Reback vs Dreyfus – Alex Strikes Back

In 2010, an organization called World Team Poker hosted a tournament featuring eight six-player teams. In the end, Team China defeated Team Brazil, and no one cared. And yet somehow the Global Poker Masters is supposed to be different? Storms Reback, All In Magazine;

While Reback credited Dreyfus for his efforts in establishing the GPI, he finds his attempts on ‘sportifying’ poker somewhat pointless. The columnist describes poker as an individual ‘pursuit’ or ‘competition’ and doesn’t understand the desire to turn it into a team game.

The biggest problem Reback seems to have with the entire idea of the Global Poker Masters is the fact the future winner is already being called ‘the world champion’. This title has already been taken, as for decades the winner of the Main Event was dubbed poker world champion for the next year.

Finally, he questions Dreyfus’ motivation in this whole thing. Is he really working hard to help poker grow and develop or is it an attempt to further strengthen the GPI and position itself to take over the poker world?

Alexandre’s Response

Reback openly invited Dreyfus to respond to his column and try and convince him that he was somehow wrong. He challenged him to prove that GPI was somehow different than the previous similar initiatives, although Reback stated that he doesn’t really see that happening.

The response came promptly (and lengthy) as the GPI owner sent in his e-mail to the ALL IN the very next day. Although Alexandre was moderate in his choice of words (stating that he doesn’t mind critics as they make him want to be stronger), he did underline that there was a big difference between him as an entrepreneur and Reback as a journalist.

That’s stupid. I’m not sure that your first sexual experience should determine your entire sexual life Alex Dreyfus;

The fact that something failed in the past is no reason to give up on the idea completely, Dreyfus maintains. The reasons for failure of the attempts like World Team Poker, IFP Nations Cup and several others are to be found in multiple factors.

…you just surf on a wave and let it go. That’s not a vision, that’s opportunism.

One of these factors is what he refers to as ‘Time to Market’. Majority of these initiatives were launched in the period when money in poker was easy and there hasn’t been much thought put towards the realization. They simply went with it hoping for the best.

What differentiates him and the GPI from these earlier efforts is the vision. Dreyfus explained that they’ve started this whole story of #sportifying poker with the well thought-out plan, which would first set the organization as an authority in the poker world. This was achieved, as the GPI has become a widely recognized ranking authority. With that accomplished, they are ready for the next step, which should see poker becoming more mainstream.

Defending the legitimacy of the Global Poker Masters as the World Championship of Poker, Alexandre explains that the process of players’ selection was such that it would truly see the best of the best square off. GPM does not aim to crown a single champion, but rather to find a nation that will carry the banner of the world champion.

Concluding, Dreyfus (correctly) points out that he (and his partners) put forward the money needed for the organization ans coverage of the event and although some may find it not worthwhile, him and many participating players do. These initiatives do not hurt any parts of the ecosystem and can only help the existing tours like WSOP, WPT, EPT etc.

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While I personally don’t feel particularly strongly about the idea either way, I do believe that the efforts to bring more attention to poker and introduce it more into the mainstream media will be good for the game in the long run.

GPI probably has certain plans that are not publicized, but what business venture doesn’t? All things considered it certainly seems that efforts on ‘sportifying’ poker should help the game move along, and that’s all that counts at this point.

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