The poker community is well aware of the potential future of poker under the dreams of Mediarex Sports and Entertainment’s (formerly Zokay Entertainment) Chief Executive Officer and founder Alexandre Dreyfus. The dream of Dreyfus – to “sportify” the game of poker rather than leave it in its current state – is one of the major things that drives him in his pursuits. Earlier last week, it also drove Dreyfus to the virtual pages of the Huffington Post UK.
In an op/ed on the site, Dreyfus opines about his vision for the future of poker. He does acknowledge the past, where the money drove not only online poker but also the live game, but states that “the gold rush…has stopped.” He also says that the current form of the game “suffers from a tainted image that doesn’t reflect its reality.”
Citing that over 100 million “casual” poker fans exist around the world, Dreyfus opens up about what he wants to do with the game of poker. “My vision is to change (the) image of the game and make people see that not only is poker a game but it’s a sport and a great proposition for entertainment,” Dreyfus writes. “The industry needs a shake-up and that’s what I am here to do – tip it on its head, rebuild and reinvigorate the game so that it gets the audience it so rightfully deserves.”
Dreyfus then moves off on a discussion of the three tenets of what he believes poker can be: a game, a sport and entertainment. Dreyfus has some excellent statistics behind his first point – that poker is a game with worldwide influence – in demonstrating that 52% of 18-24 year olds and 55% of 25-34 year olds have either played poker or know of friends that do. This demonstrates the “casual” acquaintance with the game of poker that many in the world have.
As far as poker being a sport, Dreyfus doesn’t look at it from the usual definition of “sport.” He states that it is a mental game that, for its highest level participants, requires extreme vigilance and preparation both mentally and physically. “The game of poker today is not the same (as) it was 10 years ago (and) the top players aren’t either,” Dreyfus notes.
Finally, Dreyfus indicates there is a huge draw for poker as entertainment. “More than three million people play poker everyday – for free – on Facebook without any hope of earning money or prizes,” Dreyfus opines. “Millions of people are watching poker shows on TV and most important, more are watching real-time poker competitions on livestream. It is thrilling to watch poker, there is an inspirational aspect that makes you believe – rightfully – that you could be sat there, next to the champions. No other game, no other sport, gives you that opportunity. Poker has a strong entertainment value proposition. It is very easy to understand and it is very easy to try.”
Dreyfus, in his look at “sportifying” poker, believes that the next realm of success with poker will not be playing online but being viewed online against other game options. “Consumption of games, sport and entertainment has changed significantly in the last five years,” Dreyfus notes. “The emergence of eSports, the mobility of consumers, and the need of fast pace content and strong engagement forces the poker industry to re-invest itself. Poker is no longer competing against casino games or sports betting, but against the video game industry and a broader entertainment proposition.”
Dreyfus concludes his op/ed by saying, “Poker has a large but fragmented global fan base that needs aggregation, innovation and disruption to be re-activated. I believe we need to enhance the game, create proper fan engagement – that doesn’t exist anymore – and build content to fulfill an existing appetite.” Does Dreyfus have the proper vision forward for the world of poker, or are his thoughts a grandiose view of the game, usually beholden to the gambling world and casinos, that will never be achieved?
