According to Daily Esports, Boxer has signed a deal to become the main model for the game/poker site "Fulpot Poker" developed by Me2On. In addition to this deal, he will become a professional poker player.
Boxer is set to compete in online tournaments in Fulpot Poker, and he plans to compete in the Asian Poker Tour and as well as the World Series of Poker.
I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
It's not just SC2. A number of SC1 pros have gone to poker as well, namely Elky and rekrul.
Good for him. Hopefully he remains at least partly involved with Starcraft. He's a great inspiration and single-handedly the reason I began playing Starcraft.
I knew my 500th post should have been saved, it's appropriate it's about Boxer.
interesting. if he ever makes a decent run in a wsop event they'd better do one of those little player profile blurbs on him! that'd make a really good one for sure
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
It's not just SC2. A number of SC1 pros have gone to poker as well, namely Elky and rekrul.
would be cool to have a small former bw and sc2 pro poker championship and stream it on twitch
Wow, that's big. Looks that it confirms that poker is the best transition for BW players: Grrr, Elky, Rekrul, Nazgul, Slayer, Asmodey, Everlast, Freedom, Pillars, Schnibl0r etc. and of course Korn who founded PokerStrategy.
After reading his biography, I'm sure he has all the qualities required to be a great poker player. BoxeR hwaiting!
washed up. sad to see these former starcraft pros seriously lack any real direction or career post-esports. for every boxer there are dozens of players who cant profit from their celebrity following their gaming careers. boxer was never really good at sc2 or at coaching it.
Who knows, he might still play Starcraft/Starcraft 2 part-time, it didn't say he's going to be a full-time professional poker player or saying he's out of Starcraft for good.
On December 06 2013 13:07 Miss_Foxy wrote: Who knows, he might still play Starcraft/Starcraft 2 part-time, it didn't say he's going to be a full-time professional poker player or saying he's out of Starcraft for good.
He wasn't really playing currently, he was coaching.
On December 06 2013 12:58 Jarree wrote: "Professional poker player". Yeah right, pretty face for a company and a big loser in games is my guess.
He's sponsored. There's no need to put it in quotations. He is being paid to play poker. By definition he's a professional. So edgy tho.
Well after being a professional poker player for maybe 7-8 years I can tell you that no winning player would call him a "professional poker player". Maybe something like a mascot for a football team, he get's paid also but isn't a professional football player, even if he kicks the ball in the half-time. Also see Kiwikaki's post.
On December 06 2013 13:07 Miss_Foxy wrote: Who knows, he might still play Starcraft/Starcraft 2 part-time, it didn't say he's going to be a full-time professional poker player or saying he's out of Starcraft for good.
He's been out of Starcraft the moment he stepped down from coaching SKT. His shoulder injury means Starcraft isn't a realistic career choice anymore, especially with its declining popularity in Korea.
So he's left SKT1 as head coach? Regardless of whether he left progaming for good, I'm happy BoxeR found something he can enjoy and find his passion in, even though it may not be e-Sports. Wish the best of luck to him, and for him to be the Emperor of Poker.
He could still coach part-time, just that it's not going to be a full time coaching career.
Considering that fact that none of the bonjwas have actually left the Starcraft/Starcraft 2 scene.
Current Bonjwas:
iloveoov: SKT Starcraft 2 Coach NaDa: AZUBU Starcraft 2 Coach Flash: Plays Starcraft 2 saviOr: Plays Starcraft Brood War Boxer: Plays Starcraft 2 Poker
On December 06 2013 13:14 Miss_Foxy wrote: He could still coach part-time, just that it's not going to be a full time coaching career.
Considering that fact that none of the bonjwas have actually left the Starcraft/Starcraft 2 scene (iloveoov: SKT Coach / NaDa: Plays Starcraft 2 / Flash: Plays Starcraft 2 / saviOr: Plays Starcraft Brood War)
NaDa plays World of Tanks last I saw. I dunno if he is still doing coaching on Azubu.
Wow hope he becomes the Emperor of Spades or something along those lines :D GLHF BoxeR... your work within the eSports community will definitely remain in those who have witnessed it! Not to mention his "son" MMA is still playing.
It's like BoxeR is trying to do all the things YellOw did like 2 years ago.
Be a head coach of a Kespa team: check Be on a reality TV show: check Advertise for a poker company: check Beat Reach in his fairwell BW match: aaaaw darn
On December 06 2013 13:27 mhael wrote: Is he going to be a dealer?
APM!!!
THIS. lol.
Did people forget he no longer coaches for SKT? I was wondering what he was going to be doing since he really has no "profession" right now, so I wasn't really surprised.
Always hoped that he would maybe come back to SC2, or just coach some other team, but I guess it was not to be. ): Still, there's always something in the future.
I thought poker took a pretty big hit as a job when the US government ceased that one online operation, killing the biggest market? Did I get that wrong?
On another note, I'm really excited he's doing this. SC2 is not a viable career for anyone except in casting and at the very top of competition. He won't be a professional in poker so quickly, but atleast he's going to be doing something that earns him money and accolades.
On December 06 2013 13:47 Sub40APM wrote: I thought poker took a pretty big hit as a job when the US government ceased that one online operation, killing the biggest market? Did I get that wrong?
you didn't, games got a LOT harder online since that passed, not to mention we can't play with the french and italians anymore and god knows they were awful
still money to be made but for someone who's just starting it's gonna be a heck of a ride
Anyone got more information about this site to share? The website is pretty poorly done(promosions), and i havent heard much about it on pocket5s and twoplustwo.
Why are people sad ? lets face it boxer isnt into sc as much as he was at some point , and he transitioning to another game where he could make a living.
