WSOP 2009 Early Thoughts

The WSOP (World Series of Poker) began this week and runs through July 15.

• I think Poker, especially No-Limit Hold'em, is a great, psychological game. It's a game of skill, the skill of reading people. There's also cards involved.
  
• I also know that gambling will ruin you, especially if you're "good" at it. You don't have to wager money to play poker, though almost everyone does. My suggestion: if you play poker, play it with friends with no money involved whatsoever. If you play for money, you'll pay too high a price in the end.
• The WSOP is tournament-play only (you pay an entry fee and win a cash prize), not cash games (where players gamble the money they bring to the table). I appreciate the WSOP's approach. Morally speaking, I prefer tournaments: I could pay to play in a tournament and win a prize (or lose) without losing any sleep. But just sitting in a cash game would bother me a bit, like I'm being co-dependent to someone's gambling problem.
• The WSOP needs professionals to win. If anonymous one-hit-wonders keep winning the big games, then poker will just look like any other game of luck. But if talented pros can get some noteworthy wins, then the game-of-skill argument gains ground. An elite cadre of professionals is all that separates poker from something like the lottery.
  
• Poker's popularity may have peaked a few years ago and that's okay.
• I track WSOP results on this page.