Travel Channel 

What was going on with the WPT this week? Did anyone see the joke that unabomber Phil Jerkhead made out of the show in LA this week? Come on. Are there no rules on people bending over behind the dealer to see the cards? I've told people what a great show the WPT was and they watched it and said are you kidding if thosee are pros then the professinal poker tour is in serious trouble!!! That show put the WPT back 1 year. He should be banned from any further play in the WPT. I got sick watching him make a fool out of himself and the other players. SHAME on the WPT for letting a AHOLE like that on TV...

I guess the WPT is not trying to promote the tour as a pro tour. They want people to think anyone with basic knowledge of the game can join and win. Maybe that's why they are not so hung up about the technical rules.

Spiced up the show quite a bit

I have never written before, But the Unabomber **** made me. I consider the show a class act and there's no place in it for that kind of behavior. If the show wants to go that way and thinks it will help ratings, I think they are totaly wrong. I would not watch if it continued .

People, the Travel Channel can't and probably doesn't want to force players into a certain behavior pattern at the table. A little diversity makes it interesting as people are all different. Would I act like Phil Laak at the felt? Heck no, not in a million years. Personally, I also thought Phil made himself look like an idiot...until he won that is.

Straight up! Phil Laak is entertaining, unpredictable, good player, and just plain happy and excited to be there! Other players can't help but laugh with him (not at him because he is laughing too) and get absorbed by some of his energy. My wife was not enjoying WPT at all until she saw him and his antics.

He is entertaining and reminds us that you don't have to be a serious "stuffed shirt" to play poker...it can be fun too!

dakotaskill

That's a great point. I totally agree. It is all about the entertainment. I want to see personalities and not just stuff shirts. That's also why I enjoy celeb poker.

I agree with chicoace2. Personality sells. It is nice to have one or two "bad boys" and have their personality liven up the game. We can't just have a bunch of stoic players staring down at each other the whole time can we?

You shouldn't be able to stop someone from acting a certain way unless it is violating a major infraction of the rules. Even so, what Laak was doing was getting his head in the game. Just as some people listen to music, some people don't. He paid money to get into that tournament, and he was all in. He could not change/alter the outcome of the cards. He just wanted to see what was coming ahead of time. There is really no foul play. If your going to whine about little things like being happy and enjoying where you are, and be a constant stickler about what should happen compared to what does happen, go play some other game.

What the heck was wrong with what Phil Laak did?
There's nothing wrong with looking over the dealer's shoulder!

People,
Read your Robert rules of Poker. Ther is nothing in there about players affect or how they react to the situations.
You pay your money
you take your chances
Some are obnoxious
Some are silly
Some are absolutely Rude!
Some are Whinny (ready Phil here)

It all a part of the game to affect the other players mental game.
Get a life folks. Go out pay a Thousand or two to play one of these tournaments!

I have!
Its a blast.
28th of 435 at Bellagio Oc 05. doubled my mony.

Talk about game etiquette. The "Unabomber" was having his 2 hours of fame. It should not be spoiled at the expense of the fans by towering like a crane behind the dealer trying to get a free view of the cards. At the same time, it is bad enough that the respondents type misspelled words and use bad grammar. Most of all, they should not use curse words on the web site. Remember, two wrongs do not make a right.-Captain Keyboard.