Im actually happy for boxer , I think he mechanics failed him as a pro sc2 player , but his mind was still as sharp as it has always been , so poker should be a good fit.
On December 06 2013 13:47 Sub40APM wrote: I thought poker took a pretty big hit as a job when the US government ceased that one online operation, killing the biggest market? Did I get that wrong?
you didn't, games got a LOT harder online since that passed, not to mention we can't play with the french and italians anymore and god knows they were awful
still money to be made but for someone who's just starting it's gonna be a heck of a ride
It's slowly opening up in the USA again with a couple sites allowing Nevada and now New Jersey players to join. It's not much but there's hope!
BoxeR is 33.. what do you expect? A grown man playing a kids game for the rest of his life? GOGO BoxeR, become the best at poker just like Starcraft =D!
On December 06 2013 13:47 Sub40APM wrote: I thought poker took a pretty big hit as a job when the US government ceased that one online operation, killing the biggest market? Did I get that wrong?
you didn't, games got a LOT harder online since that passed, not to mention we can't play with the french and italians anymore and god knows they were awful
still money to be made but for someone who's just starting it's gonna be a heck of a ride
Er...
Games were much better when the americans were around. Not saying all of them are, but alot of the fishes are from the US.
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
On December 06 2013 14:35 Erosive wrote: BoxeR is 33.. what do you expect? A grown man playing a kids game for the rest of his life? GOGO BoxeR, become the best at poker just like Starcraft =D!
On December 06 2013 13:47 Sub40APM wrote: I thought poker took a pretty big hit as a job when the US government ceased that one online operation, killing the biggest market? Did I get that wrong?
you didn't, games got a LOT harder online since that passed, not to mention we can't play with the french and italians anymore and god knows they were awful
still money to be made but for someone who's just starting it's gonna be a heck of a ride
Er...
Games were much better when the americans were around. Not saying all of them are, but alot of the fishes are from the US.
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
just that both are competitive, both requires a lot of hardwork/dedication to succeed at and well a lot more money to be made from poker than starcraft so kind of a natural transition
this is really horrible, boxer is supposed to show the younger generation that you can fall back onto something in the industry even after your pro-gaming career is finished.
Not sure how it'll work seeing as I'm 99% sure it's illegal here (Korean citizens aren't allowed in the casinos - maybe there's a loophole for doing it online?)
On December 06 2013 15:05 Scarecrow wrote: Not sure how it'll work seeing as I'm 99% sure it's illegal here (Korean citizens aren't allowed in the casinos - maybe there's a loophole for doing it online?)
Why would it be illegal? I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that LastShadow played poker to earn money while he was almost homeless. Not sure though. Either way, Boxer going down the poker road is pretty lame for esports.
On December 06 2013 15:05 Scarecrow wrote: Not sure how it'll work seeing as I'm 99% sure it's illegal here (Korean citizens aren't allowed in the casinos - maybe there's a loophole for doing it online?)
Why would it be illegal? I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that LastShadow played poker to earn money while he was almost homeless. Not sure though.
Lastshadow's not Korean. Foreigners are free to play in the casino's here.
He's done it all, and he's moving on. I don't like it, but it happens I guess. I'm confused how he's gonna gamble though since it's illegal to do in Korea for Koreans I thought. I really don't think the move to poker is smart though, because he will always be recognized as The Emperor in the eyes of anybody who knows e-Sports.
I played back in 2007 and the just recently. The best way i can describe it to you guys would probably be 2007, gold and 2013 GM level. Was a pretty decent winner back in the day but barely breakeven pre-rakeback now.
Dont think Boxer is supposed to actually play and beat the game though, probably ambassador or promotion purpose.
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
just that both are competitive, both requires a lot of hardwork/dedication to succeed at and well a lot more money to be made from poker than starcraft so kind of a natural transition
but then again many other things can be described that way? oh well, still best of luck to BoxeR!
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
just that both are competitive, both requires a lot of hardwork/dedication to succeed at and well a lot more money to be made from poker than starcraft so kind of a natural transition
but then again many other things can be described that way? oh well, still best of luck to BoxeR!
well I guess you can add that you can make ur money in front of ur computer, so it's closer to e-sports than an actual professional athlete
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
just that both are competitive, both requires a lot of hardwork/dedication to succeed at and well a lot more money to be made from poker than starcraft so kind of a natural transition
Those things can be said about almost anything competitive though.
I think the main similarity is the long-term patient observation of people's style patterns. You play a ton of games, and in one game almost anything could happen, because the game is volatile. But in the course of multiple games there are patterns to study and counter. You also have to be aware of your own style image and play around the expectations of your opponent.
On December 06 2013 15:05 Scarecrow wrote: Not sure how it'll work seeing as I'm 99% sure it's illegal here (Korean citizens aren't allowed in the casinos - maybe there's a loophole for doing it online?)
Why would it be illegal? I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that LastShadow played poker to earn money while he was almost homeless. Not sure though. Either way, Boxer going down the poker road is pretty lame for esports.
Anyone with a foreign passport can gamble to their heart's content at any casino in Korea however Korean nationals can only gamble at one special casino (Gangwonland) which is miles away from Seoul or any other big city.
As for online gambling I'm pretty sure it is illegal to gamble any large amounts as several celebrities recently got in trouble for it, however this site may be using a loophole (small bets or play money that can later be exchanged for real money).
Edit- Hmm, looking at the web site, it looks like they may be based in the Phillippines rather than Korea.
Why is everyone so upset? It makes me happy he still wants to be a competitor of any kind, he has a brilliant mind but unfortunately Starcraft is largely a young mans game mechanics wise.
