Local Teen Finds Success In Online Gambling (Dec 2005)

[WarBus]

Definitely need more news reports like this to draw casual players looking to get rich.

http://kyw.com/topstories/local_story_362213005.html##

* Edit/MH: Note: This was ninja-bumped from Dec 2005.

[jman220]

[ QUOTE ]
Definitely need more news reports like this to draw casual players looking to get rich.

http://kyw.com/topstories/local_story_362213005.html

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds to me like he's a fish who's running really hot.

[toss]

“What do I want for Christmas? Well, every day is like Christmas for me,” he said.


Dude this guy's ego is huuuge. He'll fit in perfect at 2+2.

[samr]

He's this year's WCOOP main event winner, fyi.

[SoCalRugger]

Anyone else find it funny that he was a BMW and a Range Rover, but he won't spend $450 on a 2001FP so that he can 4-table without overlap?

[jman220]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it funny that he was a BMW and a Range Rover, but he won't spend $450 on a 2001FP so that he can 4-table without overlap?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that reinforces my theory.

[WarBus]

I just hope he figured in the tax liability on those winnings. With the amount of money he appears to spend plus taxes, he may burn through that money quicker than he imagines.

[primetime32]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Definitely need more news reports like this to draw casual players looking to get rich.

http://kyw.com/topstories/local_story_362213005.html

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds to me like he's a fish who's running really hot.

[/ QUOTE ]

why is he a fish? because he is a young kid? I am pretty sure you would have called phil ivey a kid when he was 18 and playing in AC. No reason why a kid at 18 can't be as good as 30 year old if he gets enough practice.

[Go Blue]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it funny that he was a BMW and a Range Rover, but he won't spend $450 on a 2001FP so that he can 4-table without overlap?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that reinforces my theory.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was about to say the same thing. Does he even have a mouse?

[trdi]

What taxes?! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[icepick]

That coat makes him look like a douche.

[Adam22]

this story about him is longer:

http://www.syncmag.com/article2/0,1895,1763272,00.asp

he sounds like the biggest [censored] on earth, basically. you've got to wonder wether he's really good or just really lucky ( he hasn't been playing long enough for a long lucky streak to be too out of the ordinary ).

[goodguy_1]

America's Greatest Online Poker Player (http://www.syncmag.com/article2/0,,1763272,00.asp)

[FlyWf]

How does he lose thousands of dollars "a couple of years ago"? A teenage high school dropout with thousands of dollars to blow on gambling? I can think of precisely one career that makes that possible.

[FatalError]

One of a few things will happen to jordan

1. He will die in some drug/gang related event, possibly related to him being robbed for everything he owns...

2. He'll go broke

3. The IRS keeps an issue of philadelphia magazine in the waiting room and some agent will have a field day with this kid

4. He'll go broke against mahatma in 2 hours

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it funny that he was a BMW and a Range Rover, but he won't spend $450 on a 2001FP so that he can 4-table without overlap?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that reinforces my theory.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was about to say the same thing. Does he even have a mouse?

[/ QUOTE ]

who needs a mouse when you have an $85,000 BMW!!!!!!11

[Al P]

[ QUOTE ]
How does he lose thousands of dollars "a couple of years ago"? A teenage high school dropout with thousands of dollars to blow on gambling? I can think of precisely one career that makes that possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

Magic The Gathering.

[primetime32]

[ QUOTE ]
How does he lose thousands of dollars "a couple of years ago"? A teenage high school dropout with thousands of dollars to blow on gambling? I can think of precisely one career that makes that possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

because its impossible for his parents to be wealthy? I have known plenty of rich kids that have more than enough to drop a few thousands playing poker.

[Al P]

[ QUOTE ]
With a wide-screen wireless Toshiba laptop tucked under his arm, Jordan wanders the house like a diviner in search of water—only he's seeking the source of his good luck. Sometimes he "feels it" in his mom's study, a room garishly decorated in tiger-themed paintings, leopard-skin-pattern candles and stuffed giraffes. Sometimes the vibe radiates from the casino room, a rec area furnished with a homemade blackjack table and stacks of ebony casino chips. Today he's getting signals from the living room.

[/ QUOTE ]

So that's how the pros do it.

[A_Junglen]

His mom and friends lent him thousands, and he started with an ok bankroll from MTG winnings. Jordan is a very very good poker player but appears very reckless and arrogant.

He final tabled the wcoop me in back to back years and won the PP $600-40 (i think won), and won a super weekday....and this is just what I know from casual observation. He's not a fish.

[danzasmack]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it funny that he was a BMW and a Range Rover, but he won't spend $450 on a 2001FP so that he can 4-table without overlap?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that reinforces my theory.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah that's the 1st thing that came to mind.

