GGPoker Buys the WSOP

I want to kick this one off. It's not on the rundown with a family pot, so play the damn jingle, all right, So listen, this isn't necessarily a family pot I mean it kind of is. I'm I'm making it like that because I had to take my kids to the doctor. Listen these f in doctors. Okay, my appointment is scheduled for nine o'clock. I show up at eight forty five because I like to be early and whatever. The door isn't even unlocked. What the f okay problem?

Number one, like, it's nine o'clock. Can we figure this out? You think people should be open at seven o'clock? Like, this is not We don't have time to nine o'clock. Nine o'clock. The door is unlocked. What are we doing here? Second of all, okay, I get in there. I gotta do whatever. The lady's like, she's like, I need your insurance card and your ID. I'm like, I don't have my insurance card. She's like, well, new policy, we can't see you. I'm like, it's the same insurance card it's

been for the last three years. Okay, Like, how is this hard? Isn't it on file? She's giving me the run around. I'm like okay, I'm like whatever, I'll bring it next time, Like, can you just figure this out? It's the same one. So then we have that issue. Then they finally get me in there. I get back there at nine to ten. I wait untill nine forty eight to see the freaking doctor. This shit is unbelievable, man, unbelievable.

The kids are screaming their heads off, like I can't feed the youngest one because he needs to take shots today. Because this is one year check up. It's just a freaking disaster. Can people just be on time and when your door is locked? Okay? And I'm standing outside of the door with me and another guy. It was me and another guy. He's got his son, I got my two kids. We are the only people there, the only people there. Okay, So you have two appointments. Why does

it take forty eight minutes to see me? Why that is unreal? And I'm pissed and I'm hot, I haven't had my coffee. I gotta do this podcast. The whole day is screwed up. I'm so f and mad. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable, Tim, unbelievable. Okay, let's talk about actual stuff on today's show. Okay, on today's show, w has to Be got sold for half a billion dollars, five hundred million dollars. Got to get our thoughts on laptop eight because Tim and I haven't been on these airways together

since the WSOP WSP Paradise is back. We got Scott seever winning Player of the Year. We got Patrick Antonius in the Hall of Fame. We got to hit on the PGT leaderboard because we are getting into the second half of the season, pretty pretty pretty soon, Tim's going to be on a jet over to Cyprus, and that is where a super high rollable, super high rollable series, whatever we're calling it, is taking off again. I don't know if we're going to get to all these topics today.

If we don't get to any, we'll try and hit on them at a future show.

Stormac's Earning crypto is easy, all right. First things first, the big news that dropped on August. First, the WSP is sold. The brand gets sold for five hundred million dollars. So the parent company of GG Poker, which is listed as ns US Group, which people have told us is pronounced answers. Which chance people keep saying that to me. Multiple people have all said that to me. It's pronounced answers,

So I don't know. I'm just gonna say Ensis because that's what it looks like to me, you know, just like you say WOSOP, I'm going to say Ensis. So the wosop got sold to Ensis. So Ensis Group is it's the parent company of GG Poker, So this is essentially GG Poker buying the WSP. They acquired the the WSP for five hundred million dollars. To first two hundred and fifty million of that is going to be cold hard cash, baby, and then the the next two hundred

and fifty million is due. I think it's due within five years in a note or whatever, So that will be to come. If you guys want to flashback twenty years. Caesar's originally purchased the ws AP in two thousand and four. That was when Caesar's was still or previously known as Hare's Entertainment. They moved it from Benion's Horseshoe over to the Rio, and that's when you know it came in all of our lives. You know, all the people Tim

and I who are in poker these days. That's pretty much when we remember it, you know, we remember it at the Rio and growing from there. Just some keynotes from the press release that was sent out again on August first, so you know, just under two weeks ago, says Caesars has secured the right from ENSIS to continue hosting ws AP's flagship live tournament series at its Las

Vegas casinos for the next twenty years. So for anyone freaking out, oh my god, the divasipy is gonna move, that tells us right there, it's staying in Vegas for twenty years. And then it says Caesar's Digital will also receive a license from ENSIS to continue operating it's recently upgraded WSP online real money poker business in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan,

and Pennsylvania for the foreseeable future. I guess first question for you, were you surprised when this news had dropped, because let me preface that by saying that we had heard this for a while, right this was possibly coming down the pipeline. It had been in the works for a long time.

