Hachem has it right, doesn't he?

[titaniumbean]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

Fab line

"On one side, you have guys like Joe Hachem who play maybe 30 live tournaments a year and therefore have to depend on other income streams such as sponsorships, ambassadorial roles and media work while they hope to run way above expectation again over a tiny sample. "

[BangBang]

It's not a New School vs Old School thing at all... I can give you many examples of anti social and rude old players as well as young..

People just need to stop taking themselves so seriously and enjoy the game...

That's all... 

[action man]

when people say, 'good for the game' they almost always mean, 'good for myself'

[Karabiner]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

Good article, not completely sure about "embiggened" though..

[AndrewT]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

Good article, not completely sure about "embiggened" though..

It's a perfectly cromulent word.

[MANTIS01]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

Fab line

"On one side, you have guys like Joe Hachem who play maybe 30 live tournaments a year and therefore have to depend on other income streams such as sponsorships, ambassadorial roles and media work while they hope to run way above expectation again over a tiny sample. "

Isn't playing relatively few live comps a year and hoping to run way above expectation the aspiration or every recreational poker player? So you see I don't get why it's a fab line cos the dude seems to be sneering at his bread and butter which is kinda "childish and self-defeating", only it's in his workplace and not the classroom.

[DungBeetle]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

I think this blog encapsulates exactly what Hachem is trying to explain.

The writer talks Hachem down before saying how interesting his online buddies are compared to Ulliott, but can't help but refer to all their online handles, as if it is somekind of badge of honour and that I should have heard of theor greatness.

He then comes up with such pearls as:

"you have the young who have inherited the poker earth"
"it is now dominated by driven young geniuses"

As a recreational player, I can say with almost 100% certainty that he and his dull online buddies would be the last people I would want to share a table with.

[DungBeetle]

Oh - the article goes on further.  This paragraph shows, I would suggest, that the writer simply doesn't understand the point that Hachem is trying to make.

"Those who claim it's no longer social don't understand what social is these days. It's not just the same old jokes and withered anecdotes endlessly repeated at live poker tables. It's Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, blogs, forums, Viber, Snapchat, Whatsapp. Every day I interact with people like Willie,  people I genuinely like and care about and share interests with rather than just random people I got drawn at a poker table with and have to find some way to put up with for a few hours. TrueIrishBaller tweeted:   "I have been berated more times by so called 'rec players' than I have by any pro. At least when the good players berate you they have substance.  A high % of recreational players are horrible, degen scum that I want absolutely nothing to do with. #headphonesplease""

Basically he's saying he only wants to talk to other young people who like the same things as he does.  He's made Hachem's point for him beautifully.

[Woodsey]

Personally I agree with Hachem.

I'd class myself as a recreational player, and probably someone pros would want to play with.  I used to play cash games around England but found after a few years of great fun, that the new players I would be sitting with just became incredibly dull.  I'm sure they are nice people but it wasn't what I wanted from a night out.  People rarely drank anything and 90% of the table talk was hand analysis and talk of value ranges and online tournament schedules.  This isn't necessarily a dig at younger players as even older players are at it as well I've noticed.  I'm in my mid 30s for a sense of perspective.

Consequently I just stopped playing in the UK unless it is a private game where I know who is playing.  I'll still play in Vegas or Ireland and make annual trips specifically for that purpose where I find the game far more fun and people take it less seriously.

The question is how many people like me think this way?  If it's just me then obviously it's not an issue.

I can relate to that.  For me a few beers and a bit of craic are as important as the poker itself. The games have changed so much that you probably mostly sit with people that are taking it more seriously than before (and why wouldn't they if there is significant money involved). So if I'm donking around with a couple of bottles of wine inside me like I would a few years back there is only going to be one result, that just stops me wanting to play, and no I can't be arsed going there and not drinking, if it's the weekend I want a few its part of enjoying myself 

Maybe DTD can start running a cash game where you need to blow into a breathalyzer and confirm an alcohol level of xxx to play? 

[DungBeetle]

Haha - that's a great idea.   If you fall below a certain percentage of alcohol then a red light flashes above your chair and it tilts back for the Gazza style dentist chair treatment before you get dealt anymore cards.

[david3103]

Seems to be more of an Online v Live thing than Young v Old

Online players with their 'Come back when you've played a million hands' v live players with their 'it's all about the read and the situation'

As a rec, I want to play live. Hachem's interview was about live poker and struck chords for me. I want to enjoy the game, I prefer to win, but I'd rather be losing a little at a table full of craic and laughter than winning a little at a table full of silence and posing.

[titaniumbean]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

Fab line

"On one side, you have guys like Joe Hachem who play maybe 30 live tournaments a year and therefore have to depend on other income streams such as sponsorships, ambassadorial roles and media work while they hope to run way above expectation again over a tiny sample. "

Isn't playing relatively few live comps a year and hoping to run way above expectation the aspiration or every recreational poker player? So you see I don't get why it's a fab line cos the dude seems to be sneering at his bread and butter which is kinda "childish and self-defeating", only it's in his workplace and not the classroom.

Hachem is classless and is calling out other people for being classless. We only know his name because of a single super heater.

[Tal]

Great blog by Dara O'Kearney on the matter - http://dokearney.blogspot.ie/2014/02/old-school-new-school-or-back-to-school.html

Fab line

"On one side, you have guys like Joe Hachem who play maybe 30 live tournaments a year and therefore have to depend on other income streams such as sponsorships, ambassadorial roles and media work while they hope to run way above expectation again over a tiny sample. "

Isn't playing relatively few live comps a year and hoping to run way above expectation the aspiration or every recreational poker player? So you see I don't get why it's a fab line cos the dude seems to be sneering at his bread and butter which is kinda "childish and self-defeating", only it's in his workplace and not the classroom.

Hachem is classless and is calling out other people for being classless. We only know his name because of a single super heater.

He wasn't a one off luckbox. He's won a few other comps a lot of us would be pretty happy to call our biggest result.

[theprawnidentity]

Haha - that's a great idea.   If you fall below a certain percentage of alcohol then a red light flashes above your chair and it tilts back for the Gazza style dentist chair treatment before you get dealt anymore cards.

Imagine Rob trying to explain this to the alcohol license people....

"We definitely promote safe drinking and would always refuse to serve people if we think they've had too much.  WAIT, THERE'S SOMEONE SOBER AT THE GAZZA TABLE, GET THE FUNNEL!!!!!!"

[Woodsey]

Haha - that's a great idea.   If you fall below a certain percentage of alcohol then a red light flashes above your chair and it tilts back for the Gazza style dentist chair treatment before you get dealt anymore cards.

Imagine Rob trying to explain this to the alcohol license people....

"We definitely promote safe drinking and would always refuse to serve people if we think they've had too much.  WAIT, THERE'S SOMEONE SOBER AT THE GAZZA TABLE, GET THE FUNNEL!!!!!!"

I am willing to sign a disclaimer lol