When an industry like poker explodes in popularity, it's hard to believe that anything could be more right in the world — or more wrong. Let's face it: attendance is at an all-time high, prize pools are outrageous and television coverage adds up to almost 10 hours per day.

Casinos and poker tournaments alike are prospering. Since the addition of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit events, the number of available tournaments has increased significantly. Add to that the success of the European Poker Tour (EPT) — now in its second season — and you can take your game worldwide.

So it begs the question: what happens to the available poker dollar? Let's look inside the numbers.

Traveling to events has become more challenging. With the chaos in the oil markets, the cost to fly or drive has risen. Where hotels gave huge discounts to attract players, they are now overbooked. Where poker rooms and tournament coordinators were generous in reducing the costs of room and board, the onslaught of local players have reduced the need for comps. And to add injury to insult, the rake has been increased and the juice (or service fee) on tournaments is now higher.

Just at the WSOP this year, an estimated $25 million was taken out of the poker community in a short 7 weeks. Add to that what went into the economy of Las Vegas from accommodations, dining and entertainment... well, can you say Super Bowl?!

I recently reviewed the new schedule for the 2006 WSOP (or should I say: the World Series of No-Limit Hold'em). Gone are the 7-card Stud split games (with one exception: a whopping $1000.00 buy-in), and 2 of the 3 Omaha Hi-Low events are now secondary to other events the same day. With no mix games, no triple draw and one Razz, this is certainly a new age.

The WSOP now seems, first and foremost, to be a vehicle for generating the maximum revenues for Harrah's, and not a competition for celebrating the skill and endurance of poker players. So for those of you who were championing the cry "out with the old and in with the new", I say "be careful what you ask for".

The WSOP has an allure developed over 35 years and unmatched in the poker world. It has history on its side and those gold bracelets are the stuff that dreams are made on, whether for a $10 satellite player or for a 10-time champion. But this is no longer the extraordinary event created and nurtured by Benny Binion, and the question is: how much can you take from the players before the players take a hike?

So where is poker headed? I say let's look toward one of the three forces which have been instrumental in the explosion of the game's popularity: online poker! (Of the other two forces, the advent of televised poker with hole-cam cameras is undermining its own success through overexposure while the inspiring 2003 victory of Chris Moneymaker is fading in peoples' memories.)

If I try to dissect the 2005 Main Event at the WSOP, where the bulk of the participants came from the Internet, I ask what would the number really be without them? Three sites (Poker Stars, Party & Full Tilt) sent almost 2500 players and the remaining sites sent an additional 1000, contributing almost 2/3s of all participants!

Why is this significant? Well, it develops a game plan should the online entities get together... to compete against Harrah's new (and not improved) WSOP!

Let's be honest: the online sites aren't treated royally for all they bring to the WSOP. They are barred from the outer hallway as advertisers, they are forced to promote their dot net instead of dot com sites and they are charged huge amounts to participate in the WSOP Lifestyle show.

Should the online sites choose a new course — let's call it the Poker World Championships — what would be the implications? First, they'd have to pick a venue outside the U.S., but many players are already based outside the States. In choosing a new venue, the online sites would certainly be able to get discounted room rates for players, in contrast to the exorbitant amounts charged by Harrah's at the 2005 WSOP.

While we're at it, let's compare the relative merits of the summer swelter of Vegas against spring weather in Barcelona, Paris or London — or even Costa Rica. Not a decision you'd sweat over (unless you choose Vegas).

My point is simple: if the online sites joined forces, concentrating their efforts on bringing players to their event and not sending anyone to the WSOP, the impact might be incredible. Not only would they potentially attract thousands to their Main Event, the preliminary events would benefit as well.

Now imagine that 3500 players were at the Poker World Championships Main Event. Where would the remaining 2000 players who played the WSOP go? To Vegas? Sure, some... but that number would be reduced as well for two reasons: the additional expense and the reduced prize pool. Where the poker dollar gets the most value is where poker players tend to go. Today, that value is online.

I believe that change is coming. Until then use your poker dollar wisely. Poker is in it for the long haul; figure out a way to be there as well.

Come and join us.

Warren Karp

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