When Phil Hellmuth rants and raves at a table, it's pretty funny. Why? Cause the guy is wildly successful and has been doing well in the game for years and years. When Mike Matusow blows a gasket and erupts, it's entertaining. Why? Cause Matusow has been around for a while now, and has multiple big wins and final table appearances to his credit. To me, it's like John McEnroe in tennis; you respect the guy and his game enough to allow him to blow up on the umpire or line judge over a call. He's won so much, and added so much to the game, that you take his antics in stride.
What I can't stand? 19, 20, 21 year old's on TV, playing at nationalized televised events, berating their opponents over bad calls, and basically insulting people's mothers in front of nationally televised audiences. Guys like Eric Molina. You watch him on TV and you're just like, "WTF?" I mean, I'm sure it's hard; he's a 21 year old, on TV, with a net worth higher than most of us reading this. There is still no reason to conduct yourself in this manner, and it's going to come back to bite you down the road, when you've gone bust and you're applying at WalMart for a job. I mean, Doyle Brunson has been quoted as saying that he has been broke "probably 500 times" in his life. One of the greatest poker players of all-time has gone through those kind of cold streaks in his life. Can't wait for Mr. Molina to hit his, anyways..
Two things led to this post. First off, seeing Mr. Molina (does he wear lipstick?) on television this weekend. Second, it was playing live poker in the past week, and seeing WAY too much of this behavior at the table. You have got guys who are clearly just imitating what they see on TV; they are doing every annoying thing possible. You know, berating other players for bad calls, loudly guessing what their opponents are holding, doing a play by play on their actions ("I'm gonna raise, cause you're scared of me and won't call.") You may say, "but they are doing this to get a rise out of you, and it's working." True, but on the other hand, some people are just ****s.
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