[SixT4]

I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

I've only looked at the first article but wow - the guy is 18 and he has been successful and has a shitload of stuff. Everyone is beating down on him because?...

And I don't think he's on a lucky streak. He's one of those people who has the mind to become good at a lot of things when he applies himself.

Edit: Oh, well...from the 2nd article it seems he has a bit of an ego /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[betadecay]

LMFAO

He lost 20 grand and then more 1000 dollar loans all after "dropping out to become pro" with permission from his mom. This guy is a loser even if he can play good poker.

[danzasmack]

[ QUOTE ]
America's Greatest Online Poker Player (http://www.syncmag.com/article2/0,,1763272,00.asp)

[/ QUOTE ]

Afterwards, the "Never think too highly of yourself or too little of your opponent. That's how you get sharked." Raymer quote makes me day.

[betadecay]

[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

I've only looked at the first article but wow - the guy is 18 and he has been successful and has a shitload of stuff. Everyone is beating down on him because?...

And I don't think he's on a lucky streak. He's one of those people who has the mind to become good at a lot of things when he applies himself.

[/ QUOTE ]

read the second article linked

[JackOfSpeed]

[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

I've only looked at the first article but wow - the guy is 18 and he has been successful and has a shitload of stuff. Everyone is beating down on him because?...

And I don't think he's on a lucky streak. He's one of those people who has the mind to become good at a lot of things when he applies himself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo. Jealousy is the word. The guy is certainly a douche, but so is Mike Matusow, and he has a heck of a lot more defenders than an 18 year old who I really can't blame for being a little big-headed after being so successful.

[OrcaDK]

[ QUOTE ]
When the river card (the fourth card in a flop) flips

[/ QUOTE ]

Now, this could just be me. But doesn't a flop only have three cards? And if the river really were part of the flop, wouldn't that normally be called the fifth card? Typical article written by some nit who doesn't know wtf poker is.

[SixT4]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

I've only looked at the first article but wow - the guy is 18 and he has been successful and has a shitload of stuff. Everyone is beating down on him because?...

And I don't think he's on a lucky streak. He's one of those people who has the mind to become good at a lot of things when he applies himself.

[/ QUOTE ]

read the second article linked

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I've edited now too /images/graemlins/blush.gif. Still, I think some people were going a bit overboard, and that was before that article was posted. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[SixT4]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

I've only looked at the first article but wow - the guy is 18 and he has been successful and has a shitload of stuff. Everyone is beating down on him because?...

And I don't think he's on a lucky streak. He's one of those people who has the mind to become good at a lot of things when he applies himself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo. Jealousy is the word. The guy is certainly a douche, but so is Mike Matusow, and he has a heck of a lot more defenders than an 18 year old who I really can't blame for being a little big-headed after being so successful.

[/ QUOTE ]

o/\o

(that's a high five, for those who don't know /images/graemlins/cool.gif)

[betadecay]

I don't think people are jealous, but abashed and shocked at the attitude and mindset of this guy. I'm mostly shocked at his mom. It's great he's making a killing at poker, but to be a parent, let your 17 year old kid drop out of high school and then give him thousands of dollars to take up poker is insane. The funniest thing is he LOST thousands of dollars, and then his mom still gave him MORE thousands of dollars.

BTW I like how the media always refers to losing players as having gambling debts. What an awful light to put on the game.

[betadecay]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

I've only looked at the first article but wow - the guy is 18 and he has been successful and has a shitload of stuff. Everyone is beating down on him because?...

And I don't think he's on a lucky streak. He's one of those people who has the mind to become good at a lot of things when he applies himself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo. Jealousy is the word. The guy is certainly a douche, but so is Mike Matusow, and he has a heck of a lot more defenders than an 18 year old who I really can't blame for being a little big-headed after being so successful.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a huge mike matusow fan. But it's my understanding that the guy is broke most of the time, maybe I'm wrong about this.

[DarthIgnurnt]

[ QUOTE ]
That haircut makes him look like a douche.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
That face makes him look like a douche.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP.

(Oh ... and I've probably won 10% of what this guy has. I don't care. He's a douche.)

[clem]

Here is his myspace profile

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=352 76811

He looks a little too close to his mom in one of his photos and he does have another monitor.

[KaneKungFu123]

self-defeatism makes me sick.

[primetime32]

[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

[/ QUOTE ]

[SixT4]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think people are jealous, but abashed and shocked at the attitude and mindset of this guy. I'm mostly shocked at his mom. It's great he's making a killing at poker, but to be a parent, let your 17 year old kid drop out of high school and then give him thousands of dollars to take up poker is insane. The funniest thing is he LOST thousands of dollars, and then his mom still gave him MORE thousands of dollars.

