Chamath Palihapitiya floated the concept of beginning a singular high-limit poker match circuit that might prohibit gamers from sporting facemasks or utilizing leisure medication.
The billionaire entrepreneur who’s shut mates with Phil Hellmuth tweeted out some common particulars about his proposed poker tour. He requested his followers to share their ideas on what will surely change into an intriguing enterprise.
Does Poker Want Such a Tour?
Palihapitiya, founder and CEO of Social Capital, was an early Fb government. The Silicon Valley enterprise capitalist is not simply in search of a brand new approach to make a buck. He is an avid poker participant who has competed on poker exhibits equivalent to Excessive Stakes Poker and Hustler On line casino Dwell, and performs in Hellmuth’s personal video games. However the query is, will the poker group love the concept?
The proposed high-limit tournaments would require that gamers go a drug check, and that features performance-enhancing medication equivalent to Ritalin and Adderall. Moreover, the circuit wouldn’t enable gamers to put on facemasks or sun shades on the desk. Hellmuth has, on a number of events, pushed for a facemask ban.
Palihapitiya then mentioned his tournaments would have “affordable hours and codecs” to cater to those that do not wish to play a “turbo shove-fest” but additionally do not wish to play grueling hours. Hellmuth made headlines on Tuesday when he mentioned he can be skipping the 2025 World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) Predominant Occasion as a result of match’s prolonged construction.
Hellmuth’s footprints are everywhere in the potential new high-stakes tour. Palihapitiya did not point out the particular buy-ins or places for the tour. However he did say that the payouts can be within the thousands and thousands and the video games would happen in the USA.
The billionaire can be competing in opposition to the PokerGO Tour within the US all year long, and the WSOP through the summer season. Triton Poker, a non-US tour, additionally hosts a number of the largest buy-in poker tournaments on this planet and can present stiff competitors for gamers.
Palihapitiya’s proposal has already generated some curiosity on social media, together with from some high professionals equivalent to Shaun Deeb who wrote: “In case you’re critical about this I might help you get to know the folks want to rent to run it.” Daniel Negreanu gave the California resident some recommendation.
“Keep away from California and the 7% tax it makes excessive stakes tourneys inconceivable. However I assume you already knew that.” Negreanu tweeted.
Medication are out — together with mushrooms and marijuana — however alcohol, per Palihapitiya’s response to 1 commenter, can be permitted. Now the poker group can sit again and wait to see if he follows by and launches one of the distinctive poker circuits ever.
PokerNews interviewed Palihapitiya on the 2023 WSOP as he performed within the $100,000 Excessive Curler. It was his first WSOP look in over a decade.
