Yay, it's been a whiley since I got to have a pop at ol' boltie. Here we go.
I'm telling you this is excepted play in the era before internet and t.v poker and there wernt any complaints cos there wernt many spectators; The other players just accept it as a occupational hazard and got on with things, much as they do now, they dont complain its just the people watching that do.
We'll start here, it's probably the easiset stanza to dig in to.
The other players do complain, all those Freenchy fuddies at the fianl table of that Aviation Club were a bit miffed at his antics. They weren't just the specttors, they were his opponents.
As for non-televised poker. A quick rummage through some old blonde threads will fruit some rants that spring from players who actually faced him, rather than just watched him on the box.
To suggest everyone just gets on with it is a little silly. If they did, there would be no value in the man behaving as he does. They
should, but they don't.
does anyone actually know what this game has been about for the last 200 years are are you all so enchanted by the T.V reality of the game that things have become so distorted we all have to do what is T.V friendly.
Regardless of whether the game is the same now as it was 30 or 200 years ago (which I've heard it's not) anyone who is appearing on TV, winning millions of currency units, should really accept a little responsibilty that their actions will be looked up to.
It's their choice of course whether they acknowledge this responsibilty or not. Just as it's my choice to look down upon anyone who so blatantly ignores it.
This choice i make, not with any poker credentials. I don't feel the need to have been playing for 30 years to express disgust at a man who is humiliating players to look cool. Indeed, he does look cool doing it (from a low common denominator vantage at least) and that's why it's rather dangerous.
If I had kids, and they saw one of Tony G's poker specials, I'd feel the need to sit them down and explain why belittling and humilating people is kinda naughty. They are likely to copy such behaviour in a playground context. Ok, they're likely to do this anyway, it's human nature for kids to behave in this manner. Trying to steer them towards acting in a more adult fashion is made all the more difficult when they see childish taunting on the tv from a man who is making much more money than Daddy is.
That's all from a non-poker perspective.
From a poker one, his behaviour at a final (I don't care so much what he does getting there) gains him no edge.
As I've previously pointed out, he would have been better off (in the long run) had KJ passed to the raise. If he knew what his opponent held, I'm sure he would choose to take down the already sizeable pot then and there, rather than risk pretty much all his chips in a situation where he only is the very slight favourite.
In short, his style needs cards to win.
I don't think he is a poker genious, I look up to guys who get it quietly.
His antics, IMO, are more to do with ensuring that he is a memorable "name" and thus having an increased media presence, than getting any edge at the final.
Well he does very well at this I suppose. It doesn't matter, I'm sure, what people say about him, so long as they are talking about him. Maybe that's his buisness head working.
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