BTW I like how the media always refers to losing players as having gambling debts. What an awful light to put on the game.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm surprised he hasn't saved any of it away (I'm assumming he hasn't due to the sheer volume of [censored] he's amassed). Eventually he's not gonna be able to make as much money as he does now through poker. His mum can't really enforce anything because it's his money he's playing with now.

Fortunately, I'd say he'll do pretty well with the stock market when he gets into it.

[Adam22]

check out the fake phil ivey myspace that he is friends with. its all pictures of phil and then this:

http://myspace-386.vo.llnwd.net/00291/68/37/291407386_l.jpg

LOL.

[Mempho]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it funny that he was a BMW and a Range Rover, but he won't spend $450 on a 2001FP so that he can 4-table without overlap?

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the same thing.

[kurosh]

Wow, look at all the gold digging girls in his myspace.

[DrunkIrish05]

isn't this the guy that played a marathon of 5k HU sng's on stars after his wcoop win and was basically getting his ass handed to him?

[mmbt0ne]

[ QUOTE ]
isn't this the guy that played a marathon of 5k HU sng's on stars after his wcoop win and was basically getting his ass handed to him?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup. He got beat down pretty hard from what I saw. Someone else I talked to had a running total on him longer than I did, and actually had him doing worse than I thought. 2p2er's were something like 11-1 against him at one point.

[BlueBear]

Let the masses think, "If a high school dropout can do it, so can I!"

[jman220]

[ QUOTE ]
why is he a fish? because he is a young kid?

[/ QUOTE ]

It has absolutely nothing to do with his age, and really not that much to do with any raw skill at poker he may have.
He will be broke within 3 years (thats on the outside), and probably in debt or worse.

[BaHorst]

He's 18? He's not "successful." Moneymaker won a lot more than this kid, and I am not gonna say Moneymaker is very good. This kid is prb Moneymaker's son.

[BaHorst]

Prostitution

[barongreenback]

I think it's fair to assume that this guy has poker skills but he gives the impression that he doesn't really understand the game.

I don't care how good you are, to win big tournaments requires a lot of luck. You can't rely on it for a regular paycheck. If you understand this then no problem but the big danger is that you don't realize that it's just a loan from the future and base your spending habits on short term win rates. The best player can make himself a loser this way.

Of course, there may be a gap between how he thinks and what he says. I not trying to judge him but everything in that article that doesn't come from Raymer is dangerous as hell.

James

[captZEEbo]

Berkowitz must be a losing a lot in the side games? According to Pokerstars (http://www.pokerstars.com/2005wcoop/event15.html) , he took down 577k in that big tournament, and according to him he won a bunch more tournaments. Then he said he's only up 300k this year? He is not playing in many big buyin events either b/c he's too young.

[chisness]

I thought it said he won a $300 pot while they were there.

[StaticShock]

I remember reading at some point where Doyle talks about how he hates seeing players wasting money and sending it out of the poker economy. That comes to mind here.

[rJ_]

[ QUOTE ]
Berkowitz must be a losing a lot in the side games? According to Pokerstars (http://www.pokerstars.com/2005wcoop/event15.html) , he took down 577k in that big tournament, and according to him he won a bunch more tournaments. Then he said he's only up 300k this year? He is not playing in many big buyin events either b/c he's too young.

[/ QUOTE ]

The article that mentioned the 300K was written 12.01.04

rJ

[itsmarty]

I enjoyed his "Interests" section on the myspace page:

Movies: love'em
Television: love it also
Books: not a big fan

Martin

[obsidian]

I have the feeling the irs doesn't know about his winnings.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]

He will be broke within 3 years (thats on the outside), and probably in debt or worse.

[/ QUOTE ]


Barry Greenstein seemed to agree with you during his audio commenatrary of the WCOOP (Jordan was chatting it up pretty good at the table and was showing a lot of attitude).
Don't remember how much Raymer (who was doing commentary also) agreed with him.

[obsidian]

Here's another article (http://www.pokervspoker.com/pokervspoker/2005_03_01_pokervspoker_archive.html):

Gil Spencer: Teen gambler knows when to hold ’em

Jordan Berkowitz powers up his Toshiba laptop in the family room of his Marple Township home. He’s going to play a little poker.

He hasn’t slept in 24 hours, having played online all night. But he’s an accommodating kid.

He logs on, and jumps into a $100/$200 game with a $4,000 bankroll.


"That’s the average buy-in (for this size game)," he explains.

He’s played in bigger ones. The $300/$600 games, Jordan says, are "ridiculous."

"You can swing $100,000 in a day," he says. "You can lose $20,000 in 10 minutes."

Jordan just turned 18 years old. He’s been playing online poker for two years and is already considered to be one of the top online Texas hold ’em players in the country.

"Two years ago I had $20,000 in the bank," said Jordan, money he’d won playing a card game called Magic the Gathering. Then poker caught his fancy.

