WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

Just watched all the main event episodes of ESPNs 2007 WSOP coverage.
All I want to see is someone actually acting like a pro when they win a big pot (maybe a silent little fist pump at most), rather than a total moron.
For those who have been there, do most people act normally when there isn't a camera around, or is stupidity pretty much standard, behaviour-wise?

Also, I thought the dueling prayer-fest between the Yang and Watkinson camps was pretty hilarious. If there is a god, I'm pretty sure he isn't into intervening in poker games, but who knows.

I remember when I was a kid watching a documentary on body language, and they had a bit on poker players and poker faces, and showed someone (Unger I think) winning the WSOP, and barely cracking a smile (narrator: "He's just won the world's biggest tournament and his emotions are still nearly completely supressed"). No whoops, no running around, no dancing, just a thin smile and a handshake to the defeated.
Don't see that much anymore.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

Well 8 million dollars is a lot more than 1 million dollars

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

the WSOP ME is the biggest gathering of idiots who all think they are amazing i have ever been to.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]

I remember when I was a kid watching a documentary on body language, and they had a bit on poker players and poker faces, and showed someone (Unger I think) winning the WSOP, and barely cracking a smile (narrator: "He's just won the world's biggest tournament and his emotions are still nearly completely supressed"). No whoops, no running around, no dancing, just a thin smile and a handshake to the defeated.
Don't see that much anymore.

[/ QUOTE ]

stu = seasoned high stakes gambler. also.. stu expected to win.. or at least knew he was capable of beating the entire field.

todays players = are not experienced high stakes gamblers. the final table for them is stressful, mind blowing, they're out of their element. so when something good happens they have extraordinary reactions. when their tournament life is on the line their emotions take over... they can't hold in that prayer to god that they might at less stressful times run through in their own mind. sheesh... 9th place paid 500k and first paid 8million. truly imagine if you were in that position.

hell i see similar behavior at a local tournament that's a 300 buy in with 12k to the winner. so i think we can "forgive them their trespasses".

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
All I want to see is someone actually acting like a pro when they win a big pot (maybe a silent little fist pump at most), rather than a total moron.

[/ QUOTE ]

Acting like a pro when winning a big pot is pretty common, but it's not really too interesting, so they don't show it on TV. This is similar to how people complain that calm and professional athletes don't get as much hype as cocky loudmouths.

It irritates me too, but it totally makes sense.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All I want to see is someone actually acting like a pro when they win a big pot (maybe a silent little fist pump at most), rather than a total moron.

[/ QUOTE ]

Acting like a pro when winning a big pot is pretty common, but it's not really too interesting, so they don't show it on TV. This is similar to how people complain that calm and professional athletes don't get as much hype as cocky loudmouths.

It irritates me too, but it totally makes sense.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that's really what I'm asking, never having been there myself. I kinda assume that there is a dual effect of people hamming it up for the camera plus selecting clips of people going nuts.
It just strikes me that ten years ago no one at the final table would have put on a jumping-up-and-down-screaming display that seems to be the rule rather than the exception lately.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]

Acting like a pro when winning a big pot is pretty common, but it's not really too interesting, so they don't show it on TV. This is similar to how people complain that calm and professional athletes don't get as much hype as cocky loudmouths.

It irritates me too, but it totally makes sense.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that's really what I'm asking, never having been there myself. I kinda assume that there is a dual effect of people hamming it up for the camera plus selecting clips of people going nuts.
It just strikes me that ten years ago no one at the final table would have put on a jumping-up-and-down-screaming display that seems to be the rule rather than the exception lately.

[/ QUOTE ]

the reason: freerolls... 20 dollar satellites online.

take the good with the bad

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

BBBUUULLLLLLDDDOOOZZZEEERRR

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
BBBUUULLLLLLDDDOOOZZZEEERRR

[/ QUOTE ]

Hoo, hahhh, oooh ooh ahhh!

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

khan is the best thing to come out of the wsop, and hes actually not that bad

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

If you want to be on ESPN TV you must act like a buffoon. If you don't believe this, just watch sports. T.O. gets much more airtime than Marvin Harrison.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
khan is the best thing to come out of the wsop, and hes actually not that bad

[/ QUOTE ]

he is a [censored] tool

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

I agree 100% with what you are saying; like the dude Hevad Khan: what a frickin' douche. Dude was a total retard, and he seemed to relish in that fact; it would, however, work on me, as I would have no choice but to dive over the table and choke the life out of him if I had the misfortune of being seated with him; However, Ungar is a bad example: dude was so quiet because he was 1)coked up to the rafters, and 2) already spending the money in his mind on his next fix...

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

Khan was just living the dream and having a great time. If you expect someone who spent a lot of time on the internet and playing games like Starcraft to act socially correct, and not be minorly affected thats just not going to happen.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

there's footage from as recent as wsop 2003 where humberto brenes doesn't act like a douche. It's all for show and attention and because their skill in poker is very limited so they have to behave like this to get TV time. Not everyone can behave like Phil Ivey or Patrick Antonius.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

For some people acting like a fool at least seems natural (brenes, mattias anderson, e. molina, jamie gold) but Khan was so bad because it seemed so forced. Very painful to watch.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

WSOP = World Series of Prats

Of course its all for the camera - even Hellmuth and Matusow admit they play up more when the cameras on.

Do you want to play the WSOP to do well & win something or act up whenever a camera is near and been seen around the world as a jerk? (Molina, Khan etc)

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

Hard to imagine nobody else has evoked Lou Holtz, but here it is:

"If you get into the end zone, act like you've been there before."

The End.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
WSOP = World Series of Prats

Of course its all for the camera - even Hellmuth and Matusow admit they play up more when the cameras on.

Do you want to play the WSOP to do well & win something or act up whenever a camera is near and been seen around the world as a jerk? (Molina, Khan etc)

[/ QUOTE ]

Put it any way you want...it is still somewhat memorable.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

Acting like an idiot for the cameras is weird imo. I'd be much more likely to act reserved and shy if cameras were there instead of the other way around.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Hard to imagine nobody else has evoked Lou Holtz, but here it is:

"If you get into the end zone, act like you've been there before."

The End.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is a great quote, so true.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

Hevad Khan is the best.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Acting like an idiot for the cameras is weird imo. I'd be much more likely to act reserved and shy if cameras were there instead of the other way around.

[/ QUOTE ]


People act how they perceive others want them to act. This is why some people start praying, others start dancing like a monkey on XTC, and others stay respectful and decent.

Re: WSOP: does everyone act like an idiot, or just for the cameras?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hard to imagine nobody else has evoked Lou Holtz, but here it is:

"If you get into the end zone, act like you've been there before."

The End.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is a great quote, so true.

[/ QUOTE ]