10 Reasons Texas Holdem is Unlike Horse Racing
The success of Texas Holdem and breakthrough sports like Nascar is often cited as something the racing industry should try to emulate. Here’s the problem:
- Holdem is easy. Sure it takes a lifetime to master but it only takes a minute to learn. And you’ll see a vast improvement in your game after just a couple of hours. Punting on the horses is…well… complex at best.
- Holdem is cheap. You can play for as little as 4 cents a hand. $5 can last hours online.
- Holdem is lucrative - a good player can win considerable amounts consistently over the long term. Hell even an average player can win consistently if he’s smart (table selection, bankroll management etc).
- The poker industry markets its pro players. They are legends, super smart, brats, jesus, etc. They are interesting and fun to watch as entertainment separate from the actual poker playing.
- The missing $ between your winnings and your opponents losses in Holdem is ~5%. In racing it’s a bit more.
- You can play Holdem at home with your chums for no rake. (free)
- Famous guys like Ray Romano and Ben Affleck play at the world series, and sit next to regular schmucks like you and me. (And apparently Obama’s not bad either). Kanye West was not present at the Hambletonian this year and probably won’t make it next year.
- You can put the entire Holdem rulebook into a little pamphlet.
- From poker pro Phil Gordon:
Poker is the only “sport” on television that guys at home can visualize themselves doing at the top level. They know they’ll never catch a pass from Tom Brady or dunk on Kobe Bryant. But, they have a shot of ending up at the final table of the World Series of Poker and winning $10 million on national television.
- I’m sorry but no matter how hard you try, this:
is never going to be as cool as this:
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August 26th, 2008 at 12:20 am
10 reasons why harness racing…
1. Life Sign
2. Real Desire
3. Life Sign
4. Solvalla - “The Elitelopp”
5. Deweycheatumnhowe
6. Christian Cullen’s (NZ) Miracle Mile 1998 in Australia
7. Elsu NZ
8. Popular Alm (Australia)
9. Falcon Seelster - Ohio 1985
AND
10. Love This Life (Australia) - Yes this ones mine. That other “sport” will never give the rush that watching, or training, or driving your own horse to a win will do.
(i stopped at 10 but could have kept listing almost indefinitely)
I remember reading an old blokes tale: A man with an untried 2 year old race / harness horse never committs suicide - because theres always hope. I’ve never read or heard that about a pack of cards
August 26th, 2008 at 10:24 am
“I’ve never read or heard that about a pack of cards”
Here’s something close:
“There are few things that are so unpardonably neglected in our country as poker. The upper class knows very little about it. Now and then you find ambassadors who have sort of a general knowledge of the game, but the ignorance of the people is fearful. Why, I have known clergymen, good men, kind-hearted, liberal, sincere, and all that, who did not know the meaning of a “flush.” It is enough to make one ashamed of the species.” ~Mark Twain
I take your point but how is it possible to get regular folk exited about those horses/races. If I am watching poker on TV and there is 12 million sitting on table - anybody in my lounge, whether their interested in poker or not, will sit down to see what’s going on. I don’t think you could say the same about horse racing (same goes for most sports though - motor sport, baseball etc).
I watch both horse racing and poker quite a bit, and when racing is on nobody will even come near the room. But when poker is on they will sit down and watch a little - at least until they get bored. You can talk passionately about harness racing, but I’m guessing that that enthusiasm didn’t happen overnight. So if people that have no horse racing interest don’t even want to watch even a little, they’re never going to watch enough to become passionate about it.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Holdem was not unlike harness racing in some other regards in that it was second rate TV programming for many years before a couple of key events occurred.
1. The introduction of cameras to show the viewing audience the ‘hole cards’ of each player so viewers - not just players - were more engaged and had a better appreciation of what was going on
2. An internet player won the World Series - suddenly any perceived barrier about who could play and win tournaments was smashed and more people wanted to both watch and play to the point know where there are half a dozen different broadcasts per week.
Two fundamental changes transformed Holdem. How engaging do administrators and broadcasters make harness racing for the general public? Has harness racing provided any real innovation to attract a wider audience in the past decade or two? And from punting and owning harness horses how ‘open’ in the industry? My observation after several years is not very.
And for the record I have shares in several pacers here in Australia and know of most of Norm’s top 10. I was at the Elitloppet in 2001, also Christian Cullen’s Miracle Mile, Elsu was a great result for winning the Hunter Cup. Personally I’d add Golden Reign’s InterDominion. But I do have concerns about the future directions of harness racing and the seeming lack of innovation and strategy
August 30th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Ozenigma - you said it much better than me.
Harness Racing to me at the moment doesnt feel like a “tv” sport. However, tv needs to be used better. To generate the interest, to motivate people to get to the track to experience the races.
I know i dont have the answers to how to make this happen as I’m already adicted to harness racing. But yes, Harness Racing needs to inivate to capture the attention of the mainstream sporting and betting public.
I’m sorry for not listing Golden Reign’s Inter, or Village Kid or Westburn Grant but I did foolishly limit myself to 10.