New and loosened eligibility necessities for the World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) Business Workers Occasion (previously On line casino Workers Occasion) are inflicting a stir amongst gamers, re-upping the talk on who needs to be thought of a on line casino worker or poker media member.
So, who needs to be eligible to play in worker occasions? Sellers and event officers? Dwell reporters and broadcasters? Content material creators and influencers? This query and the drama surrounding the brand new WSOP eligibility necessities make up the most recent version of The Muck.
The Muck: Is the Time period ‘Fish’ Insulting?
Vloggers, Streamers Eligible for This Yr’s Worker Occasion
Historically, the $500 buy-in WSOP Workers occasion has been open to on line casino workers like sellers, flooring officers and cage employees, in addition to poker media and business members.
These restrictions preserve poker execs from registering for the occasion, however there are some exceptions. Two-time WSOP.com Participant of the Yr Mike Holtz, co-host of the PokerNews Podcast, drew ire on social media when he made a deep run in final yr’s occasion.
The eligibility necessities can be broadened for this yr’s occasion, which was renamed this yr to the “Business Workers” occasion, as “poker bloggers, vloggers, streamers, and so on are all eligible to play the Business Workers Occasion,” in line with World Poker Index (GPI) Poker Data Supervisor Kevin Mathers.
A number of poker gamers voiced concern over the choice to loosen the eligibility necessities, together with those that would seemingly profit from it.
“In the present day I discovered I am an Business Worker,” wrote content material creator Kevin Martin.
“Not a fan of this determination,” added fellow creator Johnnie “Vibes” Moreno.
These against the change famous that the definitions of “content material creator” and “blogger” are imprecise and, due to this fact, may very well be exploited by execs seeking to play an occasion they in any other case would not be capable of.
“Let On line casino/Cardroom workers have their very own occasion,” wrote Lodge proprietor and veteran poker content material creator Doug Polk. “There are 100 different occasions for folks to vlog about.”
“I ran a WPT fan web site for a few years. Does that rely,” requested bracelet winner Andy Bloch.
PokerNews’ personal Chad Holloway, who gained the 2013 Workers Occasion for $84,915, additionally weighed in on X. Others who opposed the change embody Poker Fraud Alert’s Todd Witteles, high-stakes professional Lewis Spencer and 18-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Dan Lowery.
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“It is Going to Be a Mess”
There are additionally questions on how the brand new necessities can be enforced. Previously, entrants have been required to indicate a media badge or on line casino ID card.
“What’s the verification course of for this? Sounds prefer it’s going to be a multitude,” wrote Mike Padula.
Mathers addressed the verification query in a later put up the place he shared a message from WSOP, although the message left poker gamers with as many questions as earlier than.
The $500 Business Workers No-Restrict Maintain’em is the second of 100 bracelet occasions on the WSOP summer time schedule. The 2-day occasion will get underway on Might 27.
Connor Richards
Editor & Dwell Reporter U.S.
