How to win by losing at poker!
A report recently filed highlights what is surely an anomaly and indeed an anathema (completely against the grain) for all poker players. Apparently some Californian casinos are offering prize money in the thousands of dollars – even if you lose at a game of poker; surely meaning that the lunatics have finally taken over the asylum!
It’s really just a poker lottery.
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How could you win thousands with a hand that doesn't win a poker game?
Apparently the casinos named take a $1 ‘fee’ from the pot of every game played which, even for any one of those casinos, can add up to thousands of dollars a day. They then pay out this money to poker players who, despite having had a strong hand, didn’t actually win; having their names put into a draw for the losers’ jackpot at the end of that days play. What must be truly galling here is that these jackpots often exceed the value of the pots to be won at the poker tables! I personally am astounded and outraged at this – I thought reward for failure only applied to bankers and government officials?
Legal challenge to poker lotteries.
In an interesting twist to this story two Californian poker players are taking the matter to court, which might yet result in this practice being outlawed. Unfortunately they’re not doing this to challenge the blatantly unfair practice of rewarding failure but because of a technicality in the wording of these poker games with a loser’s jackpot. Their case basically hinges on whether or not the casinos are promoting these particular games fairly and that by taking $1 out of the pot – the actual winners pot is unfairly diminished. Now I’m all for the ‘little guy’ taking on any big business/corporation when he thinks he’s not getting a fair deal – but these two look doomed to failure. The reason for their likely failure is because the casinos named insist that players can choose to play at tables without the $1 jackpot deduction if they wish too. So, what do you think – is this idea of loser’s jackpots fair or unfair?