.

joe

NORTHERN IRISH PRESSURE GROUP POISED TO FORCE CHANGE IN LAW

Scattered Cards IfpA pressure group in Northern Ireland looks set to have turned people power into political power, bringing the prospect of a change in the law regarding poker a step closer.

Members of Legalise Poker have appealed to the Social Development Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly to allow both regulated poker clubs and poker tournaments.

The move comes five years after poker clubs across the province were closed down. The action, taken in 2006, added Northern Ireland to the long list of regions in which poker, which had previously been played by thousands of people and for many years, was suddenly deemed illegal despite being a game of skill.

Happily, this last point was not lost on one representative, Sinn Fein’s Fra McCann, who pointed out that, having watched poker on television it was clearly a game dependent on skill.

The Legalise Poker group has pointed out the benefits of a change in the law, which go beyond being great news for Northern Irish poker players.
A potential legalisation of poker could create 150 full and part time jobs, according to Glen McCabe of Legalise Poker. McCabe, speaking to the BBC, added that it would also encourage tourism and see the resumption of a cross-community social activity.

With so many advantages, not to mention the acknowledgement that poker is not some random game of chance alongside casino games and lotteries, the news looks good for Northern Ireland. You can let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter (@IFPoker).