4 ms·

Poker got lucky because it can be televised, giving it a lot of exposure. It combines luck, bets, all-in, you may lose it all in one bet, you can get a lucky ha

by Thiz 12y ago

Poker got lucky because it can be televised, giving it a lot of exposure. It combines luck, bets, all-in, you may lose it all in one bet, you can get a lucky hand and still blow it, you can bluff. But the real trick that made it popular was the camera showing each players hands. We knew we could play better than them, we could fold, raise, go all-in from our own houses and lose nothing just having a good time. Chess can not provide that. Sorry to burst your bubble. Now if you're looking for another kind of game to hit the jackpot, try dominoes. Four players, seven tiles each, same camera to immerse the viewer in the game, and the same million dollars jackpot. There you may have a winner.

Fuzzwah 12y ago
This is exactly it. Spectating games as entertainment need to have information which the audience is exposed to but is hidden from the players. Real time strategy games have some of this appeal, however at the very top levels players scout so well that they basically have perfect information anyway. I watched the grand final of the IEM Starcraft 2 tournament this weekend, in the last game Flash took a ninja base (hidden across the other side of the map) and the commentators were making a huge thing about it. It was scouted with in roughly 3 minutes. It was impressive in the same way that a poker player correctly calls a good bluff, but it made me realize that unlike poker you don't often get that "oh no, don't do it you idiot!" feeling that you get when you watch a poker player walk straight into someone's trap.
- QuantumGood 12y ago
  Realtime computer analysis combined with clear diagrams is that hidden information (along with relevant info about approaches each player is prone to). But even more important is an interested and informed audience. Chess kibitzing has been popular for centuries, much more so than people watching card games. Thanks to the ubiquity of online game access, there are more people than ever before who play chess somewhat regularly.
oldbuzzard 12y ago
I remember reading an article about dominoes being the next big thing >5years ago. It was supposed to draw in the hispanic market. I think ESPN even televised a few matches. It never caught on. Poker has that tough guy, wild west, mafia cachet. Dominoes brings to mind old ethnic guys playing in the park.

by Thiz 12y ago

Fuzzwah 12y ago

This is exactly it. Spectating games as entertainment need to have information which the audience is exposed to but is hidden from the players. Real time strategy games have some of this appeal, however at the very top levels players scout so well that they basically have perfect information anyway. I watched the grand final of the IEM Starcraft 2 tournament this weekend, in the last game Flash took a ninja base (hidden across the other side of the map) and the commentators were making a huge thing about it. It was scouted with in roughly 3 minutes. It was impressive in the same way that a poker player correctly calls a good bluff, but it made me realize that unlike poker you don't often get that "oh no, don't do it you idiot!" feeling that you get when you watch a poker player walk straight into someone's trap.

QuantumGood 12y ago
Realtime computer analysis combined with clear diagrams is that hidden information (along with relevant info about approaches each player is prone to). But even more important is an interested and informed audience. Chess kibitzing has been popular for centuries, much more so than people watching card games. Thanks to the ubiquity of online game access, there are more people than ever before who play chess somewhat regularly.

oldbuzzard 12y ago

I remember reading an article about dominoes being the next big thing >5years ago. It was supposed to draw in the hispanic market. I think ESPN even televised a few matches. It never caught on. Poker has that tough guy, wild west, mafia cachet. Dominoes brings to mind old ethnic guys playing in the park.