But you know, that could be very interesting to see how that develops from outside of things. Who knows, We'll see what happens with how they want to handle production, how they want to handle streaming, et cetera. But I think just for WSP, I think for the players, you know, the greater public, I think this is probably a pretty good thing.

have the the online bracelet events. They have big circuit events, all that sort of stuff. They have GG millions, et cetera, et cetera. So I think it's going to take a little bit of time for the online stuff to get into the US, but I think it's coming. You know, I think that this was if I'm going to steal a line from Nick Jones of Poker Fuse slash Poker Industry Pro, who is as tapped into this stuff as anyone in the industry. You can follow him on Twitter

at at poker pro Jones. He said, this isn't the first step. This is the step to gig getting the into the US, and what that means is listen GG poker. They they've tried, I think at times, I think I believe to get some licenses in the various states, but haven't worked out. Haven't really been able to get any licenses or anything like that. This solves all of that. You can call it a work around whatever you want

to do. But because they acquire the WSOP brand, and then because they then licensed wsp dot com back to Caesar's Digital to then operate it, that's like their de facto lif They're latching on to Caesar's and wysip this way. Now, you brought up the eighty eight deal, which through all the reporting that I've seen, I think it's twenty twenty six when that's over with. So I would assume that when twenty twenty six happens, that contract would end, GG poker would come in. This gives GG poker to kind

of ramp things up. They can get any sort of manufacturer or or platform licenses that they need to, which they've already done in a couple of states. I think Pennsylvania and Michigan. They're on the books for those. So like that stuff I think is eventually coming. So in the interim, you know, the upgraded dissip dot com software that a lot of us are playing right now here in the States is is good. You know, it's it's

better than it was, for sure. But I think it's kind of that in between, and I think, well, eventually we'll get more of a GG poker product. I know that GG poker representatives have said that they're essentially and I'm you know, I'm kind of paraphrasing this, but you know, taking the bull by the horns in terms of the US market, that the current operators here aren't really doing what needs to be done to push online poker in the way that it needs to go. And GG Poker

seems like they really want to do that. They really want to push for legislation, get this thing opened up in new states, maybe lobby to have the shared liquidity among states, have that grow as well. So it seems like all signs are pointing to very positive results from this. It's just a matter of when it all comes down and then as it pertains to the live WSIP, I don't I don't really know what's going to happen.

in Nevada. That would be great, you know, And then what does that do for like Bravo being involved and how they're all tied into everything through the tournament sign ups, through the registration through through all that sort of stuff.

to see more GG poker type of events? You know, not that they're like complete gimmicks, but like I don't know, stuff that they take from their online world and then put it in. Do we see more mystery bounties stuff like that? You know, Like because Obviously, mystery bownties are a big thing and online. Do we see more of them? Given the success of the million dollar bounty at the WSP do we see a couple more of them? I

don't know, you know, these are all questions. I think overall, it's going to be a good thing and we'll see, you know, we'll see how it goes. But yeah, I think this is kind of like, this is obviously huge news, yes, you know, and it's it's massive, but there's still much

more to come from it. So I think it's going to kind of be like a wait and see, we'll see if anything comes for twenty twenty five, and then going forward, I would assume that they're probably gonna announce things as they get as they come, you know, like if the WSP plus app gets approved or whatever. I think that would be a good announcement, you know. Yeah, that's just you know, it's another news item to hit on. It's another thing that that you know, points everything in

the in the right direction. So that's the big w CP sale. I mean, Caesar's made out pretty well with this. I feel like, I mean they bought it for I want to say, fifty million or something. I don't even know it was. I remember like talking to people about that sale that happened back in two thousand and four, and it was like the Douvaspy was thought of as like an afterthought in this deal for these other things.

