I found this really strange

[Jailblazers]

Hi all, I just wanted to point out something about the way ESPN is marketing poker.

First of all, you know how in the NBA games they'll say something about where a player grew up and honed his game. Like, Stephon Marbury learned his game at Rucker Park (not sure if this is true or not), which is famous for breeding great ball handlers. Or another example is that Quentin Richardson grew up playing on the streets of Chicago, which is known for its rough, aggressive play. Basically, all of the cities have courts that are known for breeding certain kinds of ball players. Also, it is something to be proud about where you grew up playing.

Anyway, I found this absolutely hysterical during one of the WSOP broadcasts. They try to do the same exact thing with poker. LOL. I remember Norman Chad saying, "Kenny Tran moved up through the limits at the Commerce Casino, which is where he learned to make his great reads". and "Mario Ho, another Commerce casino regular..." WTF??? This is so ridiculous. Also, apparently Scandinavian players are known for being super aggressive. IMO, Poker should be just what it is, a gambling game that you can win at. There is no need to apply names to each person, they'll say like "cash game specialist Kenny Tran..." yatta yatta yatta.

[Eponymous]

I know, I was always thinking Norm should be saying something more like, "Here's Kenny Tran, who just plays a gambling game that you can win at." That would be a lot better.

[Steveinho]

"He learned to speak English by spending hours on his computer using Alta Vista's Babelfish translator. He spends his off time buying suit jackets at the local Goodwill though, occasionally, he forays into the wilderness of Salvation Army."

[Dan87]

uhh kenny tran is a cash game specialist and he did rise through the limits at commerce. I agree that where you play has little to no bearing on what type of player you become, only that it is the area where you become the player you are. A home casino is just as arbitrary as a home town for a sports player, it just gives people something to cheer for if they relate.

some fish could be like "hey i played Kenny Tran when he was playing 3/6$ limit 10 years ago!" just like people like to brag about playing peewee hockey with Wayne Gretzky

[sapol]

[ QUOTE ]
just like people like to brag about playing peewee hockey with Wayne Gretzky

[/ QUOTE ]

i would never brag about getting my ass kicked

[Rottersod]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi all, I just wanted to point out something about the way ESPN is marketing poker.

First of all, you know how in the NBA games they'll say something about where a player grew up and honed his game. Like, Stephon Marbury learned his game at Rucker Park (not sure if this is true or not), which is famous for breeding great ball handlers. Or another example is that Quentin Richardson grew up playing on the streets of Chicago, which is known for its rough, aggressive play. Basically, all of the cities have courts that are known for breeding certain kinds of ball players. Also, it is something to be proud about where you grew up playing.

Anyway, I found this absolutely hysterical during one of the WSOP broadcasts. They try to do the same exact thing with poker. LOL. I remember Norman Chad saying, "Kenny Tran moved up through the limits at the Commerce Casino, which is where he learned to make his great reads". and "Mario Ho, another Commerce casino regular..." WTF??? This is so ridiculous. Also, apparently Scandinavian players are known for being super aggressive. IMO, Poker should be just what it is, a gambling game that you can win at. There is no need to apply names to each person, they'll say like "cash game specialist Kenny Tran..." yatta yatta yatta.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually your example is just like the one you gave about Basketball players. There was a time when kids who grew up on the playgrounds in certain areas of NYC were considered the best one on one type players. Players who play for a living at Commerce and have gone up through the low limits to the high limits have faced much tougher and much more aggressive players than those who play at some other casinos. They've survived huge bankroll swings that would make the people who play on some river barge or snow based casino sick. As far as a player being a specialist in one area? Why not? If Tran plays mostly cash games and is good at it then he's a cash game specialist. Ring games and tournaments are played differently.