HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

After just winning 8M the following exchange takes place between Yang and Chad (taken from Pauly's Tao of Poker):

'When Norman Chad asked him if he was having the best day of his life, Yang mentioned that when he came to America for the first time, "It was the first day I found freedom. My family tried to escape Laos and we failed. They (communist regime) hunted us down. Then we escaped to Thailand. When I found out that we were going to America was the happiest day of my life."'

Talk about having your priorties straight! Turns out though that lots of people are upset with him 'cause he wears his faith on his sleeve...but isn't that what the freedom of this great nation allows? Maybe Pauly said it best when he went on to comment:

'"... A devout Christian and religious man like Jerry Yang can help draw positive attention to the poker community. Poker can be a conduit for goodwill. Sure it's a form of gambling, but so is beating the stock market. Heck, praying for an imaginary being (aka God) is the ultimate gamble. What's the difference between shoving all in with a Big Slick vs. a middle pair and believing in God? There is none. Both are coinflip situations. God either exists or doesn't. That's a race situation that church goers gamble with every single Sunday."'

I know one bet that's not a coin flip: having Jerry Yang as poker's ambassador for the next year...that's a slam dunk.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
After just winning 8M the following exchange takes place between Yang and Chad (taken from Pauly's Tao of Poker):

'When Norman Chad asked him if he was having the best day of his life, Yang mentioned that when he came to America for the first time, "It was the first day I found freedom. My family tried to escape Laos and we failed. They (communist regime) hunted us down. Then we escaped to Thailand. When I found out that we were going to America was the happiest day of my life."'

Talk about having your priorties straight! Turns out though that lots of people are upset with him 'cause he wears his faith on his sleeve...but isn't that what the freedom of this great nation allows? Maybe Pauly said it best when he went on to comment:

'"... A devout Christian and religious man like Jerry Yang can help draw positive attention to the poker community. Poker can be a conduit for goodwill. Sure it's a form of gambling, but so is beating the stock market. Heck, praying for an imaginary being (aka God) is the ultimate gamble. What's the difference between shoving all in with a Big Slick vs. a middle pair and believing in God? There is none. Both are coinflip situations. God either exists or doesn't. That's a race situation that church goers gamble with every single Sunday."'

I know one bet that's not a coin flip: having Jerry Yang as poker's ambassador for the next year...that's a slam dunk.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm skeptical that the probability of God existing is 50%.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
After just winning 8M the following exchange takes place between Yang and Chad (taken from Pauly's Tao of Poker):

'When Norman Chad asked him if he was having the best day of his life, Yang mentioned that when he came to America for the first time, "It was the first day I found freedom. My family tried to escape Laos and we failed. They (communist regime) hunted us down. Then we escaped to Thailand. When I found out that we were going to America was the happiest day of my life."'

Talk about having your priorties straight! Turns out though that lots of people are upset with him 'cause he wears his faith on his sleeve...but isn't that what the freedom of this great nation allows? Maybe Pauly said it best when he went on to comment:

'"... A devout Christian and religious man like Jerry Yang can help draw positive attention to the poker community. Poker can be a conduit for goodwill. Sure it's a form of gambling, but so is beating the stock market. Heck, praying for an imaginary being (aka God) is the ultimate gamble. What's the difference between shoving all in with a Big Slick vs. a middle pair and believing in God? There is none. Both are coinflip situations. God either exists or doesn't. That's a race situation that church goers gamble with every single Sunday."'

I know one bet that's not a coin flip: having Jerry Yang as poker's ambassador for the next year...that's a slam dunk.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was actually Pascal who demonstrated that believing in God is a +EV wager. After all, if you don't believe in God, you only get looked up when you're behind.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

What makes this guy so great? So he won the main event, big deal, it's just a 50/50 anyway. You either win the main event or you don't.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After just winning 8M the following exchange takes place between Yang and Chad (taken from Pauly's Tao of Poker):

'When Norman Chad asked him if he was having the best day of his life, Yang mentioned that when he came to America for the first time, "It was the first day I found freedom. My family tried to escape Laos and we failed. They (communist regime) hunted us down. Then we escaped to Thailand. When I found out that we were going to America was the happiest day of my life."'

