Players Added to Caesars Cup Rosters
Teams are 3/4 of the way there …
Team Americas: Daniel Negreanu (captain), Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, John Juanda, Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman
Team Europe: Annette Obrestad (captain), Peter Eastgate, Dario Minieri, Bertrand Grospellier, Patrik Antonius, Ilari Sahamies (aka Zigmund)
Also more on the format:
The Caesars Cup will feature the game No-Limit Hold’em with two teams of eight doing battle over a series of Heads Up and two-man doubles matches, with single points awarded for each match. The doubles formats will include alternate betting. The first team to 4 points will win.
The first match will be Doubles: Alternate Bet where two players compete per side. One player per side will play pre-flop and on the turn; the other player will play the flop and the river.
Once players are designated, their roles will not change. Two matches of this format will be played, so that 4 of the 8 players on each team will be featured.
The next two matches will feature Doubles: Same Stack where two new players compete per side. They share the same chip stack. They alternate playing two hands at a time so both have the button.
After the doubles matches conclude, the matches change to Heads-Up – if necessary. Team captains will select which members of their teams play heads up and it will be an alternate selection process, where if the European team names their player first for Match 1, the Americas team will have to name their player first for Match 2. That format continues until one team has accumulated 4 total points. The strategy of when to use a player and whom they match up with will be critical in determining which team will come out victorious.
LOL, and BJ thought my “family poker” concept event seemed gimmicky.
One skillucky Euro, of course, can still qualify for one of that team’s two remaining seats online at Betfair.
Play kicks off for this new-fangled made-for-TV event in London on Sept. 25.
BJ Nemeth says:
August 31st, 2009 at 12:15pm
Notice, however, that my original comment started by calling these international country vs. country tournaments gimmicks:
BJ’s Previous Comment – “Like the country vs. country tournaments, a family vs. family tournament would just end up being a gimmick. It might be a fun or an interesting gimmick, but it will still be a gimmick nonetheless.”
One of the reasons why Dream Team Poker is such a success is that the basic rules and gameplay remain *exactly* the same. It only affects some of the larger strategies deep in the tournament when you’re deciding whether to limp up a few spots (to improve your team standings) or shoot for the final table or the victory.
Most successful variations on tournaments keep the basics intact and only change one thing — heads-up events, shootouts, etc. When they start getting into complicated qualifying rounds and weird scoring and things like that (think “Poker Superstars”), that’s where they begin to fall apart.
The Caesars Cup strikes me as a very well-publicized, drawn-out gimmick. I don’t think anybody, including the players involved, really cares who wins this thing. What does the winning team get, anyway?
Kevin Mathers says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:28pm
I guess they’re playing for pride, but agree with what you’re saying BJ. For whatever reason, I see this event being as “prestigious” as the Binion’s Cup earlier this year.
BJ Nemeth says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:29pm
Nothing but pride and a Cup? At least Tom McEvoy got a car … and a brief moment of relevance.
DanM says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:31pm
I love team events … dream team, tag team … but yeah, when you’re switching players on different streets … well it does stand to be funny.
DanM says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:37pm
here’s what the press release had to say about what’s at stake:
BJ Nemeth says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:55pm
How blind could I be? Obviously there are a *ton* of things at stake: pride, bragging rights, self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment, increased endorphins, and probable side bets. It’ll be just like the Main Event!
It should be clear to everyone that this tournament will once and for all “determine whether the Americas or Europeans [sic] are home to the best tournament poker players.”
This reminds me of the Simpsons’ episode where they went to see an exhibition soccer game that was marketed on TV with the tagline, “This match will determine once and for all which nation is the greatest on earth: Mexico or Portugal!”
anonymous says:
August 31st, 2009 at 6:21pm
The Ryders Cup of Poker. I kinda like the “alternate shot” and “best ball” format.