Why do some of the pros play micro stakes or even low stakes period?

For fun? To bring more people to FTP just cause you can watch and play with the pros? Friend playing on their account? Wtf?

I highly doubt the pros need the pennies lol.

I once read that some Full Tilt pro's are actually contracted to play a few smaller buy-in tourneys and even some play chip games. How true that is, i'm not sure.
I can see the appeal of a site wanting to pump up the interest in the low value satellites by dropping a Pro bounty in, but the play chip games dont draw any money...

I'm pretty sure that part of their contract is that they have to put in a certain amount of time in the low-stakes games.

It's good publicity. $1 players get to brag that "I played with..." and stuff.

I heard an interview once and they explained that since their motto is:

Learn, Chat and Play With The Pros



The "pros" are required to play a certain amount of time per their contracts. He didn't mention any requirements about the limits they have to play, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were randomly asked to play micros.

Pros I put in quotes, because they sponsor some players that are not professional poker players. Some of these dimwits wouldn't stand a chance against some of the regs around here.

except sp, who crushes all

There are no subliminal messages here.

One thing that when you play at FTP and you beat the pro in any MTT tournament - you will receive $1.00 pro bounty and a free t-shirt. I've beat one "pro" and got the shirt here at home. I'm not playing at FTP at the moment and playing at Stars now.

Much of it's been said above - they're contractually obliged to spend at least some of their time in micro limit games. Pretty sure some of them get paid by the hour regardless of the stakes they're playing too so they can be making say $30/hr on top of whatever they win.

they just do it for fun i dont think they care about money they just like having fun and not having to worry about losing a big amount of money at once

They have a $35 hourly. One tabling micros while watching TV seems like a smart thing to do.

goborage said:

They have a $35 hourly. One tabling micros while watching TV seems like a smart thing to do.

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^This. $35 per hour makes it worthwhile to donk around on micro a few hours at a time.

What good would it be to have pros playin if they only played the $5k tables? Few would see them.

goborage said:

They have a $35 hourly. One tabling micros while watching TV seems like a smart thing to do.

Click to expand...

Knew it was in the $30 ballpark

There's your answer people - because they're being paid to.

Jerm98 said:

One thing that when you play at FTP and you beat the pro in any MTT tournament - you will receive $1.00 pro bounty and a free t-shirt. I've beat one "pro" and got the shirt here at home. I'm not playing at FTP at the moment and playing at Stars now.

Click to expand...

Actually it is, if you beat any red full tilt "pro" in any mtt with over 30 entrants (not including freerolls or private tourneys) you will get your buyin back (not including fees) and a t-shirt. (Or well its something like that, if you really want to know its got to be on their website.) So I would guess you beat the pro in a $1 mtt?

I've run into Eric Seidel and Jennifer Harman on the play money tables, they seem to be having a good time chatting. Phil Gordon and Cyndy Violette also play in the lower games and chat with people on the rail. Humberto Brenes over at PS is always on the 1/2 tables having a grand 'ol time.

It's just good business. People remember playing a pro and are more likely to follow that persons poker career, which gives them better name recognition-hence they have more value to sponsors.