Talk about having your priorties straight! Turns out though that lots of people are upset with him 'cause he wears his faith on his sleeve...but isn't that what the freedom of this great nation allows? Maybe Pauly said it best when he went on to comment:

'"... A devout Christian and religious man like Jerry Yang can help draw positive attention to the poker community. Poker can be a conduit for goodwill. Sure it's a form of gambling, but so is beating the stock market. Heck, praying for an imaginary being (aka God) is the ultimate gamble. What's the difference between shoving all in with a Big Slick vs. a middle pair and believing in God? There is none. Both are coinflip situations. God either exists or doesn't. That's a race situation that church goers gamble with every single Sunday."'

I know one bet that's not a coin flip: having Jerry Yang as poker's ambassador for the next year...that's a slam dunk.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was actually Pascal who demonstrated that believing in God is a +EV wager. After all, if you don't believe in God, you only get looked up when you're behind.

[/ QUOTE ]

But what if believing in a personable God in a possibly impersonal universe could affect any post-death awareness in a possibly adverse way? In this scenario believing in God is a liabilty in the same way that a poor person who expects to receive charity would have an adverse affect in life.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

Probably because it's the manner in which we react to the events that impact upon us that defines our character (or lack thereof)...

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After just winning 8M the following exchange takes place between Yang and Chad (taken from Pauly's Tao of Poker):

'When Norman Chad asked him if he was having the best day of his life, Yang mentioned that when he came to America for the first time, "It was the first day I found freedom. My family tried to escape Laos and we failed. They (communist regime) hunted us down. Then we escaped to Thailand. When I found out that we were going to America was the happiest day of my life."'

Talk about having your priorties straight! Turns out though that lots of people are upset with him 'cause he wears his faith on his sleeve...but isn't that what the freedom of this great nation allows? Maybe Pauly said it best when he went on to comment:

'"... A devout Christian and religious man like Jerry Yang can help draw positive attention to the poker community. Poker can be a conduit for goodwill. Sure it's a form of gambling, but so is beating the stock market. Heck, praying for an imaginary being (aka God) is the ultimate gamble. What's the difference between shoving all in with a Big Slick vs. a middle pair and believing in God? There is none. Both are coinflip situations. God either exists or doesn't. That's a race situation that church goers gamble with every single Sunday."'

I know one bet that's not a coin flip: having Jerry Yang as poker's ambassador for the next year...that's a slam dunk.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was actually Pascal who demonstrated that believing in God is a +EV wager. After all, if you don't believe in God, you only get looked up when you're behind.

[/ QUOTE ]

But what if believing in a personable God in a possibly impersonal universe could affect any post-death awareness in a possibly adverse way? In this scenario believing in God is a liabilty in the same way that a poor person who expects to receive charity would have an adverse affect in life.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it can be said that a Chrsitan post death awareness - that god will judge you, you will live in heaven- will push people to act in a more virtuous manner, this effecting the world in better and more selfless manner than man with an athiestic post death awareness. Without breaking into a full on philisophical debate, I think its fair to say that the belief in god can coorelate to a more fufilling world for both your sould and your neighbors. Not to say athiests can't be good, that is not true at all, but the belief in god can be an extra motivator for benign behavior.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

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I'm skeptical that the probability of God existing is 50%.

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Clearly you don't spend much time in BBV, it is 50/50, he either exists or he doesn't.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

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I'm skeptical that the probability of God existing is 50%.

[/ QUOTE ]
Clearly you don't spend much time in BBV, it is 50/50, he either exists or he doesn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

True, I don't spend much time in BBV. Still a bad anlogy, however, given that your EV's are much different in the god-beliving/disbelieving coin flip than in the AK vrs underpair coinflip, for obvious reasons.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

My lack of faith is clearly holding me back.

Yang:

I was in the BB with A3 and kind of short. UTG raised and someone reraised I looked at A3s in the BB and said please lord let me win this and I will forever praise you and your glory. So I shipped it with the A3. He had KK. I said please lord jesus and whoever else up there help me.

BOOM WHEEL!

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

The ignorance that some people continue to show on this subject is absolutely astounding.Leave the [censored] guy alone already about his religious beliefs,they in no way affect anything in your lives.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

Yang should maybe be bashed for his play, but not his character.