I'm happy for BoxeR, I think he will become a very successful poker player, will miss him in SC scene but .... oh well... God bless the emperor, hope that he comes back as a coach one day
it is very hard for koreans to succeed at poker though because very few of them speaks english and all the info out there is in english... not to mention the fact that gambling is illegal in south korea
Wow, really sad to see Boxer leave the scene... But it is really incredible the number of ex BW and SC2 players that have fled to poker. There are really alot of similarities between starcraft and poker imho, both need agressivity, being able to read your oponent (in starcraft, not only scouting but also being able to cheese your oponent on theright map in a boX), and mental strenght (even if you are not in a good position, you have to think that you can always come back) I hope to see Boxer in pro tournaments. I would also love to see a poker tourney with ex RTS players, even though I would give an edge to ElkY!
"Boxer has signed a deal to become the main model for the game/poker site "Fulpot Poker"
i have a feeling hes just the poster boy for the site. They give him an account, pay for him to play in couple major tournaments to get publicity and get the site rolling.
On December 06 2013 16:44 for_the_swarm wrote: "Boxer has signed a deal to become the main model for the game/poker site "Fulpot Poker"
i have a feeling hes just the poster boy for the site. They give him an account, pay for him to play in couple major tournaments to get publicity and get the site rolling.
Not that much of a stretch, considering he's been a poster boy for other games in the past (even when he was still playing SC2, he was promoting other games).
At least this one he can actually try making a career out of it.
On December 06 2013 16:44 for_the_swarm wrote: "Boxer has signed a deal to become the main model for the game/poker site "Fulpot Poker"
i have a feeling hes just the poster boy for the site. They give him an account, pay for him to play in couple major tournaments to get publicity and get the site rolling.
Not that much of a stretch, considering he's been a poster boy for other games in the past (even when he was still playing SC2, he was promoting other games).
At least this one he can actually try making a career out of it.
The main model thing kinda throws me off. I know Korean malls and companies hire "celebrities" to be a part of the "attraction" to the products. Is he going to be a professional poker player or be the face of this company's marketing? Smells more like he is doing this as a side job, which he needs to promote through other activities.
I can't see him a serious contender at world series at Vegas, but he shouldn't have trouble making headlines in the Korean media.
Poker...nice Looking forward to seeing him in the WSOP... Not be stereotypical here, but being asian and a gambler i have no doubt he is good! Ivy vs Boxer finals incoming!! ooo Maybe a sc2 match vs Kiwikaki ? :o
On December 06 2013 17:46 Pandemona wrote: Poker...nice Looking forward to seeing him in the WSOP... Not be stereotypical here, but being asian and a gambler i have no doubt he is good! Ivy vs Boxer finals incoming!! ooo Maybe a sc2 match vs Kiwikaki ? :o
Even though I noe, I noe I will never see BoxeR become unstoppable like when he was his prime. But as long as he is in SC2 scene, somehow, I feel, maybe he will making some thing work. It is like a, fantasy? Dream?
But now, it is over. . The dream crashed.
Ah, feelings is wierd, I always thought I have moved on to be Flash fan. But somehow this hurt me alot. It feels like I will never see him again or something.
Unless I watch poker hahahaha. Hmm, I still catch him in Genius Season 2.
On December 06 2013 15:00 ETisME wrote: this is really horrible, boxer is supposed to show the younger generation that you can fall back onto something in the industry even after your pro-gaming career is finished.
Yeah, 15 years in the industry isn't enough, he has to stick around longer so young progamers think there are plenty of jobs for them in the industry, even though whether Boxer is still here has no bearing on how many jobs are actually available for those guys. It's not enough that countless people have gotten jobs related to progaming. Boxer has to stay forever even after the point when Jeffrey Combs reanimates him to continue slaving away at Starcraft.
On December 06 2013 18:30 8mmspikes wrote: Well says a lot about the Starcraft scene that Boxer is completely out of it now :/
he has been retired from playing sc2 for like 2 years now which is like a lifetime in esports.i didn't even remember him as being in sc2 anymore.what he is doing is normal considering the korea scene right now.there are many things that point to a decline in the sc2 scene.boxer's switching to poker is not one of them
because of him, people that have never heard of esports/starcraft will hear from it for the first time. In my opinion these are good news. Let's be honest: he didnt have any impact on starcraft in the last year whatsoever, we barely saw him anyway. we probably will hear more from him now :D
Why is everybody so sad? This man managed to stay in esports for way over 10 years as a player and a coach, that's more than most people do and we should be grateful for all that boxer has done for our scene. At the same time we should also be happy for him that he managed to transition into something else and I really wish him a lot of success.
Dunno why everyone is so sad. Seems like a natural transition after being in games your entire life. You either coach, which he probably got fed up with, or do something like this.
Its sad to see one of the pillars of the industry leave. But Starcraft is far from its old glory and with all the problems that he had in Slayers this isn't a huge surprise.
He makes advertisement for Fulpot Poker and has to play a few tournaments. By no means he will be a "professional poker player". He won't be a winning player without much time invested.
I can understand why, but why wouldn't you rather wanna educate yourself when you've used your entire 20's on progaming and no school. it's never too late
Wait why does everyone assume he is done with Starcraft? He is a "professional poker player" the same way Boris Becker is a professional poker player, ie promotes the site in exchange for sponsorship money and paid tournament entry fees. So his face will be used in the site's adds and he will show up to a few high profile tournaments a year. I highly doubt he is going to start grinding online poker 12 hours a day.
