Hollay
10-05-2005, 02:35 PM
Vote for your favorite submission and you could win HP gear! The writer with the most votes scores a tournament ticket :waytogo:
This week's topic was on the popularity of poker.
Entry #1:
Why has poker become so popular? Here is a question for the times. It's not like you need a degree in sociology or psychology to know the answer to this question. 99.999% of the population didn't become the next Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods. This same percentage never made the honor role, never got an A+ on that science project, or never became the Home Coming King or Queen. So here we have established a demographic of people who continue to turn on their television, buy this weeks issue people magazine, or run to their local fantasy sports event in the hopes that living vicariously through the idols and icons of day, that they to can be the object of affection by their peers.
One August evening in 2003, this demographic turns on their TV, as they have done a million time before, and see this over weight, early nineties goatee wearing, beer drinking, accountant on national TV, become the next WSOP World Champion winning 3.5 million or so. Is he some athlete or handsome stud? Is he some genius? Some mental giant with mad skills for the game of poker? Or is it that his last name is Moneymaker? No matter, because just like 99.999% of us, he is just some average Hun-yuck who is now rich, in the national spotlight, and the object of everyone’s affection and jealousy. BINGO! So long vicarious living, hello shroud of poker fame. We no longer need to be pretty, smart, or athletic to be rich and famous. Poker promise of fame and fortune only requires that you have the money to buy in.
Is it Kathy Lieberts beauty, Annie Dukes hair, Hellmuth's social savvy, Scotty Nguyen’s mastery of the English language that makes them popular?
I'm going to guess no. It's the fact that they once won a big one and now have the money to continue to enter TV tournament after TV tournament. And the media machine loves it. Who knows what really goes on behind the scenes with buy-ins and TV contracts, but as long as we are watching and dreaming to be the next (Mike the Mouth?), then the media beast will continue to display and promote the poker promise.
So back to the question at hand. Why has poker become so popular? The answer in a nut shell is because there are so many that are unpopular.
As usual though, many are finding out that to be rich and famous, there is always a price. Poker fame is no exception and I dare say the cruelest to those who dare seek its treasures. But this is a question for a different day. Like: Do you think poker will remain popular?
~MinnesotaRon
Entry #2
Why the steady increase in popularity of poker? Not sure, really – though I think it’s got to be more than one reason. There’s got to be several contributing factors, like:
1) Glamour. In reality, I suppose it’s not really that glamorous. When I play, for example, there’s usually a lot of tears and smudged mascara. But movies and television have certainly made short work of making it seem all bling, bling and cha-ching and oh-so deliciously sexy – and it is for some players. Though not the ultimate poker movie, Cool Hand Luke comes to mind. Or maybe I’m just fantasizing about Paul Newman.
2) Easy Money. Nuff said, I think. Who isn’t a fan of get-rich-quick?
3) Accessibility. Not only is it accessible in as it relates to the spectator (i.e. anyone who has access to a TV can watch it almost anytime) but it is not like you have to have any super physical or mental powers to play it – to win, however, I guess it helps if you’re not a complete idiot. Then again, luck does have a way of favoring idiocy now and then.
I’m sure there are other reasons, but I’m no authority. Just a gal in love with 5-card draw and Paul Newman.
~DottieDanger
This week's topic was on the popularity of poker.
Entry #1:
Why has poker become so popular? Here is a question for the times. It's not like you need a degree in sociology or psychology to know the answer to this question. 99.999% of the population didn't become the next Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods. This same percentage never made the honor role, never got an A+ on that science project, or never became the Home Coming King or Queen. So here we have established a demographic of people who continue to turn on their television, buy this weeks issue people magazine, or run to their local fantasy sports event in the hopes that living vicariously through the idols and icons of day, that they to can be the object of affection by their peers.
One August evening in 2003, this demographic turns on their TV, as they have done a million time before, and see this over weight, early nineties goatee wearing, beer drinking, accountant on national TV, become the next WSOP World Champion winning 3.5 million or so. Is he some athlete or handsome stud? Is he some genius? Some mental giant with mad skills for the game of poker? Or is it that his last name is Moneymaker? No matter, because just like 99.999% of us, he is just some average Hun-yuck who is now rich, in the national spotlight, and the object of everyone’s affection and jealousy. BINGO! So long vicarious living, hello shroud of poker fame. We no longer need to be pretty, smart, or athletic to be rich and famous. Poker promise of fame and fortune only requires that you have the money to buy in.
Is it Kathy Lieberts beauty, Annie Dukes hair, Hellmuth's social savvy, Scotty Nguyen’s mastery of the English language that makes them popular?
I'm going to guess no. It's the fact that they once won a big one and now have the money to continue to enter TV tournament after TV tournament. And the media machine loves it. Who knows what really goes on behind the scenes with buy-ins and TV contracts, but as long as we are watching and dreaming to be the next (Mike the Mouth?), then the media beast will continue to display and promote the poker promise.
So back to the question at hand. Why has poker become so popular? The answer in a nut shell is because there are so many that are unpopular.
As usual though, many are finding out that to be rich and famous, there is always a price. Poker fame is no exception and I dare say the cruelest to those who dare seek its treasures. But this is a question for a different day. Like: Do you think poker will remain popular?
~MinnesotaRon
Entry #2
Why the steady increase in popularity of poker? Not sure, really – though I think it’s got to be more than one reason. There’s got to be several contributing factors, like:
1) Glamour. In reality, I suppose it’s not really that glamorous. When I play, for example, there’s usually a lot of tears and smudged mascara. But movies and television have certainly made short work of making it seem all bling, bling and cha-ching and oh-so deliciously sexy – and it is for some players. Though not the ultimate poker movie, Cool Hand Luke comes to mind. Or maybe I’m just fantasizing about Paul Newman.
2) Easy Money. Nuff said, I think. Who isn’t a fan of get-rich-quick?
3) Accessibility. Not only is it accessible in as it relates to the spectator (i.e. anyone who has access to a TV can watch it almost anytime) but it is not like you have to have any super physical or mental powers to play it – to win, however, I guess it helps if you’re not a complete idiot. Then again, luck does have a way of favoring idiocy now and then.
I’m sure there are other reasons, but I’m no authority. Just a gal in love with 5-card draw and Paul Newman.
~DottieDanger