He's a great guy imho

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]

It was actually Pascal who demonstrated that believing in God is a +EV wager. After all, if you don't believe in God, you only get looked up when you're behind.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pascal could only fathom a choice between JC and no god. It's like putting your opponent specifically on AA every time he raises pre-flop. The actual range is quite a bit wider, like, infinity.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

My personal favorite Yang quote:

""The Lord was watching over me," replied Yang. "When I had 4-4 and I was all in I prayed, 'Lord, give me a set.' Then the flop had a 4 and I survived that hand. I have seen the miracles of God at the World Series of Poker."




Lawl......"....lord, give me a set."

Now that's [censored] gold!

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

What happens in Phuket, stays in Phuket...

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

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So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

God must have had a football or baseball game to decide that day and was unavailable.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

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So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

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[ QUOTE ]
So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

[/ QUOTE ]

Location: South of the Mason-Dixon Line

I'm shocked.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

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It was actually Pascal who demonstrated that believing in God is a +EV wager. After all, if you don't believe in God, you only get looked up when you're behind.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pascal could only fathom a choice between JC and no god. It's like putting your opponent specifically on AA every time he raises pre-flop. The actual range is quite a bit wider, like, infinity.

[/ QUOTE ]

The only relevant grouping is the subset of gods who threaten you with eternal damnation if you don't believe in them. If there are multiple gods that fit that description, your play is to select the most plausible one and go with that. It certainly can't be +EV to choose none of them.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am pretty sure that that story ended by a certain covenant symbolized by a rainbow.

Maybe you oughta reread it and get back to us.


Its a shame this thread got derailed. That is an awesome quote from Yang and makes him much more likable in my opinion.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am pretty sure that that story ended by a certain covenant symbolized by a rainbow.

Maybe you oughta reread it and get back to us.


Its a shame this thread got derailed. That is an awesome quote from Yang and makes him much more likable in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I know the story but you missed the point. I agree that this thread & several others have gotten derailed but if posters on this board would just post their thoughts on whether he played good or bad...love him or hate him...whatever...instead of attacking his faith just because they don't agree with it.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
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So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am pretty sure that that story ended by a certain covenant symbolized by a rainbow.

Maybe you oughta reread it and get back to us.


Its a shame this thread got derailed. That is an awesome quote from Yang and makes him much more likable in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I know the story but you missed the point. I agree that this thread & several others have gotten derailed but if posters on this board would just post their thoughts on whether he played good or bad...love him or hate him...whatever...instead of attacking his faith just because they don't agree with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

We're not attacking his faith. People have a democratic right to be stupid. What we are attacking is him behaving like a lunatic while others were trying to complete a poker tournament.

What would you think if Albert Pujols stood at the plate in the world series and audibly asked god to make the pitcher throw the ball down the middle of the plate so he could hit a home run?

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
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[ QUOTE ]
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So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am pretty sure that that story ended by a certain covenant symbolized by a rainbow.

Maybe you oughta reread it and get back to us.


Its a shame this thread got derailed. That is an awesome quote from Yang and makes him much more likable in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I know the story but you missed the point. I agree that this thread & several others have gotten derailed but if posters on this board would just post their thoughts on whether he played good or bad...love him or hate him...whatever...instead of attacking his faith just because they don't agree with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
We're not attacking his faith.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excuse me? Maybe you haven't outright, but you've come darn close. There have been countless others that have though.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

Jasp, sounds like your second sentence relates to the first...with the implication that his faith is stupid.

Attacking him for acting like a lunatic? I believe there were others in the tournament, some quite well known, that would actually fit that characterization yet haven't received nearly the same level of criticism. Anyway, since when is praying considered acting like a lunatic?

And FYI, many sports figures do in fact make outward expressions of their faith while in front of fans and peers while the game(s) are in progress. Little or nothing is said in criticism of them in such instances. In fact, they're often given some additional respect as "men of character" etc. Why the double standard with Yang?

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

BTW/FWIW - I wasn't really attacking 'faith' per se or even the notion that God exists...but rather the notion that God would interfere with something such as whether or not Yang won a hand...yet let innocent babies die in some disaster.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
BTW/FWIW - I wasn't really attacking 'faith' per se or even the notion that God exists...but rather the notion that God would interfere with something such as whether or not Yang won a hand...yet let innocent babies die in some disaster.

