CONGRATULATION JERRY YANG!!!! 2007 main event CHAMP

[Jasper109]

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What if he would have been a Muslim and started praying to Allah for divine intervention, and had a picture of Osama Bin Laden as a card protector?

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Comparing his kids to the worlds #1 terrorist is a new low, even for 2+2.

It's easy to bash someone who's done better than you. Whatever makes you feel better. I know Jerry, and I know he's truly humble and worthly of winning. He's not the best poker player in the world; but he played the absolute best within his abilities, given the table conditions.

A previous poster is right. If this was a frequent 2+2'er who frequently posts his encounters with hookers and drugs after a big win, everyone would be having multiple orgasms at how he 'pwnd' the WSOP ME.

Jerry is one of the most unoffensive people I have ever met in my life; I've played with him many times, and spoke with him in length before the ME this year.

Congrats, Jerry! Well deserved, and earned.

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I'm not saying anything at all about his poker playing abilities. I thought he played very well.

What I'm saying is that it was offensive to me a sane human being that he was praying to "god" to win a poker hand in much the same way that others to their "god" for other events to occur.

I'm sure he's a great guy, but since religion is the biggest factor in creating the [censored] up world we live in, I am very offended when delusional people pray for things no matter how trivial those things may be.

[niin]

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I'm sure he's a great guy, but since religion is the biggest factor in creating the [censored] up world we live in, I am very offended when delusional people pray for things no matter how trivial those things may be.

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My point is, you compared a picture of his kids to a picture of Osama bin Laden. That's pretty low.

Plus, someone talking to themselves about their own religious beliefs is a far cry from someone strapping on a bomb and blowing themselves up based on their religious beliefs.

He uses his faith to relax himself; to 'give him strength' when he's in a stressful situation. It's the same as someone singing to themselves, biting their fingers, humming, playing with chips, drinking a beer, whatever. Personally, I'd rather have someone praying quietly to themselves than standing up at a table and shouting to the room how great of a player they are.

It wasn't like he was there saying "I'm going to win because God likes me better than you". I don't really even remember him saying (I'm probably wrong here) that he said or implied that God somehow 'made' him win. All I remember is him saying that God gave him strength to play and win.

Just so it is said, I'm a devout agnostic, and could care less if someone believes in a God, gods, talking goats, or whatever.

But in this case, Jerry's one of the most unassuming and humble winners I've seen. It's difficult for me to be offended by his personal faith. I've had many conversations with him, and he's never once pushed his faith on me. It is his, and his alone; verbalizing it quietly to himself is a far cry from terrorism, which you implied in your post.

[Jasper109]

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I'm sure he's a great guy, but since religion is the biggest factor in creating the [censored] up world we live in, I am very offended when delusional people pray for things no matter how trivial those things may be.

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My point is, you compared a picture of his kids to a picture of Osama bin Laden. That's pretty low.

Plus, someone talking to themselves about their own religious beliefs is a far cry from someone strapping on a bomb and blowing themselves up based on their religious beliefs.

He uses his faith to relax himself; to 'give him strength' when he's in a stressful situation. It's the same as someone singing to themselves, biting their fingers, humming, playing with chips, drinking a beer, whatever. Personally, I'd rather have someone praying quietly to themselves than standing up at a table and shouting to the room how great of a player they are.

It wasn't like he was there saying "I'm going to win because God likes me better than you". I don't really even remember him saying (I'm probably wrong here) that he said or implied that God somehow 'made' him win. All I remember is him saying that God gave him strength to play and win.

Just so it is said, I'm a devout agnostic, and could care less if someone believes in a God, gods, talking goats, or whatever.

But in this case, Jerry's one of the most unassuming and humble winners I've seen. It's difficult for me to be offended by his personal faith. I've had many conversations with him, and he's never once pushed his faith on me. It is his, and his alone; verbalizing it quietly to himself is a far cry from terrorism, which you implied in your post.

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Mentioning Bin Laden was definitely uncalled for, but I think it gives you an idea about how anything related to religion infuriates me.

I think you need to go back and check what he said last night, as it was way beyond him just praying to himself to relax.

Does he really believe that there is some "god" in the sky that determines who wins the main event of the WSOP? If so, it is very scary to me that he is raising 6 children and works as a psychologist.

At what point is all of this insanity going to stop? We're not living in the freaking 15th Century here.

[dwedeking]

I've played with this guy a number of times at Pechanga. He's pretty down to earth and I've only seen him get peeved at another player one time. Usually he's pretty quiet so I've never heard the religion stuff until here. Anyway I think this is HUGE for poker as he's just a plain joe off the street which will connect with the other average joes and bring money to the table.

[niin]

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I've played with this guy a number of times at Pechanga. He's pretty down to earth and I've only seen him get peeved at another player one time. Usually he's pretty quiet so I've never heard the religion stuff until here. Anyway I think this is HUGE for poker as he's just a plain joe off the street which will connect with the other average joes and bring money to the table.

