Hugo's Blogspotting: 18 April

Hachem Vs Deck

Well, another big tournament is over and congrats to the winner etc etc, but let’s be honest, the most exciting moment in Monte Carlo (I’m talking about the EPT Grand Final in case you haven’t worked it out) was when Joe Hachem lost his cool and threatened to punch out Woody Deck.

According to reports, on the river Hachem tapped the table when he saw his opponent’s hand and went to throw his hand in the muck. At this point a couple of players asked to see his hand. When he refused Deck accused him of angleshooting and being a Diva. Hachem now blew up and apparently had to be restrained by Antonio Esfandiari who was on the next table.

If, like Andy Ward, you’re an avid reader of the 2plus2 forums then you’ll know that Hachem bashing is a popular sport.

“The way the guy goes "one time" and "story of my life" when he loses is an embarrassment given that he won the biggest crapshoot in history to even be here. What comes across to me is someone who's not enjoying his poker.”

What is it about poker that a guy can win a big tournament one week and the following week be whining about his bad luck when he gets a standard outdraw/knockout in the next donkament?

Many years ago I met Tristan from New York at the WSOP. Tristan was a pretty crazy degenerate gambler (no surprise there) with a fairly jaded outlook on the poker scene (no wonder I got on with the guy), but what I remember most from hanging out with him was him telling me how when he wrote his book about poker he was going to call it, “Entitled to Win”. Or something like that. Whatever. You get the picture.

Deck Vs Hachem

I get the feeling Woody Deck might have similar thoughts. If you check out his blog you can read his side of the story.

“I know you don’t ask to see a losing hand that wants to muck. But this was a different situation. Joe Hachem should have been disqualified, no second questions. It is a poker tournament, not staged wrestling. I just called a spade a spade. Assault and attempted battery on not exactly something you should get away with…

He must show his hand if requested, and this rule is not to just prevent collusion. It is to stop angle shooting time wasting BS like this. I’m not stupid, I knew he was full of it on his bluffs, I don’t need to see the hand. I needed to protect people who can’t from his rude and obnoxious behaviour. He is very bi-polar and intimidating when angry.”

Hopefully this will start a trend of World Champ baiting. Who’s next on the list I wonder? Phil Hellmuth doesn’t count as basically everybody who plays with him winds him up.

Shaun Deeb Vs Neil Channing

Going back to Andy Ward’s blog another recent tournament winner comes in for a bit of a slagging. Once again Andy points us in the direction of the same thread on 2plus2 and this time the recipient is none other that Poker Verdict’s very own Irish Open Champ Neil Channing.

Apparently Neil was not too impressed with online legend Shaun Deeb’s play in Monte Carlo and was reported to have made derogatory comments to which Deeb then wrote the following:

“**** him never said a word to him at the table and hes going to talk **** about me when he's ****ing an awful nit yah I ran like **** played a bunch of pots cuz nits like him liked to fold pre a lot.”

Wow, the one thing I can say for sure is that Neil is not a nit. I guess Deeb’s ego is feeling a bit bruised or maybe he wrote that post in the light of getting busted out (never a good time to ask a poker player why they aren’t smiling).

I suppose this minor incident adds more fuel to the fire that is the online vs live players debate. Especially when you consider one of the comments Neil is reported to have said is, “Everyone online is a good player." As I have quoted this in isolation please note that your sarcasm meter should be off the scale.

Brunson Vs Antonius

Going back to the online vs live ruckus the ultimate matchup is gathering a head of steam in the shape of the Doyle Brunson vs Patrik Antonius match. Doyle is certainly getting worked up about it and sounds raring to go.

“My buddy, Dewey Tomko, who I think will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year, asked me: “Do you think you can beat Patrik?” I answered, “No, Dewey, I have so much money I’m trying to throw some of it away. Of course I think I can beat him!” I know I’ve got a lot more experience at most of the games I’ll choose. If anyone under thirty years of age can let me pick any game at any time I want, I strongly believe I can beat them. If I don’t, the Brunson Family has three hundred acres on the top of a mountain at Big Arm, Montana. I’ll retire and move up on that mountain and enjoy the wildlife and the sunsets for the rest of my life.”

Brunson certainly sounds fired up. If Doyle wins does that mean live players are better than online players? The Big Poppa mentions that some TV channels are interested in filming their match so I would imagine they would market this soon-to-be-legendary duel as Live Vs Internet, Old School Road gambler vs New Generation and so on.

Not content with throwing down poker gauntlets Doyle has also issued Patrik with a golf challenge:

“I challenge him to play for $100,000 a hole at Bali Hai Golf Club, any time from now until the end of August. Surely a twenty-seven-year-old ex-professional tennis player from Finland can beat a seventy-four-year-old guy with an artificial shoulder and who has to use a crutch to walk. What do you say, Patrik?”

Perhaps the golf match is “insurance” in case he gets trounced at the poker. Everyone knows Antonius runs like God.

But has Antonius got time for yet another challenge? A look at his blog reveals a rather crowded heads-up gambling schedule.

“Heads Up Poker match vs the legend Doyle Brunson (I have been working non stop on my pineapple game Doyle, so you better watch out)

Tennis / Golf bet for $100,000 with Brandon Adams

Tennis match vs Gus Hansen for $200,000

Golf team match with my assistant vs two Finnish pros for $200,000

Heads Up Stud 8 or Better match / Golf match with Daniel Negreanu for $500,000”

R.I.P Brandi

On a sad note it has been reported on a few sites that Brandi Hawbaker has committed suicide. Is this more evidence that the poker scene is no place for the vulnerable? Who knows, Brandi was streetwise so poker cannot be totally to blame for her self-inflicted demise, but there is no doubt she had many issues which, through the poker lens, can certainly get distorted.

One site that used her name for hits and played up her notoriety was NeverwinPoker.com and I shall leave the last words to one of NWP’s founders, Bryan Micon:

“She did some bad stuff, we all watched. She did some crazy stuff, we all watched. She died, we all watch.... She is our Marylin Monroe. It is such a tragedy that she actually killed herself. I always kinda rooted for her...”

Hugo 'Chimney Sweep' Martin

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