"I lost (the $20,000) playing $20/$40 games. But I was hooked."

He played on his mother’s credit card with her permission. It took some time, and some additional parental investment, but soon he was winning a lot more than he was losing.

Wait a minute, you say. Isn’t it illegal for minors to gamble thousands of dollars online? Not necessarily. Because most of these virtual gaming tables are based offshore, most state and federal age restrictions don’t apply. And given that his mother, Pagona, has given her financial blessing (however reluctantly) to Jordan’s poker education, who’s to complain?

Last summer, Jordan came in seventh in the World Championship of Online Poker. It cost him $2,500 to enter and his share of the payout was $72,000. By December, he was up nearly $250,000 for the year. But then a winter cold-streak nearly "bankrupted" him. He says he’s "back on his feet" now. The $40,000 he won last Friday certainly helped.

But for every Jordan Berkowitz there are a thousand kids and adults who have lost more than they can afford gambling online. People who go tens - even hundreds -- of thousands of dollars into debt and never dig their way out.

This being National Problem Gambling Awareness Week, I ask Jordan if he has any advice for kids who are thinking of following his lead.

"DON’T DO IT," is his advice.

"This lifestyle is really hard, mentally and emotionally," he says seriously. "The swings (are incredible). It’s a big roller coaster of crazy emotions. Sometimes it’s too hard even to deal with."

File this under "do as I say, not as I do."

A few minutes later, Jordan is clicking back and forth between a 10-player tournament and a $100/$200 game. It’s not unusual for him to play up to four different games at a time. Zipping back and forth to quickly analyze, then to check, raise or fold. Mostly fold.

"The trick is to be very patient," he says.

Sitting in his family room, talking about cards and chatting about his life, he seems your fairly typical upper middle-class teenager -- though more mature and serious than most. He is polite, thoughtful and self possessed.

However, when he starts playing poker a noticeable change occurs. As he explains his play, his contempt for his competition oozes out like oil.

"This guy’s the worst," Jordan says after taking a hand off a competitor. "He’s an idiot because he sat down at a $100/200 table with only $2,000."

When another player catches a jack for an inside straight to beat his aces over, Jordan sulks.

"A gut-shot jack for the straight," he says. "He knows what he did. He knows." Like he ought to be embarrassed. "I had him drawing almost dead. 11.5 to 1."

Down to three players in the tournament, the player to Jordan’s left raises. Jordan raises him right back.

"That was a steal play," Jordan says. The guy folds and Jordan takes down the pot.

"It’s just mastery," he says of his own game. "I’m playing much better than this guy. But it doesn’t mean I’m going to win."

He doesn’t. He comes in second. He wins $600 for his $200.

"These guys are all terrible," Jordan announces. "They don’t even know how terrible they are."

He wins another $1,000 pot in the $100/200 game and it brings forth another burst of bravado.

"You’re learning from a pro, my friend. When I’m 21, just wait. I’m going to break out. I’m awesome at multi-table tournaments. I’m friends with pros and training with the best people."

(He counts among those friends David Williams, another phenom who came in second at last year’s World Series of Poker.)

In just two years, Jordan figures he’s played "maybe a million hands of poker." He also figures he’s getting better with every hand he plays.

His own goal is to be the youngest player ever to get to the final table at the WSOP.

I wouldn’t bet against him.

Would you?

[StaticShock]

[ QUOTE ]
Sitting in his family room, talking about cards and chatting about his life, he seems your fairly typical upper middle-class teenager -- though more mature and serious than most. He is polite, thoughtful and self possessed.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that fur coat and vehicle pair don't SCREAM mature then I don't know what does.

[cardcounter0]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn’t bet against him.

Would you?


[/ QUOTE ]

What kind of odds can I get?

[GrannyMae]

that's paul darden from new haven.

taught ivey everything he knows.

[Nato76]

You mean Phil Ivey taught Paul Darden everything he knows.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]


jealousy my ass, I dont care how many shiny things this kid has, or how good he is at poker. Im really grateful that I'm not him

[David H]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought it said he won a $300 pot while they were there.

[/ QUOTE ]
In less than 20 seconds!

[primetime32]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I sense a lot of jealousy in this thread =P

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]


jealousy my ass, I dont care how many shiny things this kid has, or how good he is at poker. Im really grateful that I'm not him

[/ QUOTE ]

Explain it anyway you like. Nobody has said that they want to be him, or that people should even like him. But people tend to knock people out of jealousy.

Is he a punk? maybe.
can be play poker? looks like it to me.

Do some people here wish they had as much success as him? definitely.

Everyone can make their own conclusions as to why this thread is getting so many responses if this kid is just a little old punk.

[obsidian]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone can make their own conclusions as to why this thread is getting so many responses if this kid is just a little old punk.

