Turns out I offended Shogun with my WPTL post.  I’m not sure if Shogun is a gamer fan or Mauricio Shogun fan but here’s what Shogun had to say:

Are you serious?

The World Poker Tour took 15% out of the prize pool which is generated by player buy-ins and includes no additional money from WPT. So it’s not that the "WPT would be reaching out to help the sick", but rather that WPT was taking money out of the players pockets to make it look like they, and not the players, "would be reaching out to help the sick". The WPT had no intentions of matching the donation, and when combined with the rake, the $25,000 withheld for the WPT Championship seat, and the 3% withheld for the tournament staff it made the tournament economically unplayable.

Second place money: $40,815
Money missing from the prize pool: $39,490

The decision was such an obvious mistake that Lyle Berman promised it would never happen again.

Tsk Tsk on fact-checking.

So, let me clarify after the jump. 

Dear Mr. or Ms. Shogun:

1. The "facts" were released with the announcement of the tournment in January including all press releases, the WPT website, the media advisory and in all advertising.
2. The WPT was clear and straightforward about the donation.  Considering the WPT stock had been declining and at the time was or had lost their network… I think it was rather nice of them to make an additional donation.  But, who am I to think of the current economic loan crisis which is currently bleeding into other industries and projected to continue into 2010?  UPDATE: The WPT is now working with Fox Sports (even better).
3. The players, not the World Poker Tour, received the tax receipt for the $225 donation.
4. Although the WPT did not match the total donation made by 150 entrants, the WPT made a cash donation which most likely exceeded $225.  Additionally, the WPT conducted an online auction for WPT events, cruises and boot camps etc. of which 100% of the net proceeds were donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation.  Furthermore, the Susan G Komen benefits from the WPT marketing and possibly the television coverage.
5. Clarification should be made in reference to "the 3% withheld for the tournament staff." The 3% went to the Bellagio.  The 3% probably helps make up for the discounted hotel rooms, rental of the tournament room and it’s safe to bet the Bellagio lacks free staff, free electricity, free insurance, tax exemptions, free water for the water show and the reputation of being an over glorified sweat shop (UPDATE: that’s when people work hard with unfavorable conditions but when workers are unpaid it’s called slavery).
6. The prize pool wouldn’t have changed whether or not the WPT (one entity) matched the donation of 150 players (150 entities).  Don’t forget the WSOP joke… you have to win 2nd or 3rd to beat Harrahs.
7. Ladies events have often had one of the smallest values compared to other events within the same series.* This is why I rarely play Ladies Events and when I do… it is because I have been backed or because it is for charity. The small amount of entrants has nothing to do with the WPT.  If a higher prize pool is the desired solution then I suggest rounding up more female contestants or putting Phil Ivey in a dress.
8. Several players looked past the prize pool for a media opportunity, a bracelet and to show support of the WPT and or Susan G Komen Foundation.  However, television value may be difficult to assess since some of the women could have possibly suffered from hypoglycemia, PMS or depression which could have possibly caused the denial of vanity.**
9. "The decision was such an obvious mistake that Lyle Berman promised it would never happen again."  That’s weird, my husband says the exact same thing when I start bitching at him and he can’t take it anymore.

It’s common for companies to donate a portion of sales (the customers money) to charity without matching. For example, Phillips makes a dvd player where a portion of proceeds are donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation; However, the same item may be purchased for less in a different color sans pink ribbon.  Additionally, the store and vendor market the donation under their name… not the buyers.   

I assumed anyone seeking poker tournament value wouldn’t have taken this so seriously simply because there were better value WPT events to be played in that series and through out the city of Las Vegas.  I apologize for my offense, as I also assumed the value (from my opinion and unofficial survey) was the chance to be on T.V.  Or perhaps I hastily projected my personal opinion that players would have embraced the opportunity to help the world rather than focusing on a downward value that was already… down. Especially, when each player had the option to play or not. It would be best to ponder in this sticky situation why most people expect to be judged by their intentions rather than their actions while continuing to judge others by their actions instead of their intentions.

If unhappy with a poker tournament donating a portion of the buy-in to charity beware the events donating ALL the money to charity because it’s highly unlikely a player will win any money. I could hardly shun the WPT by saying they had intention of inflicting emotional distress to any of the players.  But I could blame them for working for the weekend even though, believe it or not, everybody is not always working for the weekend.  You can learn how to work for the weekend in the video below. Bottom line, if a poker tournament is considered "economically unplayable" then… don’t play the event.

*While the WSOP Ladies Event prize pool has increased, the event still had the worst structure for the entire 2008 WSOP series.  This is supposedly being assessed for the 2009 WSOP.

**This was a hypocritical, double-standard joke and does not indicate my claim for lack of vanity.  See seriously airbrushed photo wearing a lot of makeup on banner above.