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I've played with him quite a bit too, and have talked to him at length at the WSOP send-off party and other times (I won the similar tournament he won, back in September). He's one of the most unoffensive people I know. I've never heard him say anything bad towards anyone.

Hell, every time he got sucked out on last night, he'd shake the guys hand and say "Nice hand", and I'm certain it was sincere. Sure, he was disappointed to lose the hand, but he didn't hold any ill-feelings towards the player.

[tpir]

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No good MTT players have bashed Yang for his play. People who have are just retarded people who don't understand tournament poker. He may not be very good at poker, but Yang played the FT better than anyone else.(I've probably said this like 500 times)

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I still don't understand what everyone else was doing. I am terrible at MTTs, so tell me, wouldn't you be looking to get involved in lots of small pots with Yang?

Also, nice avatar! 'cano ftw.

[AngusThermopyle]

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I still don't understand what everyone else was doing. I am terrible at MTTs, so tell me, wouldn't you be looking to get involved in lots of small pots with Yang?


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Yang did not let them play "small pots"

[tpir]

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I still don't understand what everyone else was doing. I am terrible at MTTs, so tell me, wouldn't you be looking to get involved in lots of small pots with Yang?


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Yang did not let them play "small pots"

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For a while he didn't change his raise size, so eventually the blinds caught up to it and it wasn't that big. (I think this is hint #3 or 4 he didn't really know what he was doing)

Also, the other players didn't do themselves any small-pot-favors with their PF supersized blocking(?) bets.

[LuckyTxGuy]

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What if he would have been a Muslim and started praying to Allah for divine intervention, and had a picture of Osama Bin Laden as a card protector?

[/ QUOTE ]

Comparing his kids to the worlds #1 terrorist is a new low, even for 2+2.

It's easy to bash someone who's done better than you. Whatever makes you feel better. I know Jerry, and I know he's truly humble and worthly of winning. He's not the best poker player in the world; but he played the absolute best within his abilities, given the table conditions.

A previous poster is right. If this was a frequent 2+2'er who frequently posts his encounters with hookers and drugs after a big win, everyone would be having multiple orgasms at how he 'pwnd' the WSOP ME.

Jerry is one of the most unoffensive people I have ever met in my life; I've played with him many times, and spoke with him in length before the ME this year.

Congrats, Jerry! Well deserved, and earned.

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Awesome! Thanks for posting.

Oh and there is no such thing as a "new low" for a few of the folks here.

[JennFox]

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It's great that he's giving 10% to charity and bravo to him for doing it.

But his prayers at the table for a specific card, or a miracle, were completely over the top and ridiculous, not to mention contrary to scripture.

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But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.


--Matthew 6:6

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Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"


-- Matthew 4:5-7 (referencing Deuteronomy 6:16)

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I'm not sure if you're religious yourself or how familiar you are with the bible, but the passages you chose to use here are taken completely out of context and do not mean what you think they mean.

Matthew 6:5-13
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

These verses are discussing the sincerity of these prayers. The gospels in the new testament spend a lot of time discussing pharisees, hypocrites, tax collectors etc. People who pray to exaggerate their zeal. I don't think Jerry was showboating his Christianity. I think he was genuine in his prayers..

And Matthew 4:5-7 is known as "the temptation of Christ". Satan tempts Jesus after he has spent 40 days and nights fasting in the desert. This is where the classic line "Man does not live on bread alone" comes from. He is also tempted to turn stones to bread and to worship the devil in exchange for the earth. it has absolutely nothing to do with humans testing god.
In fact, in Judges 6, Gideon asks God to prove himself and his power before he agrees to lead Israel into battle. God agrees to do so not just once, but twice by Gideons request.

In 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel calls out the pagan prophets and challenges their god to the test. they each set up altars. the pagans call out to their god to send a sign, but nothing happens. when it was elijah's turn he called out to god. 1 Kings 18:36 "Answer me, oh Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, oh Lord, are God.." Then fire from heaven fell and burned Elijah's sacrifice, and the people fell down and worshiped.

Plus there are several passages that SUPPORT his audible prayer.

philippians 4:6 - be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto god.
psalm 55:17 - evening, and morning, and at noon, will i pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
james 5:13 - is any among you afflicted? let him pray. is any merry? let him sing psalms.
1 timothy 2:8 - i will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without anger or disputing.
1 thessalonians 5:17 - pray without ceasing.

I think its really irresponsible to attack someones religion incorrectly with their own religious tools. i dont think hes done anything wrong according to the bible. im not religious, but i was raised in a religious home. i dont see anything wrong with what he did from a christian point of view. (it doesnt matter that im not christian, so i miht have been slihtly annoyed.) i may not agree with what he did or said. it just annoys me to watch this guy get picked apart by idiots who throw around bible verses like their bumper stickers that can just be quoted willy nilly and mean nothing. gross. biblically, he has done nothing wrong. saying what he's done is wrong is really a difference in beliefs, not just a stance on his.