[/ QUOTE ]
It's because the guy, while a punk, is still interesting to talk about. It doesn't necessarily mean we looking to be like him.

[WalkAmongUs]

[ QUOTE ]

"I lost (the $20,000) playing $20/$40 games. But I was hooked."


[/ QUOTE ]

this statement is just like saying:

"I lost (the $20,000) shooting heroin. But I was hooked."

Yet his parents just decided to keep funding...

[samster]

[ QUOTE ]
check out the fake phil ivey myspace that he is friends with. its all pictures of phil and then this:

http://myspace-386.vo.llnwd.net/00291/68/37/291407386_l.jpg

LOL.

[/ QUOTE ]


This *is* Paul Darden, right? Pro poker player? Better than you?

[betadecay]

[ QUOTE ]
why this thread is getting so many responses if this kid is just a little old punk.

[/ QUOTE ]

[David H]

I'm not sure if that is the point.

[betadecay]

I f'ed up that post. I meant to say the thread is getting so many responses because the kid IS a little old punk.

[David H]

My post was in response to samster.

But, I agree with you. The kid does seem like a douchebag and a punk, and I'm not saying that out of jealousy.

[samster]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure if that is the point.

[/ QUOTE ]

Must be over my head then

[David H]

You said that the picture was of Paul Darden, and that he is a pro, and a much better poker player than whoever made the Myspace observation. But, the point of the comment was that the Myspace supposedly belongs to Phil Ivey, yet there is a picture of Paul Darden. Not that Paul Darden isn't a good player.

[sightless]

Is it jusy me or Moneymakers myspace is funny?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=122 64054

[bigballz]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it jusy me or Moneymakers myspace is funny?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=122 64054

[/ QUOTE ]

Chris Moneymaker's Interests
General Poker, drinking, the occasional cocaine binge, but nothing too serious. I also like reading travel guides and home repair manuals.

[bigballz]

Why didn't stars close his account if they knew he was 17?

[splashpot]

Yes the kid is overly arrogant. And probably a douchebag. But why does everyone think he sucks? Most people here don't doubt ZeeJustin's skill.

[samster]

[ QUOTE ]
You said that the picture was of Paul Darden, and that he is a pro, and a much better poker player than whoever made the Myspace observation. But, the point of the comment was that the Myspace supposedly belongs to Phil Ivey, yet there is a picture of Paul Darden. Not that Paul Darden isn't a good player.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, alright then. I thought the poster was saying "omg look, this guy is friends with this phil ivey wannabe!!!11one"

[jman220]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is it jusy me or Moneymakers myspace is funny?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=122 64054

[/ QUOTE ]

Chris Moneymaker's Interests
General Poker, drinking, the occasional cocaine binge, but nothing too serious. I also like reading travel guides and home repair manuals.

[/ QUOTE ]

rofl. Yet one more thing that sets Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer apart.

Edit: Haha, didn't realize it was a parody (I didn't read the actual page).

[ilovebadbeats]

[ QUOTE ]
Books Anything by Sklansky, Malmuth, or Zee. Harlequin novels. This is a gimick MySpace account, and is intended as a parody.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it's really Chris's account...

As for the kid, good for him, but he should have really at least finished high school.
He's too young, IMO for all the hardcore 24/7 poker playing, high stakes games/swings, etc.

But, then again WTF do I know, as the highest limit I can beat is $5/10.

Congrats young one, the force is strong with you...

[obsidian]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes the kid is overly arrogant. And probably a douchebag. But why does everyone think he sucks? Most people here don't doubt ZeeJustin's skill.

[/ QUOTE ]
Zee has an entry (http://www.zeejustin.com/journal.php?journal_id=49) in his blog on him actually that I think is pretty good. It's not that everyone thinks he sucks. You can be the best player in the world and still go broke (eg - Stu Ungar). It's that he's extremely young, a high school dropout, is known to lose money in cash games, spends money like a moron, and in general acts like a douche. Even Greenstein has said things about him during his wcoop commentary based on his behavior. Plus, it seems most of his money is made from tournaments which are known to be extremely high variance.

[BlackRain]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes the kid is overly arrogant. And probably a douchebag. But why does everyone think he sucks? Most people here don't doubt ZeeJustin's skill.

[/ QUOTE ]
Zee has an entry (http://www.zeejustin.com/journal.php?journal_id=49) in his blog on him actually that I think is pretty good. It's not that everyone thinks he sucks. You can be the best player in the world and still go broke (eg - Stu Ungar). It's that he's extremely young, a high school dropout, is known to lose money in cash games, spends money like a moron, and in general acts like a douche. Even Greenstein has said things about him during his wcoop commentary based on his behavior. Plus, it seems most of his money is made from tournaments which are known to be extremely high variance.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that pretty much sums it up.

