a classic in the making
With nine remaining, the great phil "jopke" hellmuth leads in the quest for $2M in "free" money.

But wait a second, he didn't even qualify to play in the tournament. The only statement in daniel's article with which I have any disagreement is "Things like this are not forgotten." People remember things like this about as well as they remember which politician promised what during the last campaign. Which is to say, not.

This isn't just lying, it's stealing. I know in the magic land of running poker tournaments it's all "found money" and you can blow it all on hookers if you want, but in real life that money comes from juice. When you advertise the juice will be used in a particular way (and that two million didn't fall from the sky, it's a portion of the collected juice) and then you fail to use it in the way you have promised because you want to reward your buddies and/or boost television ratings, you're a thief. You're no better than a low-rent andy fastow, differentiated only by the degree and effectiveness of your ambition.

I am utterly unsurprised by this because I know way more than I care to about what goes on. The ongoing evaporation of fairness is nearly as big a factor in why I rarely play anymore as is the birth of my daughter. It would be nice if the game of poker could somehow be separated from the vast sums of money, because the implications regarding getting a fair shake have thus far been less than thrilling.