Video Killed the Word-of-Mouth Star

By Brian Bavosa
5-25-06

Moneymaker. Raymer. Negranu. All are legends in their own right. The fact still remains that in today’s day and age, one tournament can allow you to take your fifteen minutes of fame and stretch it into a lifetime of millions: The World Series of Poker.

With this year’s World Series main event boasting a winner’s share of $12 million, there no wonder as to why any and every Average Joe from his neighborhood home game is racing to Vegas to try and become a household name. Look at Chris Moneymaker. 2003 champ who turned an amazing string of good luck into a lifetime of wealth. Compare him to the poker “dinosaur,” Doyle Brunson, who won more tournaments before most of these flash-in-the-pans were even born, and still never made $12 million in one tourney.

It’s a lot like the modern day PGA Tour. Is it Tiger Woods’ fault that he was born into an age of technology and million-dollar purses? Or is it Ben Hogan and Nicklaus’ fault for being too damn good, or being born into a time when still photographs were all there was? Most golf fans know who Hogan and Nicklaus are, but many never have seen them play—even on video because it did not exist for all of their careers. The same can be said for Brunson, who was busting up backrooms long before the lights were dimmed, and ESPN seemed to have a strangle hold on the poker—especially the World Series. It was long before anybody—and I do mean anybody—could waltz into the World Series of Poker, and become an instant legend. Sure word-of-mouth helped solidify legacy’s such as Brunson’s, but they did not show it too us on the “boob tube” fifteen hours a day, slap their face on a cereal box, and have him make three mediocre commercials for poker websites in which most of us lose our money anyway.

Don’t get me wrong: the excitement of poker comes across as vivid and exciting as ever when it is cut, spliced, and overproduced to perfection. This is especially true since you never see the “boring” hands—the ones Brunson has won a million times—but never get coverage. It is much they way that Hogan and Nicklaus won so many times—by being “boring.” Sure, they made the absolutely spectacular shots when they were called for, but mostly stayed steady with par after par, not risking it all on one hole (or in Brunson’s case, a single hand.)

Another factor that Brunson and the proven veterans have is the intimidation factor. Brunson could be sitting there with pocket Ace’s or an off-suit deuce-seven—and look cool, calm, and collected. He would make you make a mistake, before taking down the hand, and having you scratching your head. Hogan would have you doing the same thing, often not speaking to his opponents on the course, and studying every shot with such decisiveness and precision that some wondered if his heart was even beating. Both of them were closers, professionals, and proven winners—again and again. Not a one hit wonder.

But, alas, that is the time we live in. When players still wet behind the ears rush into tournaments without knowing their roots, or the past, and acting like jokers. They may get lucky and win one here or there, but nothing withstands the test of time like a true legend.

After all, Brunson might be a dinosaur, but he’s a long way from being extinct.