Epic Failure: Only 97 Show for Second Epic Poker League Main Event

With all the hoopla surrounding the newly created Epic Poker League, 97 players making up the field for their second main event can be deemed nothing short of an epic failure.

Andrew Feldman of ESPN.com suggests this has more to do with the scheduling.

From tournaments across Europe to PokerStars' WCOOP, players simply chose other locations with hopes of better opportunities to make a big score. For many of the younger players who are league card holders, the attraction of online poker reigned supreme and re-entering the U.S. for this one tournament didn't seem like a viable option. As blunt as it may sound, this may have been the absolute worst time to hold a major televised event. If the league really wants to get off the ground, it needs to have a solid player base at every event, and finding a better time slot for future tournaments should be a top priority.

Epic bills itself as a “players invite only” type league where amateurs can’t take part. 

Daniel Negreanu, who in the past has referred to Epic Poker League Commissioner Annie Duke as a “f***ing c***”, did offer some valid points as to why this league could be in for a rough ride.

He wrote on his blog: 

Many of you have asked me why I have chosen not to support, or participate in the Epic Poker League, and while I have a laundry list of reasons, I'd point out that I chose not to take part in the World Team Poker event for one sole reason: I didn't think it would be a success. The same holds true with the Epic Poker League. Not just because of the bizarre choice in name, but because I don't believe this product will resonate with the public and based on my intimate knowledge of how these types of things work, I don't think it's possible to bring in enough revenue to survive. The only legitimate chance the league has to survive is if regulation happened in the U.S. and they were able to create an online poker site.

The league's financial structure is fundamentally flawed from a revenue standpoint and is doomed to be an #epicfail. For the truly elite players, this is free money for them in terms of EV, but the vast majority of entrants are just not good enough to show a profit against this super tough field.

Sad to say but Negreanu’s prophetic words could be coming to fruition.  We here at Gambling911.com certainly hope not. 

- Ace King, Gambling911.com