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
just that both are competitive, both requires a lot of hardwork/dedication to succeed at and well a lot more money to be made from poker than starcraft so kind of a natural transition
How are the generic qualities of competition and dedication characteristics of poker exclusively? I just don't get why poker and not other things. Why not chess, billiards or even real sports?
Idk why everyone's so sad about this. I mean it's very sad that he left Starcraft, but I thought it was fairly clear that he had already as he hadn't played or coached for a while.
When I first read this I imagined this was something he would be doing for fun instead of money, though I have no idea how much money Boxer actually has.
Why is everyone so upset about this? I was under the impression the Starcraft communities opinion on poker was fairly warm. It's fairly obvious Boxer's days as a progamer in Starcraft are behind us, whereas poker is an opportunity that requires similar characteristics in a player without the mechanical pressure of a fast paced RTS game making it a perfect platform to continue a career into middle and old age.
It also goes without saying that it's an incredibly lucrative business and the potential for Starcraft 2 gaining positive publicity out of this move is hardly negligible.
I wish Boxer the best of luck and I dearly hope he decides to stream some of this.
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Yes. Can someone give me an adequate explanation to this?
just that both are competitive, both requires a lot of hardwork/dedication to succeed at and well a lot more money to be made from poker than starcraft so kind of a natural transition
How are the generic qualities of competition and dedication characteristics of poker exclusively? I just don't get why poker and not other things. Why not chess, billiards or even real sports?
Both are games of incomplete information, rely on metagame A LOT, you've to get into your opponnents head, you've to like solo competition and spending your days on your computer doing the same thing over and over and over again.
Plus, if you want to become good faster than others, playing a lot of tables at the same time on internet is really useful (you need those APMs).
I'm sure theres a lot of others connections between sc and poker.
ps : not to mention that to get really good at poker you've to identify what makes a good player, what moves you've to do at what time, etc
On December 06 2013 23:54 shammythefox wrote: Why is everyone so upset about this? I was under the impression the Starcraft communities opinion on poker was fairly warm. It's fairly obvious Boxer's days as a progamer in Starcraft are behind us, whereas poker is an opportunity that requires similar characteristics in a player without the mechanical pressure of a fast paced RTS game making it a perfect platform to continue a career into middle and old age.
It also goes without saying that it's an incredibly lucrative business and the potential for Starcraft 2 gaining positive publicity out of this move is hardly negligible.
I wish Boxer the best of luck and I dearly hope he decides to stream some of this.
I can answer this really simply. It's "another" end of an era.
I'm really upset about this (in an emotional way). Sure it's good that he can follow his career. But i'm just sad that he's leaving. But maybe it's not for good. I hope we will have an awesome interview where he explain his mindset and all of that.
For me, Lim Yohwan is what made me who am i today (i know it sounds silly. And i'm 30 ...). This guy tought me passion through his games. Perseverance, ambition and all of that. I found myself in high school with problem and saying in my head : "boxer wouldn't have let this down. He would have fought". Stuff like that.
Irony in all of that. I'm not a SKT fan.
Maybe i was a pathetic kid i don't know. But that is why i'm sad that he is ending his Starcraft presence. Hopefully it's not for good and may come back sometimes. I also hope that his physical condition is good now.
Honestly, I rather have him do something else rather than get meh results in Pro-Gaming. Maybe coaching or commentary would have worked but I think he's just trying stuff out at this point. Maybe he'll come back into the E-Sports Industry at some point but honestly he's done enough in E-Sports for a lifetime.
He deserves more than being kept around as the old man.
On December 06 2013 23:54 shammythefox wrote: Why is everyone so upset about this? I was under the impression the Starcraft communities opinion on poker was fairly warm. It's fairly obvious Boxer's days as a progamer in Starcraft are behind us, whereas poker is an opportunity that requires similar characteristics in a player without the mechanical pressure of a fast paced RTS game making it a perfect platform to continue a career into middle and old age.
It also goes without saying that it's an incredibly lucrative business and the potential for Starcraft 2 gaining positive publicity out of this move is hardly negligible.
I wish Boxer the best of luck and I dearly hope he decides to stream some of this.
I can answer this really simply. It's "another" end of an era.
I'm really upset about this (in an emotional way). Sure it's good that he can follow his career. But i'm just sad that he's leaving. But maybe it's not for good. I hope we will have an awesome interview where he explain his mindset and all of that.
For me, Lim Yohwan is what made me who am i today (i know it sounds silly. And i'm 30 ...). This guy tought me passion through his games. Perseverance, ambition and all of that. I found myself in high school with problem and saying in my head : "boxer wouldn't have let this down. He would have fought". Stuff like that.
Irony in all of that. I'm not a SKT fan.
Maybe i was a pathetic kid i don't know. But that is why i'm sad that he is ending his Starcraft presence. Hopefully it's not for good and may come back sometimes. I also hope that his physical condition is good now.
you are absolutely right
Boxer is a modern hero in korea. he made the whole starcraft programing scene possible and to be honest his game against nada (which had 3 million viewers a number no other starcraft 2 match ever achieved) probably was the reason why SC2 had some early success.
His mindset when playing games, to never surrender inspired a lot of young koreans and thats why its sad that he isnt trying another time. however i can kinda see that he doesnt want to do anything with SC2 anymore after how he got treated by those slayers basterds
On December 07 2013 00:45 farnham wrote: His mindset when playing games, to never surrender inspired a lot of young koreans and thats why its sad that he isnt trying another time. however i can kinda see that he doesnt want to do anything with SC2 anymore after how he got treated by those slayers basterds
That reminds me of his game against Joyo or whoever it was on the island map where he killed all the Protoss transport units and forced a mineout on the starting islands after getting his butt kicked all game long.
