AimlesslyChasingAmy

In today’s theme of “too little too late” I can’t help but start with Brandi Hawbaker.  For those not in the poker circle, Brandi was the author and subject of some of the most outrageous content on the poker forums.  Just the title “Brandi” on a thread was liable to get 1000 hits a day.  She was attractive, smart, and creative.  She was also destructive in her relationship with others and herself.  Her troubles were obvious, but apparently solutions were not.  Some tried to help her with money, friendship, and security - but unfortunately these were short-term bandages for a far deeper wound.  Brandi Hawbaker took her own life last weekend.  From the forums, I understand she was finally under a doctor’s care.  Maybe too late.  Maybe too little. Or maybe neither.

I once was involved in a situation where someone “I knew” faked their own death on the internet.  It turned out that the 56 year-old woman had created a 20-something year old hottie as her online persona - but then came to resent the attention and friends she made; feeling that those around her didn’t like her for the person she really was.  I had hoped that Brandi had done the same; ending the online drama and finding a way to start anew.  Unfortunately Brandi’s problems extended beyond the ether and so, too, did her fatal solution.  Peace out, Brandi.

Another “too little too late” in the poker world might be applied to the WPT.  In an attempt to monopolize all things poker, the WPT developed a corporate culture steeped in predatory and proprietary practices.  One of the early sticking points between players and the WPT involved their waiver form.  To play a WPT event, a player basically had to give up all rights to their own image.  Theoretically, the WPT could then use the player’s image to market just about anything they wanted.  If a player had already endorsed a video game, the WPT could use the player’s image to market a competing product.  In some cases, signing the waiver could be viewed as breaching contracts the players already had signed with other companies.  The players tried working with the WPT to modify the waiver, but the WPT was unyielding.  A lawsuit was filed.  Some very well known players boycotted or simply couldn’t play WPT events. 

With the WPT now bleeding financial red ink and Season Seven - scheduled to start in the next few months - in potential jeopardy, the WPT announced that it was changing the waiver form.  The lawsuit was dropped. 

The WPT also announced last month that it was retroactively issuing bracelets to all its past 96 winners.  It’s hard to interpret this action: is it tardy recognition of the players’ participation or is it a parting gift?

The WPT became famous for never backing down from a position: right or wrong.  But last week they changed their position about making the players’ buy-in include a mandatory charitable contribution for the upcoming ladies event. 

When the WPT went to an exclusive media provider for its events, I called to find out what the media conditions would be if I were to attend the event at the Beau Rivage.  I had planned on doing a travel/promotional piece for the event and renovated casino - and not provide any tournament coverage per se.  I was told that I could only go inside the ropes for 15 minutes at a time and only with an available WPT escort.  I suspected this translated into my actually getting inside the room once or twice a day.  I would not be provided with a place to sit or work from.  I decided it was probably going to be too hard to provide a meaningful story - and the WPT lost out on a piece that would have promoted the company to the mainstream press. 

I understand that, though media restrictions are still in play, the WPT is providing a “media lounge” at the currently ongoing WPT Championship at the Bellagio.  I have no idea what the lounge includes.  And again I have no idea if this is a case of the WPT realizing that being more receptive to the media can only help their brand - or another parting gift.

I can’t help but wonder if the WSOP might have their own realizations about the media “too little too late.”  I noticed in the media regulations this year that you can only provide content to your designated media credentialed outlet.  In other words, if I wanted to do a story for the Austin American Statesman about a local player that won a bracelet, I couldn’t.  Do they know what’s going on in print media?  Most major newspapers have cut back their news staffs.  They’re not going to send a reporter for seven weeks of the WSOP when they can’t even cover Iraq.  If a credentialed reporter also wanted to comment about the WSOP in their personal blog, they couldn’t.  Although I understand the exclusive deal that Image Masters signed with the WSOP years ago, making reporting entities delete any and all pictures from their websites within 72 hours of an event’s conclusion is a logistical nightmare and actually gives the random spectator with a cell phone more rights than the media.   

I keep wondering if three of four years from now - when the bleachers and media rooms are empty and when the television cameras are no longer trolling the aisles - what the WSOP and other tours and venues will do to re-court media attention.  Perhpas it will be something “too little, too late.”

a) Brandi (2007 WSOP)
b) Scotty and the Grinder (2006 WPT WPO)
c) Jared Hamby (2007 WSOP)
d) Shaniac (2007 WSOP)
e) Tex Barch (2007 WSOP)
f) Sammy Farha (2006 WPT WPO)

P.S. Had the same WSOP media restrictions been in place last year, most of these pictures wouldn’t exist.  Had the same WPT restrictions been in place, there’s an outside chance I would have been able to get the pics of Nguyen/Mizrachi and Farha.