I know you may find this hard to believe, particularly after all the sage advice I have doled out on this website, but I have never won a World Series of Poker bracelet. I came close to a bracelet when I watched a final table from the bleachers, but never have been named the rightful owner of one. I understand you may be shocked to hear this and if you need a moment to catch your breath, by all means, go ahead.
Since I have never won a WSOP event, I have also never experienced anything that goes along with it, such as the swollen bank account, permanent smile, and dozens of new friends and family members. I actually have something in common with Richard Austin, who won the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event this summer, as we both haven’t had the usual experiences of a WSOP bracelet winner You see, just as I have never been interviewed by the media after a WSOP victory or been presented with my bracelet in front of a packed Amazon Room at the Rio, neither has Richard Austin.
You see, Austin declined both the post-game interview and the following day’s formal bracelet presentation, something that nobody has ever done, at least by choice. His actions have sparked a lively debate in the poker community on whether or not he has a responsibility to do these things. Some people feel like the snubs were slaps in the face to the WSOP, while others believe that Austin has the right to do whatever he pleases, that he doesn’t owe anyone anything.
While I would love to be controversial and pick one extreme on the spectrum or the other, I am sad to say that I fall somewhere in the middle. In short, while I feel that granting the interview and participating in the bracelet ceremony are somehow the “right” things to do, at the same time I believe each of us is free to do what makes us happy.
Personally, I think the interview would be fun, but then again, nobody ever wants to interview me, so it would be a novel experience. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is a responsibility you owe to the WSOP, but without an excuse, I think refusing to do it is kind of a jerk move. The WSOP just afforded you the opportunity to win a bunch of money and would appreciate a few quotes so that a nice story can be written about the final table and the WSOP can promote itself. Plus, those members of the media in attendance are trying to do their jobs. They have articles to write. The least you can do is give a few minutes of your time.
Of course, some people might have extreme cases of shyness or have some sort of social anxiety disorder which would make a public interview difficult. If this is the case, and it is rumored that it might be with Austin, then do what you need to do.
I do understand the reasons people give for not liking the bracelet ceremony. It takes place the following day while other people are playing in tournaments. The last thing other players want is to have their tournament interrupted by a big announcement and silly presentation of a bracelet to a person of whom most people in the room are jealous. It can come off as a bit tacky and very annoying. Plus, from the winner’s point of view, he might not want to come back to the poker room the next day, especially when he is potentially going to be awkward standing up in front of people who either don’t care about you or who hate you for winning.
But seriously, those who win a bracelet at the WSOP should just participate in the bracelet ceremony. Other players know it’s not the winner’s fault that their game is getting interrupted. The idea behind the bracelet ceremony is an admirable one – rather than handing the winner the bracelet right when the tournament ends, which is often in the wee hours of the morning in front of maybe a dozen remaining tired fans, let’s award the bracelet in the light of day (in a poker room with no windows) in front of everybody, so that the winner gets the recognition he deserves. And while it may be a little cheesy, there is no harm in it.
One recurring argument I heard in Austin’s favor (and again, he may have a legit reason for declining the interview and presentation) was that he has no obligation or quasi-obligation to do these things until Harrah’s or the WSOP’s sponsors put up some of the prize pool. He has already benefitted them by contributing to the prize pool, a prize pool from which house fees were taken. Why should he do the WSOP any more favors?
Well, because it’s just the cool thing to do. Life is full of battles. This one is not one that needs to be fought.
