[pager23]

Originally Posted by yeltzen

Look at Fossilman go. Repeat anyone?

It's scary to see how well Raymer is operating as the big stack. He's simply crushing people.

[yeltzen]

Raymer winning is the absolute worst thing that could happen... I don't want people thinking skill is a part of poker and then deciding not to play online. F that. It's all about luck! All it takes is luck to win... look at Moneymaker and Raymer!!!!

[jojobinks]

Originally Posted by yeltzen

Raymer winning is the absolute worst thing that could happen... I don't want people thinking skill is a part of poker and then deciding not to play online. F that. It's all about luck! All it takes is luck to win... look at Moneymaker and Raymer!!!!

that won't hurt. all those fishies out there that regularly call raises with QJ think they are skillfull.

[yeltzen]

Originally Posted by jojobinks

that won't hurt. all those fishies out there that regularly call raises with QJ think they are skillfull.

Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?
I mean, not that I do that, but I was just wondering.

[hunterking]

Originally Posted by pager23

It's scary to see how well Raymer is operating as the big stack. He's simply crushing people.

wow, i guess the rampage continues today. it seems that as long as he doesn't fold he's gonna take it down...

Originally Posted by [url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/event.php?id=1268&screen=logs&type=1

cardplayer.com commentary[/url]]Date / Time: 2005-07-11 23:30:00
Title: Back-to-Back Champs Are a Thing of the Past. Or Are They?
Log: Greg Raymer has crossed the million-dollar mark in chips. That's still less than 2% of the total he needs to win everything, but it's still very impressive for this point. Is it too early to expect a back-to-back World Series of Poker champion? Definitely. Is it too early to talk about it? Of course not.


Let's assume that Raymer is able to win this tournament. What would that mean?


It's certainly a much more impressive achievement than it was back in the days of Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, and Johnny Chan (the only four back-to-back winners). Those players faced much smaller fields, and most people would agree (based on statistics, if nothing else) that winning in a 5,600-player field is more difficult than winning in a 300-player field.


But aside from the odds against it happening, what does it mean for the game?


The same way baseball historians have trouble comparing records across different eras (how many home runs would Babe Ruth hit today?), playing against a 300-player field of seasoned pros is different than playing against a 5,600-player field that has a high percentage of dead money.


A field this large is much weaker overall than a small group of tournament professionals. Many players (both professionals and top Internet players) have commented about the number of true amateurs that were playing on Day One. Most of them didn't last very long, but their chips were relatively easy pickings in the early rounds.


The point is this: The skills needed to win in a huge tournament of weak players are different than the skills needed to win in a small tournament of tough players. It still takes exceptional skill, and it would still be a much rarer achievement.


Okay, enough analysis. What does it mean if Raymer can repeat as champion? It means a lot. If he makes the final table, ESPN will be jumping up and down, kicking their heels. Last year, he was a dark horse with a big chip stack. This year, now that most of the poker world knows him, likes him, and appreciates his skill, he would bring in big ratings. Just walking around the room, there are a lot of fans who are excited every time they hear that Raymer is doing well. I haven't heard a single fan who is rooting against him.


And that would be the most amazing finish to a World Series that was supposed to break all the rules -- the days of multiple final tables and bracelets in a single year were supposed to be behind us. Then Mark Seif won two bracelets, Allen Cunningham made it to five final tables, and Doyle and Todd Brunson became the first father-and-son bracelet winners, in the same year. Follow that up with a back-to-back World Champion, and the signal is clear -- poker is a skill game after all, even with gigantic fields.