Scarlet with Banelings is pretty epic.
The only game that ever ended up with the observers looking for transport units only to find the last Terran CC floating to the last mining base is just on a different level.
Ok so I thought the reason that sc players in general tend to go play poker was because of the specific transferable skills, specifically apm and high speed decision making. In other words, it was my impression that what sc players have a leg up on is playing many games online at the same time, and flipping through them very quickly, which makes it a more profitable and reliable way of making money. But being a spokesman seems like it would mean playing single high profile games at a time, which seems like it doesn't use any Starcraft skills at all? Am I missing something?
Well, I guess it seems like boxer won't be playing for money anyway if gambling is illegal in SK, so I guess there's no difference
On December 06 2013 23:54 shammythefox wrote: Why is everyone so upset about this? I was under the impression the Starcraft communities opinion on poker was fairly warm. It's fairly obvious Boxer's days as a progamer in Starcraft are behind us, whereas poker is an opportunity that requires similar characteristics in a player without the mechanical pressure of a fast paced RTS game making it a perfect platform to continue a career into middle and old age.
It also goes without saying that it's an incredibly lucrative business and the potential for Starcraft 2 gaining positive publicity out of this move is hardly negligible.
I wish Boxer the best of luck and I dearly hope he decides to stream some of this.
I can answer this really simply. It's "another" end of an era.
I'm really upset about this (in an emotional way). Sure it's good that he can follow his career. But i'm just sad that he's leaving. But maybe it's not for good. I hope we will have an awesome interview where he explain his mindset and all of that.
For me, Lim Yohwan is what made me who am i today (i know it sounds silly. And i'm 30 ...). This guy tought me passion through his games. Perseverance, ambition and all of that. I found myself in high school with problem and saying in my head : "boxer wouldn't have let this down. He would have fought". Stuff like that.
Irony in all of that. I'm not a SKT fan.
Maybe i was a pathetic kid i don't know. But that is why i'm sad that he is ending his Starcraft presence. Hopefully it's not for good and may come back sometimes. I also hope that his physical condition is good now.
you are absolutely right
Boxer is a modern hero in korea. he made the whole starcraft programing scene possible and to be honest his game against nada (which had 3 million viewers a number no other starcraft 2 match ever achieved) probably was the reason why SC2 had some early success.
His mindset when playing games, to never surrender inspired a lot of young koreans and thats why its sad that he isnt trying another time. however i can kinda see that he doesnt want to do anything with SC2 anymore after how he got treated by those slayers basterds
I'm not Korean so he reached even further than Korea for me
On December 07 2013 00:52 strongandbig wrote: Ok so I thought the reason that sc players in general tend to go play poker was because of the specific transferable skills, specifically apm and high speed decision making. In other words, it was my impression that what sc players have a leg up on is playing many games online at the same time, and flipping through them very quickly, which makes it a more profitable and reliable way of making money. But being a spokesman seems like it would mean playing single high profile games at a time, which seems like it doesn't use any Starcraft skills at all? Am I missing something?
Well, I guess it seems like boxer won't be playing for money anyway if gambling is illegal in SK, so I guess there's no difference
well it's competitive, game of incomplete information like someone said earlier
and I suppose the idea of being able to win money at the same time is more attractive than playing something like billard or chess
If only it were that easy, though given his past of being good at SC1 and SC2 and hard work and what not, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility for him to be a winning pro player.
On December 07 2013 00:52 strongandbig wrote: Ok so I thought the reason that sc players in general tend to go play poker was because of the specific transferable skills, specifically apm and high speed decision making. In other words, it was my impression that what sc players have a leg up on is playing many games online at the same time, and flipping through them very quickly, which makes it a more profitable and reliable way of making money. But being a spokesman seems like it would mean playing single high profile games at a time, which seems like it doesn't use any Starcraft skills at all? Am I missing something?
Well, I guess it seems like boxer won't be playing for money anyway if gambling is illegal in SK, so I guess there's no difference
this is probably the answer:
On December 07 2013 02:12 Akimbo wrote: There is so many players ion poker now.
the communities are just intertwined. im sure these ex-pro players are all friends/acquaintances on some level, its not a big jump to get into what people close to you are into...
just look at jinro he's in poker now too right? he said it was into it a long time ago but im guessing that a factor may be because Nazgul also has links to poker (see: TLPoker)
I'm kind of in relief. I wish he stays to coach or do something in sc2, but this feels better than him doing the simple move of going to lol. He's 33 and I don't care much for lol. He'll probably do really well in Korea, with his name bringing strategic hyung-respect from the opponents but playing outside will be a big test. He definitely has it in him though!
I was young and ignorant when he was in his prime, but I remember how I would smile everytime he'd play. Bringing nukes, bringing back mech. Watching Fantasy play was kind of like watching a robot performing his will.
My favourite Broodwar memory is a TvT when he scouts a proxy barracks so early that the opponent cancels it, only to put up his own proxy barracks at the same place!
And when I finally got to see him in Korea! Before Fantasys sc2 game in the gsl studio, how Boxer brings the chair from the last games winning booth (MC had killed in that chair in the game earlier) and the poor scrub from the other team has to watch Boxer drag a superchair over the floor into Fantasys booth. The scrub cringed and Fantasy won!
I guess this is the last chance to post a pic of us. I got to feel like when it all started back when I was 16, every game of brood war made my jaw drop and Boxer was praised with blind idealism. Good times!
The world is such a small place. Back then ElkY was the new guy stepping into boxer palace.
And now look at how the tables switched.... I want a poker star showmatch featuring them both !
