WSOP Extra Chips, Real Writers, & COMMENTS
It’s not like I needed a diversion. After all, in my little freelance world, every hour spent would be considered a diversion to most. And it’s not like I needed controversy, angst, or the desire to point out the sky’s dark clouds as part of some futile mission to scare up a silver lining. But, boys and girls, that pretty much sums up the last three weeks of my life. As I draft this, it is exactly one hour from when PokerNews.com will post three articles written by Tim Lavalli and me about how 2 million extra chips were introduced by accident into the late stages of the 2006 WSOP Championship Event. For the last three painful weeks, we felt compelled to research and write these articles in the hope that the industry would recognize the need to step up to the plate and improve controls and processes at major tournaments. But as I write this, I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach; much akin to the realization that you have just consumed one too many Margaritas and the foggy knowledge that there will indeed be hell to pay. So I am sitting on my couch, waiting for hell and desperately hoping that poker and I will find absolution and redemption somewhere down the line. Here are the links to “Two Million Questions. Will Poker Answer” Part One, Two and Three.
And lest I think I am the only one with a feeling of trepidation, I want to personally thank PokerNews for sitting on the hell couch with me. I know this was a difficult and gutsy decision for them and one that could potentially put them in an icky place with the industry they responsibly cover and promote. But like us, their decision was grounded in Pollyanna optimism that this will all work out and be good in the long run. God I hope these are taken constructively.
Speaking of diversions, there are a few bloggers out there that share my pinball existence, but as I understand it, we’re going to be missing one from the fold. Iggy is now punching the clock on a day job. Change is good my friend. Best.
OK. Maybe I’m overdoing it on my servitude to the WSOP issue these last weeks. After all, I did sneak away to Houston for a couple of days to catch two of the Mets/Astros games. I love Minute Maid Park. And while it’s been more than a decade since I’ve lived in NY, I love the Mets. However, even with the Mets, dogs, and beer, there were still subtle reminders of my “other” life, like this sign at the ballpark:
And in case I didn’t have enough to obsess about, Otis has been turning out friggin’ Pulitzer Award winning blogs lately. They are making me friggin’ weep and force me to wonder how I’ve wasted my life. What the hell am I supposed to do with a post like this? It’s a blog Otis, just a friggin’ blog. Phone it in goddammit!
COMMENTS! Comments finally work in IE now. Thanks Florida Web Guy!
Well I’m emotionally wasted today. So maybe I better stop blogging before more damage is done. I’ll leave a parting shot of the Minute Maid Choo Choo.
I read your column on PokerNews and applaud your exhaustive research, as well as your courage to go publish it. You should be proud of yourself and your efforts!
Jennifer said this on September 9th, 2006 at 1:30 am
I would leave a bunch of superlatives about the work you all put in tracking the source of the extra chips, but instead I think I will just feel sorry for you for having lived in NY, and for being a Mets fan.
Sorry you put in all the work enabling IE comments yet?
Bill
wildbill said this on September 9th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
Hi Amy
Great work on this important issue.
FWIW, I was among the many Main Event players who noticed the chip discrepancy, and ended up coming down on the side of the ‘dead stacks’ theory. This was because of anecdotal evidence that there were in fact a large number of stacks blinded off on Day 1A, and much confusion among players and staff that day about who was meant to be playing when. The number of Day 1A dead stacks I had quoted to me was 153, and apparently came from one of the dealers that day. I was also personally told by several players who played on Day 1A that they had a dead stack at their table.
All this suggests a wider problem than you have factored in to your analysis, and could support a theory based on some wide-scale administrative error that forced Harrah’s to add the extra chips (in the form of additional starting stacks) after players were misinformed of their starting day, blinded off on Day 1A, and put in on a subsequent day.
Anyway that’s my 2 cents’ worth. Good luck in getting some answers on this.
sarah
Aussie Sarah said this on September 10th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Something to PONDER:
Isn’t it AMAZING that IF players were given 2 million in chips too many at the World Series Main Event, NOT ONE PLAYER brought it to the attention of the “house”.
Exchange mistakes happen all the time in poker, including at the “cage”, involving cash.
Humans make mistakes.
It is one thing to “blame” Harrahs for the possible “exchange problem” and inaccurate way of keeping track of chips - but to ignore the fact that NOT ONE PLAYER spoke up about the “inaccurate exchange rate”, if it happened,
raises some serious questions about honesty and morals about poker players - especially since millions of dollars were at stake.
I think if the inaccurate exchange happened, that not one player spoke up, shows that basically POKER PLAYERS ARE DISHONEST and a serious morals problem with poker exsist.
Something to ponder!
When/If Harrah’s fesses up, which I heard they were going to do when they release a statement on this. It’s probably easy to see from the video who counted their chips before and after the exchange. Seeing guys do that shouldn’t be hard to detect on the video.
I’m all for giving everyone who fesses up amnesty on this, but they have to step forward and say, “I was scared. I was weak. I wasn’t honest.” Then, AT LEAST, future players will know it’s not okay.
I wonder if they did the chip mistake the “other way”, shorting the players, how many would of spoke up.
Montana Mike
Montana Mike said this on September 11th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Great job on those articles but why are you writing with that guy; you don’t need him.
PokerShrink said this on September 11th, 2006 at 9:23 pm
Fabulous articles, Amy, really. I’ve had the links sent to me by probably four or five non-blogger poker friends already this week. This stuff is really finding its way around and a lot of people are interested. The quality of the writing of your articles has a lot to do with why.
Hoyazo aka the Hammer Player said this on September 12th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
It may be a blog, but that was excellent detective/journalistic work you guys did.
Be VERY proud of it. Now its up to Harrah’s to fess up to the error.
Drizztdj said this on September 12th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Nice article. You and Tim done a fab job. It’s a shame he doesn’t give you the same recognition in his post on FCP ‘Daniels Blog’ forum.
tictoctoe said this on September 13th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Great, great work bringing this into the light of day.
I can only hope that Harrah’s will address this…
Michael said this on September 15th, 2006 at 7:30 am