They end up keeping this this you know, this brand, the World Series of Poker, and they grow it to what it is, they're now able to flip it for five hundred million, and then not only that, they get to keep the flagship version, and you know, are they going to get raked from that? How is that all going to work out? Of course we're not privy to those details, but I'm assuming they're going to be able

to generate some money. They're just not going to put the thing on for free, right, so they have to have some skin in the game. So I think all in all, they made out pretty darn good from this thing, and then we'll see what happens on the GG Poker side of things. I think it's all going to be positive at the end of the day. Yes, but we just don't know exactly how they're going to take it and implement it differently than what they have been because it's not like they haven't had access is kind of

what I'm getting at. They've had basically the license to do whatever they wanted internationally. They've obviously had the online bracelets, online circuit stuff, you know, whatever it may be. So

I'm curious to see what all comes of it. And yeah, really really really big news there the other big item coming out of the WSP laptop gate Buddy so Dominic Niche and Joe McKean, if you guys have been living under a rock, they appear to have been watching the stream while also running SIMS on a laptop on the final table rail to help Jonathan Tamayo, who went on to win the twenty twenty four at WSP Main event. Now, nothing to my knowledge happened during the final table. There

was no complaints that I'm aware of. No tournament staff intervened at all to my knowledge. So first up, general thoughts. The word I think that a lot of people have been throwing around a lot greatly or wrongly is cheating. So was this cheating?

same thing. It's been done throughout the whole World Series. There are videos that are on Twitter. There are photos of people using charts while sitting at a table with or without cards, And I think this kind of falls back on how do we police this? And not only how do we police the use of these aids, is who polices it? And I think that's the bigger the

bigger issue here. Am I upset that Jonathan Tomato had people in his on his rail that we're helping him, you know, learn about the other players know because it's you're trying to win ten million dollars. So I don't think that's I don't really see a problem with that. Now, you know, the other players at the final table could have done the same thing. Just the fact that he did it, he was the only one doing it that we know of, and that he won, just makes it

look worse. But yeah, I push that to the side and I want to focus more on what the rule should be and how should they be enforced, because I think that matters more than people, you know, trying to get better, because at the end of the day, this is their job, right you're trying to do You're trying to use something to be better at your job, just like you and me use maybe we use a particular email program or a particular remind is that to be more efficient in our job.

a lot of talk about it. I mean, we had a call, what was it not before this series, but last series, you know, with a whole bunch of home meeting, tournament staff and WSB officials were involved there and like this was a big thing, right, And why it became an issue is because ultimately nothing was done and that like if you if you come out with a rule or you come out with something or whatever it may be,

you need to be prepared to then in force said ruling. Right, That's where this became an issue because if they would have enforced it, fine, like right, I mean, then that we might be having a discussion like was the you know, was the was the penalty you know rightly or justly applied? Et cetera. On the other side of things, if you don't come out and quote unquote talk the talk, like make a big deal out of this every single day that if somebody uses this stuff they can get disqualified.

Then this person uses it, well, then it's it's not a big issue. Yeah, you know it's it's or it might be a talking point, but it's not as big of an issue as it was. I think the problem that a lot of people have is that it was made to be this is something you cannot do. They did it, and there was no one there to police it. Like you said, now, I don't necessarily know how you

police this. That's a whole nother question. Like the first thing that needs to be solved or put on the books or addressed is what is the rule?

So that's the first thing, get the rule down, whatever you want to say and how you want to act. The second part of that is, Okay, this is the rule, how do we enforce it? And listen, there's thousands of people at the w SIP every single day playing poker tournaments, and you don't have thousands of tournament staff. You just don't so And then on top of that, do the tournament staff even know what they're looking for? That if you if tim, if you walk by me and you say, oh, hey,

what was that? And I had gto wizard up for example, or I had another solver up for example, and I quickly just close it, and you say, let me see your phone. I say, no, like, what what what are we gonna do?