[largeeyes]

[ QUOTE ]
check out the fake phil ivey myspace that he is friends with. its all pictures of phil and then this:

http://myspace-386.vo.llnwd.net/00291/68/37/291407386_l.jpg

LOL.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is one bad comb over.

[KKbluff]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
check out the fake phil ivey myspace that he is friends with. its all pictures of phil and then this:

http://myspace-386.vo.llnwd.net/00291/68/37/291407386_l.jpg

LOL.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is one bad comb over.

[/ QUOTE ]

He is still wearing his orange prison jumpsuit as well.

[TStoneMBD]

there are too many replies here for me to read so i dont know if what im about to say has already been said:

jordan berkowitz is panella, the guy who won the pokerstars wcoop for some number of 6 digits. barry greenstein commentated the wcoop and said that jordan was playing terrible and was bound to go broke. the very next day panella began multitabling 5k HU NL games on stars and did this for several days. he then went on to play in the biggest limit games on stars for a while iirc.

jordan is a magic (mtg) player. he has made the 2003 nationals semifinals. he is famous for this sexy picture:

http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/images/natus03/683.jpg

here are some more photos of his deadly good looks: http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=jordan+berkowitz&btnG= Search

ive seen jordan berkowitz irl and my impression of him is substantial arrogance. every time i find out more information this impression is compounded and this article doesnt help. to his credit, he seemed to be a very skilled magic player and skilled magic players are making alot of money in the poker world.

crossposted thread from nvg:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...;gonew=1#UNREAD (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=3462521&an=0&page=0&gone w=1#UNREAD)

[phifediggy]

[ QUOTE ]
Zee has an entry (http://www.zeejustin.com/journal.php?journal_id=49) in his blog on him actually that I think is pretty good. It's not that everyone thinks he sucks. You can be the best player in the world and still go broke (eg - Stu Ungar). It's that he's extremely young, a high school dropout, is known to lose money in cash games, spends money like a moron, and in general acts like a douche. Even Greenstein has said things about him during his wcoop commentary based on his behavior. Plus, it seems most of his money is made from tournaments which are known to be extremely high variance.

[/ QUOTE ]

what's really great is zj's very next blog entry (http://www.zeejustin.com/journal.php?journal_id=50), in which he writes: "Today was a sick day. I can't go into details, but I played four $5000+100 heads up sngs on PokerStars tonight and won all four."

in the context of this thread it's pretty obvious who the opponent was.

[bulldawgblue]

Yea, I remember watching the HU games, after he won WCOOP he went apeshit. He took beating after beating in 5K HU. I mean, I know he won a lot of bread...but 4-tabling 5K HU?

He maybe nasty at poker, but at least I'm better looking than him.

[teddyFBI]

An 18 year old Jew wearing Roca Wear sweatshirts...nice.

[AndysDaddy]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/images/natus03/683.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]
No respect. I don't get no respect at all.

[tripdad]

with all that cash, he should have no problem splurging for a new hi-res monitor.

tripdad

[obsidian]

[ QUOTE ]
For now, Berkowitz is stepping away from poker, taking a vacation, and thinking about taking a different gamble.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think he may actually realize he is a losing player that got lucky...

[chisness]

Must be one of the luckiest men alive!

[betadecay]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For now, Berkowitz is stepping away from poker, taking a vacation, and thinking about taking a different gamble.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think he may actually realize he is a losing player that got lucky...

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't go as far as to call him lucky. He placed 7th at the WCOOP when he was 17 and then won it the next year. This along with winning some other high buy in tourneys shows he can play poker. However I would guess he is realizing he doesn't know what the hell he's doing when it comes to everything else.

[gisb0rne]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't go as far as to call him lucky. He placed 7th at the WCOOP when he was 17 and then won it the next year. This along with winning some other high buy in tourneys shows he can play poker. However I would guess he is realizing he doesn't know what the hell he's doing when it comes to everything else.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't care if he's the best player in the world. His results would still make him lucky.

[betadecay]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't go as far as to call him lucky. He placed 7th at the WCOOP when he was 17 and then won it the next year. This along with winning some other high buy in tourneys shows he can play poker. However I would guess he is realizing he doesn't know what the hell he's doing when it comes to everything else.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't care if he's the best player in the world. His results would still make him lucky.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that's the case then everyone who ever won any big tournament would be lucky. Your taking the posts out of context.

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't care if he's the best player in the world. His results would still make him lucky.


[/ QUOTE ]

So, you think he was lucky to build a bankroll by winning MTG tournaments, and then by the same stroke of luck wins the WCOOP... along with a host of other major online tournaments?

He would have to be one very very lucky guy for him to have accomplished all those things by pure chance!!!

[StacysMom]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't care if he's the best player in the world. His results would still make him lucky.


