Isn't it incredible how big poker has become?
It seems like the game grew into a giant overnight. The World Series of Poker is a good example of poker's super growth. It started out with less than a dozen players who were willing to gamble $10,000 to find out who was the best. Today that ten grand is peanuts compared to some games where multi-millionaires are eager to spend mega-bucks to win millions of dollars in a single game.
No limit Texas Hold'em has remarkable staying power and remains the most popular tournament game by far in casinos around the world. Omaha High-Low and other mixed games, including H.O.R.S.E, are struggling to find support in poker rooms but they have a battle on their hands. Casino management thinks this way: why fight success? If their customers want no-limit Hold'em, give it to them.
I believe poker's next big step will be to feature head-to-head matches, pitting two top poker players against each other, with a giant payoff to the winner.
Doug Polk has challenged Tom 'Durr' Dwan to a heads-up match for $5 million.
He announced it on his YouTube channel earlier this year. So far, Dwan has not responded, but the interest is definitely there and it would make great television.
Both are formidable players at heads-up poker. And they have some animosity toward each other because Polk criticized Dwan for his alleged failure to cover some gambling debts.
Can you imagine the interest a multi-million dollar match between Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negraneau would spark? Or Doyle Brunson against Phil Ivey? Or how about Vanessa Selbst against Annie Duke?
Heads-up poker is the ultimate poker game. It can be brutal and there would be only one winner.
This is fantasy, but I would like to take it a step further. Suppose instead of war; two nations would pit their top leaders against each other in a poker game? Like Donald Trump vs. Russia's Vladimir Putin, or Trump against the dictator of North Korea. Every television set in the world would be tuned in to that event.
I think poker room managers should give serious consideration to staging heads-up matches between the legends of poker. They could even charge admission to watch it, like a championship heavyweight boxing match.
Okay, you entrepreneurs, my challenge is out there. Run with it and see what you can do to bring poker to a new level.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