Also you never really stop loving SC,i saw elky play starcraft I & II in a french show just a few weeks ago, he was enjoying it soo much it was pretty amusing
As a curiosity I decided to watch a poker player as he streamed his games. Dude had like 20 windows open! I was in awe at how he was able to keep track of everything.
With Boxer's micro ability he should have no problem with 20 windows :D
I haven't really heard about poker in years, thought the boom was long dead.
I like playing it for 5$ with a group of friends winner takes all, but I would never attempt to make a career out of it. I can't imagine how many people destroy themselves financially each year thinking they will hit it big.
*EDIT :
And let's be honest, the reason so many SC players go to poker isn't because somehow their skills are transferable. It's because a lot of those people can't handle or don't want regular jobs, 9-5 shifts or anything else. Poker is just another way for them to have a "job" without real responsibilities. In Boxer's case, he gets sponsors because of his popularity so it's a decent idea for him. For most people, it's just laziness and wanting to make money without "working".
On December 06 2013 12:46 -niL wrote: He's now out of the starcraft scene?
Lol i think there will come a time where eventually everyone will be out of the starcraft scene, cuz everyone will outgrow the game due to other priorities and interest ppl would like to pursue, im sure you will as well.
It's basically a celebrity endorsement just like athletes in the west do after they retire. What is there to be sad about? If anything it's a good sign that boxer is still a big enough name that he can get money from these sort of deals.
On December 07 2013 09:41 11cc wrote: For a profession that exists solely for the benefit of the person practising it, poker and poker players have decent reputation. Disappointing.
On December 07 2013 09:41 11cc wrote: For a profession that exists solely for the benefit of the person practising it, poker and poker players have decent reputation. Disappointing.
loool
is starcraft any different
Are you serious? All of sc2 player's money comes from benefitting someone else. Sponsors, fans, tournaments, streams. All that money comes from someone who gets something in return.
I checked out the Fulpot Poker site after reading this news...
As far as I can tell, no real gambling goes on there. People buy fake "game money" by paying real money and then use the "game money" to play poker. You can also receive "game money" for free every couple hours. However, it seems that you cannot turn the "game money" you win back in to real money. It's an online computer game. The "game money" also serves as a score counter, sort of like a Pac-Man high score board. In other words, the game would be completely legal in Korea because there is no actual gambling and the target audience does not seem to be serious poker players.
It seems that BoxeR is essentially a glorified spokesmodel who helps advertise their mobile game. I would guess that his involvement in the real pro poker tournaments is to draw public attention to the web site. It seems similar in purpose to "Hyungjoon becomes a pro gamer", which helped advertise BW to a wider audience, but wasn't really focused on turning Hyungjoon into a real pro. I bet that video footage of BoxeR in these tournaments will be like a "BoxeR becomes a pro poker player" show to help advertise the game web site.
Although I wish that he was advertising something more sexy, like cars and beer, I don't think that BoxeR intends to become a serious poker player. That is my guess...which is based mostly on gut feeling. Best of luck to the emperor as a spokesmodel...
On December 07 2013 09:41 11cc wrote: For a profession that exists solely for the benefit of the person practising it, poker and poker players have decent reputation. Disappointing.
loool
is starcraft any different
Are you serious? All of sc2 player's money comes from benefitting someone else. Sponsors, fans, tournaments, streams. All that money comes from someone who gets something in return.
On December 07 2013 09:41 11cc wrote: For a profession that exists solely for the benefit of the person practising it, poker and poker players have decent reputation. Disappointing.
loool
is starcraft any different
Are you serious? All of sc2 player's money comes from benefitting someone else. Sponsors, fans, tournaments, streams. All that money comes from someone who gets something in return.
On December 07 2013 09:41 11cc wrote: For a profession that exists solely for the benefit of the person practising it, poker and poker players have decent reputation. Disappointing.
loool
is starcraft any different
Are you serious? All of sc2 player's money comes from benefitting someone else. Sponsors, fans, tournaments, streams. All that money comes from someone who gets something in return.
exact same thing in poker... except maybe streams
no
I logged in for the first time in roughly a year just to highlight how wrong you are. You can continue to be naive or realize it's the exact same thing rofl, except instead of streams (which still do exist) it's mostly TV. Oh yeah and it's a way bigger industry.
GL to boxer. Yeah you can't exactly just 'become' pro at poker, but lets be real anyone at that high level of decision making and patience can learn, it's just a matter of how quick. I'd love to see him play as wsop next year.
I don't get it. Did any of you still truly believe that he would be back to win another tournament? After being non-present as a player since late 2011? How is that even possible?
No one stays for ever, least of all gamers. If you really wanted to cheer for the emperor you would tune in to watch his poker games in the future, and support his endeavours there.
On December 07 2013 18:01 xAdra wrote: I don't get it. Did any of you still truly believe that he would be back to win another tournament? After being non-present as a player since late 2011? How is that even possible?
No one stays for ever, least of all gamers. If you really wanted to cheer for the emperor you would tune in to watch his poker games in the future, and support his endeavours there.
No. I'm just disappointed he didn't choose something better.
On December 07 2013 09:41 11cc wrote: For a profession that exists solely for the benefit of the person practising it, poker and poker players have decent reputation. Disappointing.
loool
is starcraft any different
Are you serious? All of sc2 player's money comes from benefitting someone else. Sponsors, fans, tournaments, streams. All that money comes from someone who gets something in return.
exact same thing in poker... except maybe streams
no
I understand your point that just playing poker "professionally" by hustling at casinos or whatnot to make money, is indeed a profession that contributes nothing to society.