[/ QUOTE ]

So, you think he was lucky to build a bankroll by winning MTG tournaments, and then by the same stroke of luck wins the WCOOP... along with a host of other major online tournaments?

He would have to be one very very lucky guy for him to have accomplished all those things by pure chance!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hes a moron, will be broke again. "Dropped out of highschool" enough said.

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
Hes a moron, will be broke again. "Dropped out of highschool" enough said.

[/ QUOTE ]

What is all this animosity based on?

Would your opinion change if he was a 2+2er?

Teens that suddenly get alot of money thrown their direction tend to do stupid things, he will learn!

[jman220]

[ QUOTE ]
Would your opinion change if he was a 2+2er?

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine wouldn't.

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
Mine wouldn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Still doesn't answer where all this animosity is coming from?

[ZarrowShuffle]

I believe that the animosity comes from the fact that...yes, the guy is supposedly winning lots of money, etc.

BUT to be a 17-18 year old HS dropout that takes thousands of dollars from mommy, spends money like he actually has it, probably didn't file with the IRS correctly, will eventually hit a downswing in variance that will more than likely break him, is cocky and arrogant to boot...well, if that's not enough to get people's backs up, what is?

There are right and wrong ways to do things, and we all know that dropping out of high school to pursue poker is not what most of us consider to be "right".

[jman220]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Mine wouldn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Still doesn't answer where all this animosity is coming from?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have any animosity towards him... I've merely stated opinions as to what his future financial state will be. I believe them to be accurate.

[roundmound]

People are also probably irrated by the fact that when he does go broke mommy will be right there to bankroll him again!

[KaneKungFu123]

This is one underrated Jew.

[NiRRRRR]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes the kid is overly arrogant. And probably a douchebag. But why does everyone think he sucks? Most people here don't doubt ZeeJustin's skill.

[/ QUOTE ]

zj is just as arrogant as this kid if not worse.
skill>>all

[WarBus]

Yes, he was probably lucky to do as well as he has done, but....

He also seems to be quite good at building chips to be able to make it to the points in tournaments where you have to get lucky.

He is young, cocky, and appears foolish, but who isn't at 18.

Hopefully he is smart enough to manage his money. If not, he won't be the first to go bust after a large windfall.

Most importantly, we should all be rooting for him. The more positive publicity he receives, the more likely new players will appear having aspirations of repeating his success. An 18 year old poker superstar could be extremely beneficial.

[grandgnu]

Hmmm......interesting. I think the kid has potential. He obviously has some talent, but he's young and reckless. Many young kids learn through making mistakes, whether it's in poker or other aspects of life.

He's discussed investing his money elsewhere (such as real estate, etc) which shows he isn't totally brain dead. But, it sounds like he has a true gamblers mentality. He plays high-variance tournament poker and also plays games where he doesn't have an edge (the heads-up 5K games). So he seems impulsive and might donk off his roll and be broke sometime in the future.

He also spends way too much of his roll on fancy luxury items. It appears he needs to feel wanted, and figures by having all the bling he can get chicks. But all he's going to get are gold-digging chicks. Case in point, the pic below:

http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/9/0,1425,i=98945,00.jpg


And WTF is up with him and his mom, this is a bit disturbing:

http://myspace-037.vo.llnwd.net/00302/73/02/302582037_l.jpg

[itsmarty]

[ QUOTE ]
And WTF is up with him and his HAT , this is a bit disturbing:

http://myspace-037.vo.llnwd.net/00302/73/02/302582037_l.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

[grandgnu]

All the punk kids are wearing their hats sideways nowadays, I think it's the Fat Joe look or something. Friggin' punks!

*shakes cane in the air*

[chisness]

In his defense, his mom is the one causing the disturbance in that pic, while his pose is reasonable.

Also, to those saying he'll go broke, by the sound of it he didn't enjoy the super high variance online games that would actually have a chance of breaking him like 300-600. If he sticks with Party/Stars games only it's almost not even possible to go broke.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
In his defense, his mom is the one causing the disturbance in that pic, while his pose is reasonable.

Also, to those saying he'll go broke, by the sound of it he didn't enjoy the super high variance online games that would actually have a chance of breaking him like 300-600. If he sticks with Party/Stars games only it's almost not even possible to go broke.

[/ QUOTE ]

His problem isn't just that he could possibly donk off money in games he doesn't have an edge in.

His problem is that he's young, and brash, and doesn't respect money it seems. He's going out and buying fancy cars, and fancy jewels, and wearing "hip" urban wear.

He's trying too hard to impress others, and he might spend too much of his bankroll on luxury goods that significantly decrease in value. He needs to save, he needs a plan. His money management skills and his discipline and recklessness are the real issues he's going to face.

Plus, all the pretty girls who he's going to buy nice things for, and get very little in return. Chicks are -EV for this kid.

