Poker - Get Rich Quick?
There is another side to poker, that isn't just about playing the game and being a better player. The other side is becoming more and more prevalant, and harder to escape from. Want to get rich quick?
I'm talking about the get rich quick fiends that are moving into poker territory, and starting to prey on us. Here's an example: www.TheMiconSystem.com. Now, Bryan has undoubtedly had some success, but can he really guarantee that following his guide will provide the same successes?
He provides lots of "proof" of his capabilities by listing the tournaments he's had big cashes in, but he gives no details of his ITM or ROI figures, or how many hours a day he plays, or other income from cash games etc. He talks of using a cheat sheet for starting hands and position, then bangs on about "little known" secrets of how to be a player, as if it's as easy as making a really tasty apple pie.
Finally, he charges $127 for his eBook guide, and even has an affiliate network selling his guide for him. I'm not sure why, but I don't like this cheapening of our art. Poker is a skillful game, and takes years to master, and yet is being sold as a way to get rich quick with promises of $30,000 a month. I feel sorry for the people buying this system, when they could be buying Harrington's entire series for less than half the price.
But the get rich quick wagon doesn't stop there - you've probably heard of bonus whoring. Sites are enticing players in with promises of free bonuses, only to sting them with the rake they charge. Bonuses are effectively rakeback schemes, where the sites give you back 80% of the rake you pay. While you can come out in profit from "earning" these bonuses (as long as you break even on the hands you play), the sites do profit from your rake.
A better option is to play on rake free sites, like www.WSEX.com (it's not porno...). You get to keep ALL your rake, not just a little bit of it back, so you should come out even more in profit, without the need for silly bonuses. Again, it's the principle I don't like - sites luring in unsuspecting punters, promising them seemingly free money, when really it isn't. Bonuses aren't as objectionable though, because they are immediately and tangibly beneficial for the players, whilst allowing the sites (as businesses need to) earn some income.
Lastly, what's up with the world of affiliation at the moment? I was trying to search the web for some poker related information the other day, and all I could find was affiliate links encouraging me to sign up with poker sites so that the affiliates earn a tiny fraction of any rake I pay. With so many affiliates, is anyone actually playing poker anymore? There are many many eBooks promising riches through these affiliate schemes, without any work.
Even worse, I was watching Dragon's Den (an English program where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a board of investors) and a guy came on pitching his "pub poker league" business. Not a bad idea, but then he mentioned how his website had affiliate banners on, meaning the business could start earning tons through other people's rake. The Dragons went mental, and loved the idea. The guy forgot to mention that most online players play for fun, and probably generate $1 in commission each month. Pittance.
Anyway.. I don't like the idea of poker being marketed and sold to newcomers and veterans as a means to get rich quickly and easily. It's a game of much skill, and players still aren't getting the respect they deserve from the general public and media for being world class sportsmen and women. The impression of poker is still a bit seedy, and a bit dangerous, and now it's going to get a reputation as a scam when products like "The Micon System", and the affiliate eBooks fail to deliver.
To anyone thinking of taking up the game to earn money, here's the low down.
- Learn the rules.
- Read lots of books - Harrington etc.
- Practise.
- Practise some more.
- Get really good at the game.
- Profit.
In the famous words of the WSOP, "Shuffle up and deal!"
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