But Boxer is getting sponsored and doing tournaments. At the top, this stuff gets televised. It's an entertainment industry, like StarCraft, Football, or Ski Jumping. They get paid to be entertaining, and to be role-models/spokespeople. Honestly, Boxer's gig is probably more a spokesman kinda thing. He's a moderately big name with a really good vibe. That's probably most of what's behind his sponsorship.
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Starcraft 2 and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
It's not just SC2. A number of SC1 pros have gone to poker as well, namely Elky and rekrul.
Did u know rekrul is lurker spelt backwards? :D Im so excited!
I wanna see that live. BoxeR stares down his last remaining opponent on the final table, baiting the guy to "call his bluff". BoxeR shows a straight flush when he opponent thought he was limping into the hand. The Emperor's Stare - he controls your bets, and your mind!
On December 07 2013 00:46 smOOthMayDie wrote: Time to become the richest starcraft 1 player alongside Elky. I think Ekly is at like 10 million$$ or something.
On December 07 2013 03:09 shid0x wrote: The world is such a small place. Back then ElkY was the new guy stepping into boxer palace.
And now look at how the tables switched.... I want a poker star showmatch featuring them both !
Also you never really stop loving SC,i saw elky play starcraft I & II in a french show just a few weeks ago, he was enjoying it soo much it was pretty amusing
I saw it too :D Elky lost 0-2 to Moman in BW though. Both of them had not played BW for like 5 years.
On December 07 2013 18:01 xAdra wrote: I don't get it. Did any of you still truly believe that he would be back to win another tournament? After being non-present as a player since late 2011? How is that even possible?
No one stays for ever, least of all gamers. If you really wanted to cheer for the emperor you would tune in to watch his poker games in the future, and support his endeavours there.
No. I'm just disappointed he didn't choose something better.
at this point I just have to assume you probably never really played poker, least of all understand it
not sure why everyone is so sad about this. boxer hasn't really been relevant for quite some time. I realize he's relevant behind the scenes but whatever.. It's good that he's moving on IMO.
I think this is awesome. Poker is a game. This means BoxeR is going back to pro-gaming. Just like any athlete, sooner or later your body breaks down to the strenuous repetitive motions of your game. Poker should be a lot easier on his worn shoulder.
On December 07 2013 18:01 xAdra wrote: I don't get it. Did any of you still truly believe that he would be back to win another tournament? After being non-present as a player since late 2011? How is that even possible?
No one stays for ever, least of all gamers. If you really wanted to cheer for the emperor you would tune in to watch his poker games in the future, and support his endeavours there.
No. I'm just disappointed he didn't choose something better.
Dude, who are you to judge what Boxer does of his life ? Let him do what he wants and stop posting in this thread
On December 07 2013 18:01 xAdra wrote: I don't get it. Did any of you still truly believe that he would be back to win another tournament? After being non-present as a player since late 2011? How is that even possible?
No one stays for ever, least of all gamers. If you really wanted to cheer for the emperor you would tune in to watch his poker games in the future, and support his endeavours there.
No. I'm just disappointed he didn't choose something better.
Dude, who are you to judge what Boxer does of his life ? Let him do what he wants and stop posting in this thread
Have I tried to stop him from doing what he wants? No. I simply said that I was disappointed. Don't give a fuck about my opinion? Just ignore it.
Definitely surprising, but I wish him the best and it wouldn't surprise me to see him at a WSOP final table. It would sure be fun to watch Norm Chad and Lon McEachern (ESPN poker commentators) learn about his StarCraft career. Sure hope he continues with coaching, show matches or both, though!
So crazy to think the most notable Starcraft player who everyone has watched and loved for more then 10 years is now going to become a professional poker player. I really hope he does well and is able to be well known in the poker world ^__^ Best of luck!
He won't be gone forever. Most likely he'll fail after a few months and come back to SC2 (or one of the MOBAs if he's just following the money) and work as a coach/caster/organizer or something like that.
takes more than a few months to get good enough at poker to actually win any kind of significant money... don't think boxer is the type of person to give up.. unless he goes degen mode and plays too high and lose his entire networth
Btw Fayth, was wondering... May I know what you're up to now ? Last I heard about you, you were kinda retired from poker. But we all know we don't quit it easily :p Or did you ?
I never retired from poker, I was just really lazy and sat on my money during 2011 and 2012 (had 2 children during that time) aaaand wasted a lot of time playing SC2 on and off, started playing poker seriously again at the end of 2012
On December 07 2013 18:01 xAdra wrote: I don't get it. Did any of you still truly believe that he would be back to win another tournament? After being non-present as a player since late 2011? How is that even possible?
No one stays for ever, least of all gamers. If you really wanted to cheer for the emperor you would tune in to watch his poker games in the future, and support his endeavours there.
No. I'm just disappointed he didn't choose something better.
Dude, who are you to judge what Boxer does of with his life ? Let him do what he wants and stop posting in this thread
He can be disappointed, who are you to judge what people can find disappointing or for that matter who can post in this thread.
I have to admit I don't like poker at all, it's not exactly an elegant game. Maybe its just that after playing 4-5 games and winning every hand I possibly could but not coming anywhere close to winning the game I got disillusioned. Chance and I have a bad record, I need something where I can stack the odds more with my brain. Starcraft has its risks and dice rolls, but at least it doesn't start with a big dose of chance.
Good luck to the fella though. Starcraft is clearly not making him happy now and its not going anywhere in Korea.
On December 08 2013 12:03 theBALLS wrote: Can someone explain to me the close relation between SC2 and poker?
It just seems that so many players fall back to poker when their gaming careers don't work out.
Game-reading skills in SC2 translate well to hand-reading in poker.
