Tony G - Not Just TV

[1968]

This man has heart. [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[Gordon Scott]

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Not to nitpick, but answering your phone and then disconnecting was considered acceptable as of the $1500 plo8 in which tony played. There was a floor ruling, and that was the ruling.

I can understand the anger. Does anyone really know the rule if this was the ruling made the previous night? The rio staff is incompetent. They also supposedly changed the F-bomb penalty too, to where you can't direct it at someone.

Would you say the f word in passing at rio in a tournament now?!?!?!

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just now at my 2k wsop omaha event table, tony g answered his phone while turning up his hand at showdown. he showed a2 for low and stood up from the table to talk on his phone. the dealer, a female, killed his hand for answering the phone and awarded the entire pot to the other player. tony g flipped out and rifled his entire stack of chips of about 20 right into the dealer's face like a bullet. he stormed off and less than a minute later he returned and hid a $100 chip in the dealer's shirt. the dealer handled it amazingly well, with professionalism. tony was issued a 1.5 hour penalty.

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It's doesn't matter if the phone call was within the rules. You don't throw chips at dealers.

Here's a better story (all of the above happens) dealer jumps over the table and beats the dog [censored] out of this dbag. He is then banned from the wsop for the next 3-5 years.

If this BS happened in any other sport and/or business the guy would get sued or banned or both.

GS

[Sciolist]

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Every time I read one of these stories I'm surprised the dealer does nothing. You would think at least once in a while a dealer would flip out and pound the crap out of the player.

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Tony G is from the streets, if the dealer tried to fight him, he would be playing with fire. I would urge the dealer to think about what he is doing.

[Schecky]

Right, so after doing a lot of research on this topic - I felt I should speak out. I don't post on forums - but I felt this was important. ***Disclosure - I work with Tony G.***

Those of you who know me know I am as critical of Tony at times as anyone on the face of the Earth - when he deserves it. I don't agree with what he does on TV all the time, but I probably know him as well as anyone other than his family, I suppose.

When I heard Tony threw chips at a dealers face, I found it very hard to believe, but not 100% impossible. I heard about it from so many people in the poker media, I began to believe it.

I finally spoke to Tony, who saw this thread, and he told me what happened. He said the dealer made a really poor decision, and he lost his temper, and slammed his fist down on the table, in the process of doing so, he hit the edge of a stack of chips, which sprayed toward the dealer, hitting her, though none apparently in the face.

I decided to leave it, as anyone else who may have seen this was long gone. I chose to ask around this morning.

When I arrived this morning, I spoke to both the floor person who made the decision, and his immediate supervisor, both of whom confirmed the following story.

Tony opened his hand, showing the nut low. As he was doing so, his phone rang. Tony got up from the table, and took the call. The dealer actually declared Tony's hand, but made the unfortunate decision to kill Tony's hand immediately thereafter, as he was now on a cell phone - which is against the rules. The dealer pushed the whole pot to Tony's opponent. Tony came back to the table, he says 5 seconds later. The dealer informed him that his 1/2 of the pot had been forfeited, and continued to deal.

Tony, by his own admission lost his temper, and slammed his fist onto the table. In the process of doing so, he hit some chips, the chips sprayed, and some hit the dealer...many going on the floor. Tony left the table, and when he came back, he had a note on his stack stating he was serving a one round penalty.

I confirmed this morning with the floorman that gave the penalty that Tony was given a one round penalty for intentionally knocking chips on the floor. Both the floorperson involved and his supervisor stated that Tony was never even accused of having thrown the chips at the dealer, period. Tony was never assessed a 90 minute penalty, and in fact there is no such thing at the WSOP. He never 'talked his way' back into the tournament.

Upon serving his penalty, Tony returned to the table, and toked the dealer $1,000. He set the chip on the table in full view of everyone else, there was no slipping into the pocket, and it was $1,000, not $100 - not that the denomination is relevant.

If anyone who is at the series would like, PM me, and I will be happy to give you the name(s) of the staff involved, and you can ask them yourself.

Tony opens himself to a lot of criticism by how he plays poker. I have always accepted this as part of the dynamic of working in the poker industry with Tony. But in this case, his TV persona created a situation where he was guilty until proven innocent of a crime that grossly misrepresented reality. Tony was out of line, but in my opinion not nearly to the degree a reader might think having read this thread.

I have only known Tony about three years, and I have never seen him even come close to abusing a dealer or floor person. His actions toward other players are the legitimate subject of wide debate. I will try to check back tomorrow in case anyone has questions.

John Caldwell

[GTL]

john. if he didn't intend to hit the dealer with chips, and just accidentally sprayed a few which hit the dealer, and not in the face, why would he tip 1k? your story doesn't make logical sense. he either, slammed his fist onto the table and accidentally splashed the chips or he threw chips at the dealer. the 1k tip makes a lot more sense if he actually threw the chips.

[Daliman]

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john. if he didn't intend to hit the dealer with chips, and just accidentally sprayed a few which hit the dealer, and not in the face, why would he tip 1k? your story doesn't make logical sense. he either, slammed his fist onto the table and accidentally splashed the chips or he threw chips at the dealer. the 1k tip makes a lot more sense if he actually threw the chips.

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Not really, he probably just did it as a PR move. Maybe if he didn't give so many people a reason to not like him, he would find himself getting the benefit of the doubt in situations like this.

[cbloom]

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Not really, he probably just did it as a PR move. Maybe if he didn't give so many people a reason to not like him, he would find himself getting the benefit of the doubt in situations like this.


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I don't think taunting other players is wrong in any way. It's part of the game and Tony is very good at it. I'm not aware of Tony doing any of the things that are really dirty, like colluding, shorting chips, taking pots he didn't win, etc. etc. The worst thing he does sometimes is talk to people who are in a hand when he's not in the hand.

ps. but you're right, I guess a lot of people don't like him cuz of his talk.

[Schecky]

You make a good point GTL. Tony felt bad, and that is how he responded. The amount isn't really an issue in my mind, as its all relative as to each person's personal situation financially.

[Labarde]

[glimmertwin]

Tony G. should have wrestled that dealer to the ground, grabbed him by the snout so that he couldn't get bitten, and then delivered a lecture to the rest of the table on the curious features of LasVegas PokerDealercus.