Quote Originally Posted by johnysprinkles View Post
How is it all of a sudden a surprise that people buy titles and championships? Have you not been around this game as long as I have Druff? How can you be so naive to think this is a one off? I am truly baffled by some of the people that are complaining about this.

For sure, it happens in different ways and most are less obvious than others. However, there are two things that guarantee a HUGE edge in acquiring championships and trophies in Poker and those are CASH & NOTORIETY. A combination of both will get you many "accomplishments". To call anything in poker "Prestigious" is delusional and or naive.

How about when 7 Germans enter a high roller with a field of 24 playing from the same bankroll?
How about Invitationals?
WSOP Rebuy events?
How about "famous" players having their tournament buy-ins paid for by sponsors?

Now, in order for there to be a crime there must be a victim. Tell me who the victim is? and don't say TOC/POY bs, the other players equity in those events do not change one fraction because of this..
There wasn't a crime.

I don't feel Leah should be punished in any way, nor do I feel his money should be confiscated.

And yes, the "victims" here are the POY/TOC players, because they now have to compete with Mike Leah instead of Ryan Yu, and Mike is a bigger threat to them.

Even putting that part aside, he violated WPT rules, and he also made poker look horrible when amateurs read that on the WPT site. Even Mike admits the optics were terrible on this one.

I understand your points, but you're making something too complicated about something simple.

WPT rules do not allow for chip-dumping to attain first place.

Attaining first place comes with the benefits of extra POY points and a TOC seat, so this is likely part of the reason why they don't allow such things.

Mike and Ryan engaged in chip-dumping to manufacture a phony win for Mike, when in reality he had a 2.3:1 chip deficit, and was an underdog to win when heads up play began.

Simply put, it is never appropriate for a non-chip-leader to be crowned winner of an event, especially if it happens through chip dumping to circumvent tour rules.