Sorry, I know this is old news, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to comment on for a while. In my opinion, Jerry Yang’s victory at the 2007 World Series of Poker is great for the game’s image. There are those who claim that a win by a largely inexperienced amateur corroborates the argument that poker is fundamentally a game of luck, and maybe it does. But Yang is also charitable, humble, and religious, the last of which is particularly rare among poker players and ought to be of note to those whose concern about the game is religiously motivated. As ESPN commentator Gary Wise puts it in his article Prayers and Poker, “Yang may now be showing us there’s room for both poker and prayer in one life. He’s Chris Moneymaker with a PhD and a Bible, an everyman who can’t believe he’s here and who has faith in his understanding as to why he is.”
It is also worth noting that Chang is of Asian descent. Probably in part because of online poker’s uncertain future in the US, gaming companies are increasingly looking to Asia as an emerging market for gambling of all kinds, including poker. Macau has just surpassed Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world. In light of their success, “Several Asian countries are easing restrictions on casinos, taking a bet that Las Vegas-style gambling halls will attract more tourists and create jobs. “ (BBC News)
LaunchPoker reports that, “China has a very active middle class with loads of disposable income. This fact, combined with the expansion of poker into China via ESPN, has created a situation that can resemble a new gold rush for the online poker industry. ” The first event of the Betfair Asia Poker Tour took place in November, and later this month, the Poker Stars-sponsored Asia Pacific Poker Tour kicks off in Manila. Though gambling is illegal in China, poker was recently declared a sport, paving the way for the World Poker Tour.
If only America were so liberal and enlightened…
Yang’s definitely good for online poker. He’s proven that calling raises out of position, or just calling all-ins with worse hands is the key to winning lots of money.
I was wondering your opinion on Yang’s not leaving a tip for the dealers/floor at the WSOP (at Ferguson’s suggestions).
Also wondering if you left a % tip in the WSOP with either of your cashes? I have no idea how to evaluate whether a tip in that situation is appropriate.
I wish there more transparency about what Harrah’s is paying them and a more established convention about tipping at tournaments. My understanding is that WSOP dealers do get paid quite well, but that they also have to deal with a lot. Many of them travel from Mississippi or other gambling hotspots in the US just for this event, finding lodging and everything else at their own expense. I heard stories (and saw some things myself) about their not being treated particularly well by management and floor staff.
Last year I asked for a dealer’s opinion on what he would consider an appropriate tip, and he told me there were strict rules against him suggesting anything, but I pressed him on it, and he finally suggested 1% of anything you win, so that’s about what I left. I think it’s unlikely that Harrah’s is spoiling them, though I wish I had more information about what they were getting, and if they don’t make good money on tips, it’s going to discourage good dealers from coming in future years.
All of that said, I don’t think it’s my place to judge whether or what someone else tipped. 1% of Yang’s winnings adds up to a little more than what I left, after all. Obviously I wasn’t there, but my understanding is that Ferguson didn’t give him a particularly balanced perspective on the pros and cons of tipping, which if true is really more on him than on Yang.
But really there should just be a better convention for tournaments the way there is for cash games with regard to when and how much to tip. Even 1% of my small prize may seem like a lot for a tip, but you have to realize that those who do win are also tipping for the 90% who don’t win anything.