It must take real talent to type in a string of profanities with symbols or spaces in lieu of letters to make it through the chat filter. Amazingly enough, some folks have this ability and can make chat-speak references to sodomy, fellatio, and an opponent’s family in a matter of seconds. It’s crude, rude, goes against site rules, but it never ceases to amaze.

Case in point; I recently watched two guys go back and forth in the usual profanely moronic fashion after a massive suck-out. As I was following this and chuckling, Guy #1 tells Guy #2 that he’s probably a “total Republican.” Guy #2 fires back that he is indeed – and proud of it – and tells Guy #1 that he’s a “typical Clinton supporter.” Not only do these two idiots launch into a political argument, but a couple of other players get in on the action. Wake up: you’re playing a $2 Sit & Go! They were just that pathetic.

Both got knocked out shortly thereafter, but continued to slobber on at each other as observers for a couple of minutes. As the freakish entertainment value had worn off by then – kind of like the 13^th page of a Brandi thread – I quit paying attention.

While we’re talking about name calling, that one site is still flogging Shawn Sheikhan. According to the latest headline dubbing him The Poker Perv, his saga continues. Only it’s not really a saga and no other site has paid much attention to him lately. Seriously, what’s the deal here? Is there bad blood between the author and Sheiky? Are they just keeping us informed? I suspect the former, although I wouldn’t hazard a guess as to what that might be over.

I’ve also hypothesized that this whole Poker Perv ploy might be a cleverly crafted Ass Hat SEO campaign designed to drive people searching terms like pervert, molester, rapist, sex crime and deported to their site. Hey man, it’s a weird world – who can tell?

In any case, avoid the urge get into this type of banter. Feeding into some malcontent joker’s e-drivel is a total drag and makes you look like a jackass. Play poker and have a good time of it. 

Post from: Poker From The Rail

The Name Game

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This really raises one question: what was the purpose of this article? Was this newsworthy? Who’s to say? Rather than speculate on what might or might not have been the author’s intention, it’s safe to say that – yet again – poker’s getting some serious negative press. That’s the last thing we need.

Regardless of whether or not Shawn Sheikhan is a reformed upstanding citizen or a degenerate scumbag is beside the point. Everyone’s got opinions, and there are few words or phrases that get everyone fired up like “rapist” and “child molester.” Once these have been injected, people switch off and go ballistic without looking any further at the big picture. Online, this is tantamount to creating yet another spiraling thread of responses and comments that are never allowed to die.

Specific to poker, how many nut-job conservative groups that already have a hard-on for poker and all of the evils that surround it are going to jump on this and flog it for all it’s worth? I can already hear it: Not only are poker players inherently depraved, but now NBC is showcasing a convicted sex offender! This must be stopped!

Not that this would be anything new. Every network that presents professional or collegiate athletics showcases all manner of “convicted criminals.” Never mind the fact that the majority of professional athletes have never been involved in any sort of legal trouble at all. The same holds true with poker, only professional poker’s a lot smaller and in relative infancy compared to media coverage for football, basketball, etc. The immediate and obvious effect is that if a poker personality is focused on by the media, that’s the lens that the masses come to know poker through.  

It would be nice to think that one person’s actions away from the felt and over ten years ago wouldn’t reflect poorly on the poker community as a whole. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

What’s The Point?

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