A lot of the StarCraft Brood War pros moved to Korea and started playing poker in their spare time, and then found they could make more money playing poker than playing StarCraft, so they switched (e.g. Nazgul, Elky etc.). I think since then poker and StarCraft have had a certain amount of crossover in players, usually from StarCraft to poker.
On December 08 2013 12:03 theBALLS wrote: Can someone explain to me the close relation between SC2 and poker?
It just seems that so many players fall back to poker when their gaming careers don't work out.
Game-reading skills in SC2 translate well to hand-reading in poker.
meh it's really completely different... I really believe the closest thing is the whole grinding thing
like I knew kiwi would win money from poker when he asked me about it years ago because I knew he was a really dedicated grinder... and well smarter than your average player I guess, lots of player that I think could become good poker players in the SC2 community
It doesn't say Boxer completely left Starcraft though, he could probably be playing show matches and in a few minor tournaments once in a while, who knows.
On December 08 2013 07:03 dirtydurb82 wrote: From a God to a railbird. Of course, we are all happy BoxeR has a job and is in a community he wants to be in.
There's another connection in that poker is one of the only other competitions I can think of where announcers refer to people by their internet handles often (elky, durrrr, isildur, etc.) besides eSports. So I guess we'll still hear him called Boxer (though iirc the Koreans always just called the players by their reals names anyway).
Poker is becoming the Rival of E-Sports to me. It is not even a real game in my opinion. Specially when it costs more to give out to play then it does overall for a video game. The more I hear about gamers turning to poker the more sad I become.
It just leaves a bad taste. Makes gaming feel like its being looked at as Child's play.
If you are in top 0.00001% you make money, same as pro gaming in computer games.
Difference is, you get really paid.
poker still exists, pokerstars kinda swallowed it all though. There are still a few people on there that seem to be on all the time and never seem to make a profit at micro and low stakes - like for years.
I feel for sc legends that get to the end of their career look at the sc2 scene and realise that the big bucks have gone or are going. Poker actually makes sense, i wish them all the best.
Its a shame black friday and full tilt have destroyed the credability of the poker world. Its still going strong, its just tougher than ever.
If poker is not gaming what the hell is? Its just a shame that tiny stakes online poker bears little or no relation to live poker - much like tiny skill online games bear little or no relation to high skill.
i have no idea why everyone is so "depressed". he's moving onto another professional game. tillerman, elky both have done the same. he left his mark in starcraft, and i'm sure there's always a chance he returns to the game. i'm happy that he's found something new personally. gl boxer, can't wait to see your results :D
Guys, this doesn't mean much. He's a face for a poker site who has to make a few apperances online and in some brick and mortal tournaments every so often. It's a nothing commitment. He could easily play 2 hours a week and meet the requirements for this deal.
He's not going to be a 40hr a week grinder or something, he's basically just the new face of some poker site. That's it. It's like being the face on the Wheaties box - you don't have to eat Wheaties every meal, you just have to do a commercial once every few months.
On December 08 2013 13:31 ROOTFayth wrote: I never retired from poker, I was just really lazy and sat on my money during 2011 and 2012 (had 2 children during that time) aaaand wasted a lot of time playing SC2 on and off, started playing poker seriously again at the end of 2012
On December 06 2013 12:39 radscorpion9 wrote: I find this connection between Brood War and poker fascinating. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, but possibly it will be more likely to achieve something than continuing to make it 'work' with SC2
Fixed that for you.
Don't actually remember any notable SC2 pros going poker where as Elky made millions and a myriad of other BW pros went on to be very successful.
On December 08 2013 13:31 ROOTFayth wrote: I never retired from poker, I was just really lazy and sat on my money during 2011 and 2012 (had 2 children during that time) aaaand wasted a lot of time playing SC2 on and off, started playing poker seriously again at the end of 2012
How are the games now compared to 2010-11?
The games continually get harder. I am a semi-professional player, but I make my money playing live. Online is just too tough now-a-days.
There is no influx of new fish, the old ones go broke or get bored, and the regulars keep getting better and better. It's gone all the way down to 25NL, which is now much tougher.
I think this trend will continue if Black Friday isn't lifted, maybe even then.
I'm a poker pro (~8 yrs now) and just came off my best year ever (high 6 figures). I'll coach BoxeR, someone get me in touch!
edit: and yea the people saying poker is too tough now are just lol, yes the game has progressed but there is still room for like a HUGE # of people to make 200k+, and the top subset of those to make 500k+ consistently in almost every game form. Yea back in the day you could only have 1/2 a brain and print money, but assuming your smart and work hard it's not that hard even now
Great that he found something to do. He always seemed real sad about giving up the glory of playing starcraft to coach and this way at least he is competing in something for himself. GL HF Emperor!
found this interview of boxer on pokernews about his new endeavour. Seems like he resigned from coaching because he wasn't feeling it. Read somewhere else that he actually came in 8th on his first live tournament in macau which is not bad at all
On February 20 2014 20:31 therabit wrote: found this interview of boxer on pokernews about his new endeavour. Seems like he resigned from coaching because he wasn't feeling it. Read somewhere else that he actually came in 8th on his first live tournament in macau which is not bad at all
that's awesome I'm glad he's doing well! In a lot of articles and interviews from around the time boxer annouced his "break" there were lots of talks of boxer being depressed. I heard he lost a lot of money on slayers and his coaching at skt didn't produce the amazing results people seemed to expect from him. I'm glad he's found some footing. go boxer!!!
i'm sorry to bump this thread but i'm really curious about hows BoxeR doing with his poker carreer, any cashes? any tv time? whats his online ID? and where does he play online?