They have custom Google sheets, So who knows what you're looking for?

And what the floor is now is gonna give you one like all the penalty. So it's such a sticky it's gonna be such a sticky area. I think, I think I know how we sho could do the rule, but like it's going to be a slippery slope.

two things. I don't know if that's enough. Like you said, we have to basically force the dealers to make sure people aren't on the phones. But you're right, when you're on the button and I'm setting a text, I'm going to send the text until it's on me.

the button, can you give me the range? Now, I have a lot of really really fucking smart poker friends who might just be able to rip off the answer right, you know, or they can quickly run it for me and send me back the answer like that's that's a workaround, is what I'm saying. So like, but I'm just looking so if you see me just texting, like how you gonna know? Like so that that's where like the no phone thing would come into play. That tim is mentioning.

The second thing that I would say is you know, on the enforcement, I might even like I might have people that were specifically enlisted to just look out for this stuff, and I would have them look like undercover cops. They would look like every other freaking poker player at the place, wearing a hoodie some shorts, just roaming around the tournament room day.

I think this is like, this is probably one of those things where I would just rather let somebody else try and make the answers and then I'll critique the answers afterwards. But yeah, I mean I don't It's it's gonna be hard. I I hate that, you know, coming

out of the w SP. This was all that was talked about, and it was really overshadowing Jonathan Tomios's achievement because I don't think it gave him a big edge in the fact that, like he was like, this was like an it or break it for him, right, I mean I think I think it would have been a bigger edge, like if he were to have like a and I use this example when I talked to Matt Savage the other day, but like a Sean Deep, Like if I had Sean Deep in my corner and I

was able to just go over to Sean and say, Hey, Sean, this is what's happening at the table, and Sean, being the tournament expert that he is, be like, Okay, this is how you're gonna adjust, this is what you're gonna do. This is what you're gonna do, versus you sticking a chart in my face and like me trying to be able to like memorize that chart and then put it

into action right away. Like I I do a lot of study, and I try and review charts and solvers and all that sort of stuff and understand the theory, but I don't do it like thirty seconds between a hand I do it, like, you know, in a couple hours at night time to prepare for my plane. So like, I don't know if me looking at something in real time that sort of way would benefit me versus like if I was able to go over to somebody as good as Sean Deep and be like, hey, this is

what's happening, this is what I'm seeing. How do I react in the moment, and he could just give me the answers right away I could instantly put into play. So then then then it brings up the question like do we outlock coaching in general? And so it's yeah, I know you're here, like you don't you don't know.

It's it's really it's it's weird. I mean I also think that there's a bit of like people are getting too far ahead of themselves saying that like this is going to have a really big effect on getting new people into the game. I mean, I don't know, man, I mean there's there's always been you know, advantage play and cheating and this and that and the other thing,

and the fields only seem like they're getting larger. So like it's like it's like, what what effect is this really going to have or like you know, hundreds, if not thousands of people going to just be like, no, I'm not playing because these guys might be using their solvers, like I.

get something going to get worse. Maybe it's better just to accept it or welcome it.

was just thought that popped in my mind. But like trying to steer the conversation back to Tomayo winning the biggest event in the world, becoming world champion like that, like they should want the conversation to be that, Like how do you get the conversation back to be that, you know, like or maybe it's not a statement. Maybe it's just like some sort of media blitz involving Tomayo, like get him on a YouTube stream, get him out there like like whatever it is, like you know, do

interviews for him, put him on the website. I don't know, but like try and get the conversation off of what was you know, for two weeks or three weeks or whatever laptop get'm I still see stuff now, like you know, so it's like try and get the conversation back over to like this crowning achievement in poker. So yeah, we've run out of time, unfortunately awesome, but what are we gonna do. We'll figure out what to do for these

next bunch of topics. But it was good to get on the horn here with him pick his brain about at least the two biggest news items or topics discussion points that were coming out of the World Series of Poker. Tim is back in Vegas right now, but I think he's leaving soon right where.