poker pro offers half his WSOP winnings for downloading a song

A professional poker player and award-winning songwriter, Jason Mershon, has come up with a unique and ambitious plan to promote his new poker song called "Playin' Poker for a Livin'."

In what is believed to be the first offering of its kind, Mershon is planning on entering the 2010 Main Event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this summer, and is agreeing to share 50% of any Final Table winnings with the first 15,000 people who download and purchase his song at his website: www.playinpokerforalivin.com.

"It's just my way of saying 'thank you' to those fans who like my new song," says Mershon. "I wrote the song to humorously tell what it's really like being a professional poker player; the sarcastic attitudes of many professional poker players; and the monotony of actually playing poker for a living and grinding out the long hours in a casino card room." The song itself, "Playin' Poker for a Livin'," has already received great reviews from poker players and card room owners alike, who have stated that it's the best song written about poker in years.

Mershon has spent most of his life in the entertainment business, and is now a recognized professional poker player in Southern California. He plans to update his progress during the tournament on his Twitter and Facebook page, thus giving people a "virtual seat" at the tournament.

"Naturally, it's tough to make the Final Table at the Main Event," says Mershon, "but somebody does have to make it, right? I've won dozens of smaller poker tournaments in California and Las Vegas, so I figure it's time to 'go for the gold' at the World Series of Poker."

"Last year's winner, Joe Cada," continued Mershon, "ended up winning $8.5 million dollars, and he actually did share 50% of his winnings with his friends who assisted him with the entry fee to enter the tournament. I'm not soliciting for anyone to pay my entry fees as Joe Cada did, but rather just thanking those who purchase the song."

Since winning two awards at the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2006 for his rock musical, "Rock and Roll Heaven" (aka "Heaven Rocks") which can be found at www.rnrheavenrocks.com, Jason Mershon has been a regular fixture in the California and Las Vegas poker circuit.

"I probably spend 90% of my time playing in cash games," says Mershon, "but I'm also considered a pretty good tournament player as well. So, I don't want people to think I'm 'dead money' in the World Series of Poker," he laughed.

"I think I've got as good chance as any in making the Final Table. I used to play with World Series of Poker champ Jerry Yang on a regular basis in California before he won the Main Event in 2006, and I've also held my own with many of the other well-known pros in tournaments and cash games alike. I think the past few years have proven that almost anyone has a chance in The Main Event."

"Additionally," he concluded, "I'm offering a special extended limited edition of my poker song which will only be available to the first 15,000 fans who purchase the song."

For more information, and complete rules and regulations about this promotion, please go to www.playinpokerforalivin.com.

Chances of actually having to make good on his promise: minimal

Chances 15,000 stupid people will buy the song just in case: reasonable

Name checking Jerry Yang in your press release expecting people to be impressed: priceless

Even if he were to win $8.5 million, each of the 15,000 would only get $300 each.

So, people who purchase the song had better do so because they like it, not for a possible return on investment!

Pretty smart marketing plan, though, and if even just over 6,700 copies of the song sell he'll be on a freeroll for the tournament.

HAHA. he mentioned Jerry Yang, and I doubt he lives up to his proposal as well..

Typical degen gambler trying to get staked. lol


j/k

best poker song is actually, "Mr.Gold and Mr. Mudd" by Townes Van Zandt. Its an old song so NO, its not about Jamie Gold.

I also recoiled when i read the name droppin of Jerry Yang. jajajajaja.

Yeah he's doing more than soliciting people to pay his entry. He's looking for people to pay enough to earn an entry and a half - and if there's no counter as to when the 15,000 limit is hit, possibly way more! Smart man, smart man. Odds of him FTing it, assuming average-above average skill, are ridiculously high regardless. Straight up numbers dictate something like 700:1

This just throwing money away! 15,000 people who buy his song will probably be break even his buy in so that he can basically enter the main event for free.

How many good (people you have actually heard of) poker players have not made the final table in the main event. I bet you can think of a few. So why should give away money to a guy I have never heard.


if people do this then the deserve to lose the dollar or so the spending to listen to a stupid song.

I bet someone has a better chance of winning the lottery then him making the final table.

Unlikely, given that pretty much every song written about poker (especially ones written by poker players - yes I'm looking at you too, Prahlad Friedman and Jeff Madsen) is gawddamn awful

Freidmans was awful, but Madsens was 10 times worse, never has the mute button been smacked so quick

Freidman and Madsen completely embarassed themselves. It was kinda sad and pathetic and very hard to watch(the half that i did see). Though Madsen's might have been a little tounge in cheak cause Layne Flack didnt seem to be takin it so seriously. Still very bad though.

Seriously though, if you like a talkin blues song then check out the Townes Van Zandt song i mentioned above. Its pretty good, and hes actually a Texan too.

guys guys have faith...

sign up for promo ---> buy song Bling Blang Blaow --> Watch guy win main event --> rub 300 dollars of free money on titties.

...what do you mean the song isnt Bling Blang Blaow??? Forget that, thats the only good poker song out there.

i smell a scam....then yet again...that one way to promote your music

Is the song even any good? lol

This sounds a lot like the type of scam early in 2009. Some DJ's in the UK put their songs out on iTunes and bought them using stolen credit cards. They made nearly $300,000 in royalties before someone figured out it was a scam. People were even buying the song(s) because it was moving up the sales chart at Amazon - so it HAD to be good.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/682928-d...00-itunes-scam

If this guy gets enough folks to blindly buy his song, he won't have to worry about the WSOP.

How do you guys feel about Lady Gaga? Hee hee hee...

Don't see how it's relevant - she's never written a song about poker.

PA PA PA POKER FACE PA PA POKER FACE!

And yes quoting this guys OWN lyrics, I'm not buying the damn song:

I listened to the song, it's terrible! Don't care for the beat, the lyrics or the guys voice, yuck!

Smart marketing ploy though because I couldn't see anyone actually purchasing this song because they like it, I know I won't purchase it at all.

Best poker song ever?


motörhead 'nuff said.

Erm... yeah. I know she says the word "poker" a lot in the song but that doesn't mean it's got anything to do with the card game. It's about how the guys she sleeps with don't know that she really prefers girls or something.

While I'm on a roll, Ace of Spades references all sorts of gambling, not just poker. Best song that's been mentioned in this thread by a long shot though

Well, I make my livin’ playin’ Texas Hold’em every day
But, I’ve been playin’ for nine hours, and I’ve yet to make my pay
I always try to play good, win most every other time
But then there’s times I just leave with a dollar and a dime

^^^ pretty much what i was expecting.... made me laugh anyways.

oh ya, i totally forgot about motorhead, probs cause it not stictly about poker but is a really good song.

Seconded.

+3

Loser by Grateful Dead...
another song about poker, I like it.

+EV

Yeah that song isn't very good. Sounds like something that was just put together on the fly.

I like who the who the song is performed by: Jose Sinatra. Maybe an illegitamate love child by Frank on a trip to Tiajuana?

kenny rogers, the gambler....thats is by far thr best poker song in the world..its about poker, and its decent as well...what more would ya like

I'd like for people to stop singing it at my table