More than Rumorati: Full Tilt Boycotting NAPT? Branding Wars escalate
Boycotting may be too strong a word … “avoiding” could work, as could “snubbing”, as could “pissing off its own players by telling them they can’t go.”
Supposedly, highly reliable sources are saying, Full Tilt brass in Ireland are telling Full Tilt-branded American (and non-American) pros that they are not allowed to play in the Venetian Deep Stacks main event … as it is part of the newly launched NAPT, presented by PokerStars.net. What, are you guys not buying their claim that Stars-dot-net is different than Stars-dot-com? Interesting …
We hinted that something was coming on The Poker Beat a couple weeks ago. Kudos to ESPN’s @GaryWise1 for digging up the confirmation on the above. Listen below to a 5-minute excerpt of the bubbling under.
TPB2510-excerpt
[audio:https://pokerati.com/wp-content/plugins/TPB2510-excerpt.mp3]
Apparently, Howard Lederer really has stepped away from calling the operational shots at Tilt, and it’s totally news to Bitar & Co. that Full Tilt pros were ever stepping foot in non-Tilt branded events, such as the PCA (PokerStars) and Aruba (UB). Sure enough, the Hollywood snub at the Sharon Osborne Trash Talk Championship of the World (at the Hard Rock) charity tournament was a sign of more serious fissures in the poker world to come.
Kinda funny … because these sites have been so worried how a new Harrah’s-branded online gaming presence would negatively affect other online sites branding opportunities at the World Series of Poker, and now their reaction to the threat seems on track to becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy.
UPDATE: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4921898&name=poker
On Tilt says:
February 18th, 2010 at 6:33am
Is there any upside to this? Any good at all that can come FTP players abstaining from these tournies?
If they play in a tourny, especially a charity tourny of some sort, it can enhance the public perception of the poker player in general. Even if it’s just another standard cash tourny, the exposure of top name, recognizable players is a plus. The more that these guys become likable, household names to people(especially outside of the core poker playing community), the greater the chances of furthering poker’s cuase.
I think that the more public stuff like this becomes, the more it paints poker, the players, and the industry as being greedy and self-serving.
Being someone living in Texas and wanting to see poker come to Texas, I can only see this as being a potential setback. But now that I think about it, I don’t know that FTP is really interested in legalized poker in Texas, except that they can still deposit money on their site.
Principally, I can understand understand why FTP would not want their top dogs playing in a “Stars” tournament. I get it. But I don’t think that the higher ups have really thought it through. What they gain by keeping them out, or that Stars would gain by having them participate is negligible at best. On the other hand, if they play, then poker remains a community, regardless of affiliation. And I believe that would be best for the community in the long run.
Besides, what could be better for FTP than to have 2 or 3 of their big name pros seated at the final table of a “Stars” tourny…or even win it.
It’s still early and I haven’t finished my first caffeinated beverage of the day. Maybe I haven’t thought it through yet.
TOCurmudgeon says:
February 18th, 2010 at 4:09pm
On Tilt, you make perfect sense. The problem is that this appears to have started with Stars banning its players from Poker After Dark. Now, both sides appear to be digging in.
horse poker says:
February 18th, 2010 at 6:32pm
Yes, If you listened to the podcast, they said it started with Pokerstars originally not letting FTP pro wear gear at final table, then they has to call PS corporate to approve. Then PS said OK but sponsored all the amateurs at the table. I didn’t know Pokerstars didnt allow it’s players to go on Poker After Dark. Maybe that started it?
DanM says:
February 18th, 2010 at 9:52pm
just to be clear, it seems there may be a difference in Team Full Tilt and the red pros in all this.
JohnZ says:
February 19th, 2010 at 1:44am
Stars abandoned their ban on Poker After Dark long ago.
steve hall says:
February 19th, 2010 at 2:25am
With Scott Clements,Carlos M,Mike the Mouth and Ben Roberts pretty much the only name players left at the LAPC I asked one if he was barred from playing. The reply was “I am staying here for the cash games. I could win six figures this weekend.”
Anonymous says:
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:56pm
Team Full Tilt is not allowed to play. The garden variety red letter pros can.
joey7 says:
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:53am
Boycotting may be too strong a word