Online Poker Forum - do

jga1635 · Pair Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 24

The recent WPT lawsuit started by many of the players involved in this site has sparked our buddy Daniel Negranu to open his big fat ego driven mouth and spout his opinion. The WPT recently responded to the lawsuit given fourth by the players and there response, albiet expected, took a real low blow at online poker. Online poker doesn't need any more attention with the donkies in the senate debating on it, but Daniel Negranu took an even lower blow.

In his overrated blog he posted that he felt that the players sueing where all made rich by the poker boom and it was the WPT that had made this happen. I have major problems with this. Just because Lipscomb started a poker show doesn't mean that he was single handly responsible for the poker boom. IT WAS THE PLAYERS THAT MADE THE SHOWS NOT THE STEVE LIMPSCOMB. If first final table was not loaded with entertaining poker stars the show would have collasped. Poker was going to be big no matter what. END OF STORY. Yes ESPN jumped on the band wagon, but a they didn't script the 2003 world series it happened on it's own. The game got big, but it was growing on its own mostly thanks to guess what INTERNET POKER. The WPT would be nothing without internet poker and they are bashing it. The satelits generated by internet poker are feeding the big tournaments, but instead of just addressing the issues in the suit and standing there ground they took cheap shots. Ok let's ban internet poker and see what happens to the WPT.

Then there's Daniel. Negranu stated that only Gordon was a millionaire before the boom and the other players should be grateful because they are now rich too. Talk about Glass houses this guy is unreal. Worry about your millionaire self buddy. You not in the suit, so save your comments for the next session of High stakes poker when you make some of the worst calls of all time.

My final point is Daniel has his own internet poker website. He should be appalled by the WPT's back handed shots at FTP. The guy is just pissed because he was not consulted by the members of the lawsuit, because you know Daniel "KID DONKEY" Negranu runs the poker universe and we should consult him on not only how to run the WSOP, but who can say and do what.

My solutions:

WPT get the blinds back to normal

Drop the release. The money's in the ratings.

End the lawsuit. A full blown massive boycott would have been better. All the shows with ametuers usually are the worst.

Build the PPT. The PPT is cool because it shows you different phases of a tournament and is actually much better than the WPT because you are watching only the better players play each other.

Thought???

Jobe Gilchrist · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject:

Can you briefly lay out the details of the suit for us who don't know what it is?

dmoore1998 · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:57 pm Post subject:

First off I'm not sure how you attribute your "solutions" to solving the problem. Basically your solution is both to give the players what they want and drop the lawsuit. Your "solution" is basically taking the side of the players who filed the lawsuit so I'm not sure how plausible it is since the pro's have already tried that, your solution is the pro's get their way unless i'm missing something.

Secondly, Negreanu is absolutely right, basically most of the guys playing the WPT got rich because of internet poker. I don't think you can distinguish between the WPT and the WSOP in terms of just all being televised poker. Had ESPN and the Travel channel not started televising poker tournaments I don't believe there is any way online poker would be at such a boom. In the same token these tournaments do benefit from online poker with all the satellites and the fact that online poker brings in lots of new players. The bottom line though is that the internet has been around forever, not until the poker tournaments really started showing lots of poker did the internet poker boom really take off.

I'm not sure why you think Negreanu shouldn't say anything. The lawsuit is alleging that the players are losing out on money because of signing the releases. If there is a player on the tour that doesn't believe the players are correct then why wouldn't they also speak their mind? It affects him too since he's a player on the tour. I mean YOU are giving your opinion and you aren't even on the tour I assume, what gives you the right to tell someone directly affected by this not to give theirs?

Also I would love to see where the WPT is bashing internet poker. I haven't heard this anywhere.

Now all this being said, I believe the players filing the lawsuit are correct. They should have the right to determine what their name and likeness represent and to be compensated appropriately for it.

OpDS311 · Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:09 am Post subject: Re: do

dmoore1998 · Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:16 am Post subject:

I'm no expert on the lawsuit but the biggest "point of contention" is that the players who play on the WPT have to sign a release in order to get into the tournament which says that the WPT can use their likeness in promotion of the WPT. The WPT then uses their photos, videos, etc in the commercials and most notably, videogames...the players don't think they should be forced to sign away their likeness in order to get into the tournament. The players basically want the WPT to have to negotiate with them and compensate them to use their likenesses in things like video games and advertisements.

Anyone else feel free to add as I'm sure there is more...but to my understanding that is the biggest point of the suit.

Jobe Gilchrist · Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:28 am Post subject:

Unless some part of the release itself is against the law, which I can't see being the case, it'd hard to believe that the pros would have any leverage here. If they refuse to play in the events, there are always going to be people who'll gladly play. Hell, it's poker, you can go from unknown to the newest pro in a year easily. Are the pros sticking together in their opposition, or is it just a handful?

Seems like the "everyman can be a winner" aspect of poker is working against them here, just as it has worked for them in almost every other capacity. Put a bunch of unknowns in front of the camera and personalities will emerge to replace the old ones. Remember, we at a forum like this care much more about seeing the individual pros than most of the people who watch poker.

Strasse · Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:04 am Post subject:

The reason some of the pros are angry is because all the WPT tournaments were around before the WPT, as seperate tournaments, and now to play in these tournaments that they had always played, they have to sign away their likeness rights. In other words, the pros just want to play poker, and don't want to be hindered by all the television aspects of it.

