the first reason is that it wasnt on TV yet. Moneymaker didnt become a household name until ESPN televised the event.
Even when it is on TV Hachem is foreign, so the american public may not connect with him like they did moneymaker. And moneymaker just looked the part of the average american guy with hopes to win the big one. hachem an australian, born in lebanon, will not inspire many average joe americans.
Even when it is on TV Hachem is foreign, so the american public may not connect with him like they did moneymaker. And moneymaker just looked the part of the average american guy with hopes to win the big one. hachem an australian, born in lebanon, will not inspire many average joe americans.
Guys, there is only one reason...
Not on TV yet.
THats it. Now all the other reasons given might be reasons why after they televise it the aussie doesnt get the recognition. 95% of the people who care about poker aren't big ners like us who sit at their computers and reaqd threads on updated chip stacks at the WSOP.
Not on TV yet.
THats it. Now all the other reasons given might be reasons why after they televise it the aussie doesnt get the recognition. 95% of the people who care about poker aren't big ners like us who sit at their computers and reaqd threads on updated chip stacks at the WSOP.
The main reason is that he's no real story other than being an Australian. Moneymaker had the "name" that all the news services picked up on, and he got there by winning a $39 satellite online which was a first. Let's not also forget that because of the online entries that year, it set a record for the biggest WSOP ever, as well as the prize money was exhorbitant compared to prior years.
When Raymer took it last year it was also big news because of A. He won a satellite at the exact same site (Poker Stars) that Moneymaker did, a parlay that boggles the mind when you think about two poker players winning the whole enchilada back to back from the same site, and not known professionals.
B. He took down a $5 million dollar purse C. Wearing those glasses, and having the nickname "fossilman" and using a fossil for covering his cards, was more newsworthy fodder for the news outlets to pick up on! D, The big win by Moneymaker brought more attention to the WSOP.
Probably the biggest factor in the WSOP getting so much attention were the above two winning after qualifying in an offshore satellite. This gave every Joe Blow amateur a "hope and prayer" that they too could win the big one at some time in the future. Joe Blow isn't going to fly in from Kansas and lay out 10 grand to enter the tourney. Joe Hachem did that very thing, although I believe he had some "mates" taking a piece of him, so we probably won't know how much he really wound up with.
As far as tipping goes, like someone mentioned, money is witheld from the prize money to tip the dealers. If a winner choses to add more to the pot and be "george", that's up to him. Australians are not known to be good tippers, and it could be he felt he already met his obligation with the money witheld from the prize money. Let's not forget, because he wasn't an American, they withheld something like around 35% of the prize money according to IRS rules. If he had partners like I was led to believe, they probably put the "kabosh" on subtacting any more from the prize money that was already seriously depleted. Let's face it, with the IRS take of $2.625 million taken out, AND "only" a 7.5 million payout from an expected 10 million payout, would cause anyone to think twice about subtracting one more dime from the prize winnings! Especially since the dealers were already taken care of. They were already making 4-5 times the amount they usually make dealing per day, so it wasn't like they were starving!
When Raymer took it last year it was also big news because of A. He won a satellite at the exact same site (Poker Stars) that Moneymaker did, a parlay that boggles the mind when you think about two poker players winning the whole enchilada back to back from the same site, and not known professionals.
B. He took down a $5 million dollar purse C. Wearing those glasses, and having the nickname "fossilman" and using a fossil for covering his cards, was more newsworthy fodder for the news outlets to pick up on! D, The big win by Moneymaker brought more attention to the WSOP.
Probably the biggest factor in the WSOP getting so much attention were the above two winning after qualifying in an offshore satellite. This gave every Joe Blow amateur a "hope and prayer" that they too could win the big one at some time in the future. Joe Blow isn't going to fly in from Kansas and lay out 10 grand to enter the tourney. Joe Hachem did that very thing, although I believe he had some "mates" taking a piece of him, so we probably won't know how much he really wound up with.
As far as tipping goes, like someone mentioned, money is witheld from the prize money to tip the dealers. If a winner choses to add more to the pot and be "george", that's up to him. Australians are not known to be good tippers, and it could be he felt he already met his obligation with the money witheld from the prize money. Let's not forget, because he wasn't an American, they withheld something like around 35% of the prize money according to IRS rules. If he had partners like I was led to believe, they probably put the "kabosh" on subtacting any more from the prize money that was already seriously depleted. Let's face it, with the IRS take of $2.625 million taken out, AND "only" a 7.5 million payout from an expected 10 million payout, would cause anyone to think twice about subtracting one more dime from the prize winnings! Especially since the dealers were already taken care of. They were already making 4-5 times the amount they usually make dealing per day, so it wasn't like they were starving!
He may or may not have to pay income taxes. In Australia you don't pay taxes on gambling winnings unless its your profession. He got pissed at his wife, she might have cost him millions! She told the press he is a professional gambler, he told the world he just does it as a hobby. Obviously the tax authorities there will be focusing on what his wife said.
Imagine that, actually getting your wife to agree to letting you be a professional gambler and then having it potentially backfire on you.
Imagine that, actually getting your wife to agree to letting you be a professional gambler and then having it potentially backfire on you.
This thread alone validates what Doyle thought of the first left field non-pro winner and his "wrist necklace" exhibition the following year, as it was actually Robert Varkonyi before CM and GR. But whom even remembers the guy already, sans a nice run by his wife Olga this past WSOP.
The first woman to ever win the WSOP Main Event will be a huge story. Duke, Lieber, Gowin, Ng, Harmon,etc..it's gonna be a monster. And it's gonna happen before one ever wins the White House.
The first woman to ever win the WSOP Main Event will be a huge story. Duke, Lieber, Gowin, Ng, Harmon,etc..it's gonna be a monster. And it's gonna happen before one ever wins the White House.
