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Poker No Longer a Hidden Secret
Not long ago, poker was a game that anyone who wanted to look respectable
did not tell their friends they were playing. The poker industry was
suffering accordingly, with casinos everywhere shutting down their poker
rooms as gamblers went to other games for different action. Most people who
make poker a part of their lives now attribute its comeback to Steve
Lipscomb. Lipscomb does not spend as much time playing poker as he used to,
but that is because he is concentrating instead on raising awareness of the
game, a campaign that has resulted in what can only be described as a
cultural land shift.
Lipscomb was at one time a lawyer, but sold his business to bankroll a
documentary film on the oppression of women by Southern Baptist churches. He
also did a film on the World Series of Poker tournament. When the film aired
on the Discovery channel, it had doubled in ratings when it was done airing.
The success of the film gave Lipscomb an idea, and he was backed in his play
by Lyle Berman, who thought that the idea of creating an NBA of poker was a
fun idea. One by one, casinos lined up to sign exclusive deals to have their
tournaments aired, and the shows became an overnight success. 3 million to 5
million viewers tuned in weekly, and the shows generated competition by its
second year. The breakthrough for Lipscomb’s project was utilizing a graphic
palette that allowed viewers to watch poker as a sporting event.
“If you are successful, you will create competition,” said the 44 year old
Los Angeles native at a recent lecture at the University of Texas’ McCombs
School of Business, “but be careful what you wish for. There’s some weird
stuff that comes with success. Professional poker players used to be the
black sheep of the family, and now all these guys are walking through
airports signing autographs.”
Lipscomb plans to expand the World Poker Tour into other ventures such as
merchandising, and has new projects on the horizon. “We’re about to announce
our next big franchise, which nobody has even thought of.” The poker world
can only wait and see what that will be, but in the meantime we can all
enjoy the newfound glamour of the game.
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