[/ QUOTE ]

I reiterate my pervious statement about the Biblical story of Noah. Why did the flood happen then? Why did it rain for 40 days & 40 nights. Why were Noah & his family the only ones spared?

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Jasp, sounds like your second sentence relates to the first...with the implication that his faith is stupid.

Attacking him for acting like a lunatic? I believe there were others in the tournament, some quite well known, that would actually fit that characterization yet haven't received nearly the same level of criticism. Anyway, since when is praying considered acting like a lunatic?

And FYI, many sports figures do in fact make outward expressions of their faith while in front of fans and peers while the game(s) are in progress. Little or nothing is said in criticism of them in such instances. In fact, they're often given some additional respect as "men of character" etc. Why the double standard with Yang?

[/ QUOTE ]

Good post.

Does anybody remember last year's Super Bowl? What did both head coaches have in common off the field? They made no bones about where they stood...

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know there is a little story in the Bible about a guy named Noah who built an ark & there was a flood & everything. Maybe you oughta read it & get back to us.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am pretty sure that that story ended by a certain covenant symbolized by a rainbow.

Maybe you oughta reread it and get back to us.


Its a shame this thread got derailed. That is an awesome quote from Yang and makes him much more likable in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

My sentiments exactly. I think his statements reflect the gratitude for America that he feels and a sincere appreciation for all that it has to offer. Maybe now he'll be bashed by all the Communists on this forum... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Jasp, sounds like your second sentence relates to the first...with the implication that his faith is stupid.

Attacking him for acting like a lunatic? I believe there were others in the tournament, some quite well known, that would actually fit that characterization yet haven't received nearly the same level of criticism. Anyway, since when is praying considered acting like a lunatic?

And FYI, many sports figures do in fact make outward expressions of their faith while in front of fans and peers while the game(s) are in progress. Little or nothing is said in criticism of them in such instances. In fact, they're often given some additional respect as "men of character" etc. Why the double standard with Yang?

[/ QUOTE ]

Good post.

Does anybody remember last year's Super Bowl? What did both head coaches have in common off the field? They made no bones about where they stood...

[/ QUOTE ]

The difference is that they weren't praying and asking for divine intervention while the game was going on.

Seriously, dude seemed like a really nice guy and played great, but his behavior in the first hour was way out of line.

Once he toned it down everything was cool.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

Well, I, for one, am glad that a guy like Yang won. He's a little like Raymer in that he may have played at less than Ivey or Reece, but he AND Raymer are stand-up guys. It will be good to see what he does in the next year as poker's ambassador.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

If God doesn't exist, you take everything and lose nothing.

If God does exist, you give something but gain everything.

Sort of just a personal choice, odds are better banking on existense.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

50% chance god exists? more like 20%

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

God almost surely does not exist. Clearly not a coinflip.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

I have one response to those with doubts as to the existance of God & his only son Jesus Christ...

Out of all of the world's major religion's you can go and visit the grave/tomb/burial site of the religion's founder. Muhammad, founder of Islam, is a good example. Budda is another.

If anybody knows where Jesus Christ's burial tomb is, I really like to go visit it.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL @ floppeth.

The Lord floppeth, and the Lord taketh away.

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
So the lord floppeth him a set but let innocent babies die when the tsunami hit? Nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did the innocent babies or Jerry Yang ask for them to be spared? I think not. Amirite?

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have one response to those with doubts as to the existance of God & his only son Jesus Christ...

Out of all of the world's major religion's you can go and visit the grave/tomb/burial site of the religion's founder. Muhammad, founder of Islam, is a good example. Budda is another.

If anybody knows where Jesus Christ's burial tomb is, I really like to go visit it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
BTW/FWIW - I wasn't really attacking 'faith' per se or even the notion that God exists...but rather the notion that God would interfere with something such as whether or not Yang won a hand...yet let innocent babies die in some disaster.

[/ QUOTE ]

I reiterate my pervious statement about the Biblical story of Noah. Why did the flood happen then? Why did it rain for 40 days & 40 nights. Why were Noah & his family the only ones spared?

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you seriously believe that happened?

Re: HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY?!
 

So one man was able to gather up many different types of species in a short amount of time, limited by the technology of that time, build an arch that would house all of these animals, provide enough food and different types of food for the varying animals, and stop them from attacking the other animals on a 40 day voyage?

I'll pass on that one.