A small-time poker player from Garden Grove, California, is suing the World Poker Tour (WPT) in federal court. Jonathan Waessil has alleged that the WPT's founder and CEO, Steve Lipscomb, robbed him of his idea to televise poker and then transformed it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise of his own. Waessil, not by any means a man of wealth, recognizes that, if he fails to receive financial and other backing, his chances of beating the poker powerhouse are slim to none.

According to Waessil's allegations, Lipscomb, a lawyer and producer on the side before the WPT came along, came up to him at the Hollywood Park casino saying that he was looking for an interesting project. Waessil assumed that Lipscomb had approached him because he had heard that Waessil was in contact with casino owners regarding the concept of televising poker. Waessil claims that, after that single discussion, Lipscomb took the televised poker idea and ran with it. The alleged meeting between Waessil and Lipscomb took place close to 10 years ago, but Waessil claims that he had already been developing the idea for four years by then.

Although deciding not to elaborate upon its position out of court, legal counsel for the WPT has been quoted as calling the case groundless.

Source: Poker777 Staff

Wednesday, 15 March 2006