Small Prizes, big picture

[RogerZzz8979]

Moneymaker-effect

Although you obviously need some luck at some point during a poker-tournament, I'm convinced that it's more a game of skill rather than luck. And with that belief comes the wish to bag some big prizes. Last week I saw the Online Poker Show which features highlights of the final table of the Sunday Million for the first time.

Too me, the Sunday Million is like the Grand Prix of Monaco (or the Indy 500, if you will, I'm a petrolhead ) of online poker. A tournament like any other, but at the same time so unlike any other. Win it and your class is undeniable. A month or so ago a countryman won it, and he made the newspaper! This is something PokerStars is very aware off.

In the Online Poker Show, the password for their weekly Freeroll on Thursday-night is revealed, and the winner of that tournament takes home a ticket for the Sunday Million. Sounds pretty sweet, wouldn't you agree? Throughout my entire poker-career I have never witnessed a massacre similar to what I say out there. 25000 players chewing it out in the most disgusting fashion. It was 'pre-flop all-in or bust' the whole time, and there was no chance of playing a normal hand, not even for the chip-leaders. Insane! I got kicked out of the tournament early when I called an allin from a guy with J8 off-suit or something while I was holding QQ .

But the most cruel part of the story is the prize-pool: only the top 9 finishers get something out of the tournament, and there were 25.000 players. Even with Blinds that increase every 5 minutes, it still takes a solid four nerve-wrecking hours to get to the final table. As I said before, the winner gets an entry to the Sunday Million. But the top 2-8 only get a lousy Step 1 ticket to a Satellite-tournament worth $5,50! Come on! PokerStars is taking the expression 'to the Victor, the spoils' to a whole new level.

But in the meantime, there is a deal made on every Final Table of the Sunday Million and the Champion never takes home the biggest prize. Now that's consistency for ya.

Anyway, next Thursday the gloves are off again, and I will take part like any other loser. If you can win the ticket, you've got a good shot at the Cup See you there!