The countdown to the 2025 WSOP is on. 100 bracelets. All the poker players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
As a television co-host, commentator and analyst, Tony Dunst has worked with the World Poker Tour for well over a decade.
On his way to over $700K in live tournament earnings he’s won a WPT event, three WSOP bracelets, and four WSOP Circuit rings.
'The biggest month of poker of my entire year'
What are you most looking forward to at the WSOP this year?
Playing a lot of online poker. The options have expanded, of course. The World Series runs its bracelet events and some really good circuit events, that's how I won my way into the WSOP Tournament of Champions for this year.
Also, ClubWPT is launching a major series, a festival, and some online events. For the first time in a long time, players in Nevada will have some more options.
Do you play many live events during your busy WPT schedule each year?
I'm much more of an online guy, even during the summer.
Last year, I only played a couple of live events over the summer, but this year we have diverse options and big prizepools to play for. That’s always really exciting. It's probably the biggest month of poker of my entire year, even as an online player.
How did your day go at the WSOP Tournament of Champions at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles?
Well... not good. I was there for the first two hours and then I busted.
I got my money in with the nut flush on the turn, so can't do much better than that. My opponent had a set, and the river paired the board. Fair enough; I won’t lose any sleep over it.
What does the World Poker Tour have up its sleeve for players this summer?
The big announcement we made the other day is that the WPT Venetian is back this summer in mid-July. That's got a $4 million guarantee on it, and if I remember right, it's a $5K event. We partnered with Venetian a few years ago and have always had a great relationship with them. I am super happy that they're back on the schedule.
Later this summer, I'm going to Cyprus with the WPT. We're having a championship-level event with a $3,500 buy-in there.
'He's a very focused player, and I trust him to pay me!'
Matt Savage recently said he’s open to being 'the Commissioner of Poker', much like Roger Goodell is for the NFL. Do you think that’s a good move for poker?
No. Not really. I don't think that a commissioner would have any real authority. At each casino, whether an online site or brick and mortar, they would have their own jurisdiction over decision-making. I don't know how you would give any real authority to a commissioner.
Then he would just end up as a figurehead who says things but has no ability to enact any real policy. I don't know how something like that would work.
I think Matt’s primary goal is to be a ‘figurehead’, making at least 10% of Goodell’s NFL salary. So, the industry will pay Matt only $6,300,000.
Haha, is that all? He would have to get all the casinos or tours aligned with the commissioner and convince them that the bottom line sits with him on the major decisions in poker. You'll never get that. At least I don't think so.
Who would you pick if you had to swap 5% with anybody during the World Series?
One guy that always leaps to mind is Andrew ‘LuckyChewy’ Lichtenberger. He's just such a consistent and impressive player.
I think he's good at alternating between playing very exploitative live against more casual players, and having that well-studied game theory poker background when up against the high-roller crowd.
He's been deep in the Main Event before and knows what it requires. He's a very focused player and doesn’t hang out on his phone at the table. And I trust him to pay me!
What needs to be done to make the WSOP a better player experience for everybody?
Some of the logistics could be improved upon. The tiny hallway you walk out of is covered in smoke when you reach the exit. It would be nice to solve that issue.
You know what? It's hard to get a decent cup of coffee in there. Seriously, these little things add up over the course of a summer. We used to have multiple Starbucks in the Rio, and you could place orders ahead of time. It was still pretty easy and efficient. Now at the Horseshoe, there's one coffee spot way up the hallway with one overwhelmed person working there during breaks. That’s not good.
And I wish the food options could be improved upon. I miss the All-American Dave situation, where we had a healthy menu option to deliver right to the table. He even delivered coffee.
I also wouldn’t mind doing away with dinner breaks and having a shorter day, or adding back 15 minutes, so we get 90 minutes total and don’t have to rush back from dinner.
Speaking of shorter days, Phil Hellmuth thinks the Main Event is too long and is a test of endurance instead of skill. Do you agree? Do you think he'll change his mind at the last minute and play?
I think the format should remain unchanged. It's great as it is. It's a marathon of poker, and that's what's required to win.
And of course he's going to play. No doubt.
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