BOYNAMEDSUE · Moderator Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 9112 Location: Mypos

Listening to DN talk about the lawsuit is tiring. He doesn't think before he talks, so you end up with a smorgasbord of random thoughts on the subject. Most of which are wrong. He should really just keep his mouth shut.

Raymer was right.

Now, what the WPT is doing is just greasy. They're basically trying to put the focus on internet poker sites. They contend that the sites the 7 players represent actually put WPT at an unfair advantage. I forget the details, but they don't make sense anyway. The sites the pros represent have done nothing but help the WPT. Every site offers satellites to WPT events. The WPT can't argue the player complaints, so they're trying to **** up online poker for all of us, making the 7 players look like the bad guys.

sig tau soldier · Two Pair Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 75

Who are the 7 players envolved in this?

number1stunna4 · Four of a Kind Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 287

Daniel Negreanu is 100% correct in this matter. These 7 players are attacking the WPT claiming they are representing ALL ELITE poker players. By doing this, obviously the WPT is giong to battle back taking shots at an already touchy subject such as online poker. What a great way to fight this online gambling act. Secondly, as daniel stated in his blog, sure they r signing a release but there is the same release (according to Daniel its actually a little worse) they all sign to play in the WSOP. Why are these players not filing a lawsuit against the WSOP. If a player does not like a certain rule, then dont play in the event it is as simple as that. While there are only 7 pros in this suit, Daniel has clearly stated at least 30 other pros he has spoken to is also against this lawsuit. The 7 players in the suit are . . Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, and Howard Lederer. The WPT is such a powerhouse and they are attacking online poker now thanks to these 7 idiots.
The poker players main argument is not only about the release but they say that the WPT violates the antitrust laws and minimize competition amongst poker tournaments. That is a joke, Because of the WPT, poker rooms across the nation are now booming with tournaments. There are many, many, poker related television shows now.
The Player releases are reasonable and include necessary requirements for any show to be broadcasted across media channels. Without a release, no network would broadcast a "reality" show such as the WPT. Like I said before the WSOP has a very very similar release. These 7 players have absolutely no shot in winning this case and the WPT has already named FullTilt Poker(Howard, Chris, Andy, and Phil) PokerStars(Greg, and Hachem) and Ultimate Bet(Annie). The only thing this lawsuit is going to do is bring negative attention to online poker. Thanks alot to the 7 "elite" poker pros.

number1stunna4 · Four of a Kind Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 287

And let me just add a direct quote from the WPT response already filed!

"For example, FullTilt Poker, a website started by plaintiffs Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer and with which at least two other Plaintiffs are affiliated, already competes unfairly against WPTE by using the tremendous revenues it obtains from promoting online gambling in the United States and accepting online bets from persons located in the United States- activities declared by the US Department of Justice as illegal under existing law- to subsidize the poker programming it offers television networks."

So guys, before we r so quick to support these pros and bash daniel negreanu for his opinion, look how this lawsuit even effects us. This suit is hurting the integrity of online poker and if it is banned, these pros will continue to live in Vegas and play daily while us Joe Shmoes will suffer.

lesdoodis · Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:37 am Post subject:

I don't see how anyone here can comment on this. Has anyone here signed these releases or had to deal with the after effects? No, nobody here has, you may have played in a WPT or WSOP event, but obviously didn't make a final table or win so you don't know what they do afterwards. I honestly don't have a solid opinion either way, but I sure as hell don't think it is fair to bash either side. You can all have your opinions, but don't go bashing the "7 elite pros" just cause your scared online poker will be taken away. This case will have nothing to do with online poker getting banned, if they ever do. And what is so bad about online poker being taken away? I play alot online, but don't care if I have to go to a casino for my action. It'll just mean less donks to deal with and more money in the casinos which keeping casinos happy is the key to keeping poker alive, not the damn internet.

SCOOBY_JSP · Pair Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 48 Location: USA

The law suit has nothing to do with online poker.

These "pros" don't give a damn about online poker. It's just a way for them to get $.

They are professional con men that will do U up the buttt if you turn your back.

They don't care if it is illegal and will continue to slime off shore and hide under a rock and sux the life blood out of the soul of America because they are lowlife scum that have felony convictions and ties to organized crime and now think they are big swap because their faces were on TV.

These guys do not give a damn about anybody but themselves and would stand by and let you be killed if it meant they get some $ or 10 more minutes of fickle azz fame.

Online poker is already illegal and they are going to keep right on accepting money from those in the US that are stupid enough to take a chance of getting a felony conviction for playing penny ante poker because they don't care what happens to you or your families. They just want your money plain and simple and that is all there is to it. And they will sue and steal and get lawyers and slime offshore and do whatever they feeel like to get it.

They are un American and should be exiled from the US.

They have gotten too big for their britches and very soon you will see many of them behind bars.

Poker could be like the PGA or at least like pool lol but these crooks use their bloodmoney to keep it crooked because they know if they can not intimidate with their big stacks of cash and control online with their high priced lawyers and bs tactics then they would just be another face in the crowd.

So in reality they are not poker players. They are just slimey CON MEN.

ambitious207 · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 3:48 pm Post subject:

SCOOBY_JSP · Pair Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 48 Location: USA

I meant the reason they filed the suit had nothing to do with online poker.

But you are right that they don't care if it makes the govt crack down on online poker as long as they get their $.

they will keep accepting $ online just like they do now and for those that don't know online poker IS ILLEGAL in US right now lmao.

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