Mike Sexton apparently has a new gig over at my personal poker news RSS reader PokerNewsDaily, and in his debut column shares his real thoughts on the 2008 WSOP. They are respectful (of course) but, the WPT television co-host doesn\’t hold back from addressing his concerns about WSOP floor staff, cheating, and death.
Some highlights:
Another problem I have: “What if someone dies before the final table is assembled?†Putting a little casket on the table and blinding a guy off would not only create a morbid setting, it would also change the strategy players might induce to move up in the money. And although a legend didn’t make that final table (such as Doyle Brunson), what if they did and then they died in October? What might have been perhaps the greatest final table ever would now be a very sad and tragic final table.
I also worry about collusion possibilities. … I’m not talking about players signaling one another as to what they have, but possibly just agreeing to soft-play each other, never bluff at each other, and only bet when you’ve got the goods …My other problem with the WSOP was the way the floor people handled certain situations. … [Scotty Nguyen] was drunk and out of line on numerous occasions at that final table, criticizing his opponents, berating the cocktail girls with the “F†word and moaning to the tournament staff about it. Unquestionably, Scotty’s behavior deserved a penalty but none was given. I was disappointed with Scotty, but I was appalled the tournament staff allowed his behavior to take place. To me, this was a disgraceful dereliction of duty by the WSOP staff.
Perhaps that floorman was influenced by what happened to [Phil Hellmuth] earlier at the WSOP. … If top management doesn’t back up decisions by floor people, then naturally, they will be afraid to give ‘big name’ players penalties – and to me, this is pathetic.
… Why would any legitimate company want to sponsor poker if they see that type of behavior by the players? And shame on the WSOP staff for allowing it to happen.