[starvin-garvin]

"but I wouldn't recommend it 'cause not everyone's going to win the World Online Championship in poker,”

LOL, am I the only one who thought of Bill Fillmaff when I read this?

[Mother Mucker]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes the kid is overly arrogant. And probably a douchebag. But why does everyone think he sucks? Most people here don't doubt ZeeJustin's skill.

[/ QUOTE ]
Zee has an entry (http://www.zeejustin.com/journal.php?journal_id=49) in his blog on him actually that I think is pretty good. It's not that everyone thinks he sucks. You can be the best player in the world and still go broke (eg - Stu Ungar). It's that he's extremely young, a high school dropout, is known to lose money in cash games, spends money like a moron, and in general acts like a douche. Even Greenstein has said things about him during his wcoop commentary based on his behavior. Plus, it seems most of his money is made from tournaments which are known to be extremely high variance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ohhhhh.......that's the legendary ZeeJustin.

I've seen his name in so many threads here but didn't know who he was. I recognize him now though. There's an article in this month's Bluff magazine on him.

Ohhh.....

[Mother Mucker]

Here's my take on him....

I'll admit, the kid probably does have skill at playing cards. However, all the skill in the world won't make up for:
1. Not having proper sized bankroll (we have no way of knowing for sure how much he has, but the way he seems to spend money, who knows?)
2. Inevitable downswing. Someone mentioned earlier how MTT's are of a larger variance and how you can go awhile in between wins. While I agree the kid has skills, who's to say he's going to win another big tourney soon? A lot of the pro's go a long time between wins.
3. Arrogance. Learn to be humble. It's nice that he can play cards for a living and buy nice stuff, but you gotta realize that other people will him and all his "toys" and could possibly put a 9mm in his back. Be humble and don't flash your winnings too much.

That being said, more power to him. That's the beauty of on-line poker. We can all be "World Champs" behind our computer screens.

/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Assani Fisher]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is it jusy me or Moneymakers myspace is funny?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=122 64054

[/ QUOTE ]

Chris Moneymaker's Interests
General Poker, drinking, the occasional cocaine binge, but nothing too serious. I also like reading travel guides and home repair manuals.

[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Assani Fisher]

[ QUOTE ]
Chicks are -EV

[/ QUOTE ]

great posting.

[OnlinePro]

This thread shows the amount of haters that exist on this forum.

Stop hating on the kid, he won money let him enjoy it.

While you grinders continue to grind it out playing 16 tables for 9 hours per day.

[malorum]

[ QUOTE ]

"This guy’s the worst," Jordan says after taking a hand off a competitor. "He’s an idiot because he sat down at a $100/200 table with only $2,000."

[/ QUOTE ]

Jordan demonstrates exactly why you should always initially sit down with only 10BB in a fixed limit game.

[malorum]

[ QUOTE ]
People are also probably irrated by the fact that when he does go broke mommy will be right there to bankroll him again!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, I'm bitter twisted and jealous. Fortunately poker is more meritocratic than any other activity I know.
But I do wish this kid well, and hope he enjoys his cash.
At least I know I should just concentrate on making a few million rather than knocking those who have through luck, circumstance parents or skill.

I teach my kids the same. World is tough. Ain't gonna get no family connections that help you get a job. Result my kids are working hard to get top marks at school so they can compete in a job market where the odds are against them.

I remember the lazy retarded highschool dropout I knew personally who came from a famous british family.
Soon as he failed his exams (I think he passed one 'O'level)
they got him a job on the stock exchange.

If I hadn't spent so much time lamenting the unfairness of the brittish class system, I'd probably be retired by now.

Each day when I go to play poker I'm at war and deep down it feels good.

[Bobo Fett]

Well, by now he's either busto or really living the high life...this thread is 15+ months old..."ninja bumped".

[chicagoY]

That kid seriously needs a financial advisor.

[Ace0fSpades]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that if he only played cash games and not tournaments he wouldn't even be getting news coverage. There are plenty of 18 year old online players out there making thousands online every day.

[Death Valley]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And WTF is up with him and his HAT , this is a bit disturbing:

http://myspace-037.vo.llnwd.net/00302/73/02/302582037_l.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

i dont get it?
Did nobody here ever lay on the floor with their mother in front of a warm crackling fireplace /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[lefty rosen]

I heard he tapped out from sports betting? It's just a rumour? Anybody else hear this?

[cheet]

Old story, but does anyone know this guys online name? And what site he plays on now?

[willw9]

He's a [censored] moron. I'm pretty sure he was drunk at the during the WCOOP final table.

[***]

[ QUOTE ]
And WTF is up with him and his hard on , this is a bit disturbing:

http://myspace-037.vo.llnwd.net/00302/73/02/302582037_l.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]
/images/graemlins/confused.gif