#884 – Looking For Ivey, Part IC -The Tiger Paradox

One of my favorite writers, Chuck Klosterman, in his phenomenal book, SEX, DRUGS AND COCOA PUFFS, traced his fascination with serial killers to elementary school. His fourth-grade teacher warned him never to hitchhike because drivers who picked up hitchhikers were serial killers. His fifth-grade teacher, however, warned him that when he started driving, he should never pick up hitchhikers because hitchhikers were serial killers. “According to what I learned in public school, every person on every freeway was trolling for destruction. I used to imagine nomadic, sadistic drifters thumbing rides with bloodthirsty Volkswagen owners, both desperately waiting for the first opportunity to kill each other. Hitchhiking seemed like an ultraviolent race against time.”

I’m getting the idea that Phil Ivey and Tiger Woods, may be engaged in a similar battle in which, if it reaches its logical conclusion, they will devour each other.

Back in May 2007, I noted in this Blog that Phil Ivey had donated a poker lesson to Tiger Woods’ charity extravaganza Tiger Jam. The winner of the auction item was Woods himself who paid $50,000. I thought that was pretty shrewd of Phil, getting one of the wealthiest and most competitive sportsmen in the world to pay for the privilege of “learning” poker.

But now I’m not sure who’s playing who. At last year’s Tiger Jam, Woods auctioned off a putting lesson and it went for the same price, $50,000.

The winning bidder? Phil Ivey.

If these two ever locked up in a putting-and-poker competition, whoever gets the broadcast rights will get rich. Whoever handles the betting action will get rich. Heck, I’m hoping if it happens to make some money just picking up whatever loose change falls out of their pockets.

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