Phil Laak..frequent exponent of the shades
In the twoplustwo weekly rumour mill, we dig out the funniest, wackiest gossip to grace poker’s biggest community.
How does your poker crib square up? Dual, 32 inch monitors? Swanky, reclining leather chairs? A fridge full of red bulls to sustain you through hours of grinding? There’s an ongoing fascination with the poker pads of various high rollers. Are they living in luxury as the hundreds of thousands gambled online would suggest, or are their surroundings far more low key? Recent snaps have emerged of Viktor Blom’s (widely considered to be online legend Isildur1) grinding pad. They show him lounging about a spacious kitchen in a flamboyant pair of pink boxers, and treating himself to a champagne dinner. If you want an indicator as to Blom’s wealth, then check out the picture of him surrounded by hundreds of pairs of jeans. There appears to be a common trait in the poker pads of young pros – the lack of furniture. Because of their newfound wealth and tender years, they seem to splash out on big flats without knowing how to fill them.
British pro Andrew Feldman seems to be coming under fire on the back of his legal fracas with a rabbi. Jealous poker opponents condemn Feldman for slowrolling and performing hit and runs (stacking an opponent then leaving the table). He is also accused of ‘bumhunting’ (targeting inferior players where he has a discernable edge) and bragging about his $4 million in poker winnings. Feldman has recently taken a case to High Court, requesting his money back from a rabbi who allegedly squandered it when spread betting on the stock markets. Rabbi Simon Nissim, reportedly a close friend of Feldman, offered to place several bets on the Dow Jones and share any winnings. According to Suffolk Free Press, Nissim allegedly placed bets on his behalf and racked up losses of £140k.
Sunglasses should be banned at the poker table, according to esteemed pros Daniel Negreanu and Doyle Brunson. Negreanu exclaims on his blog, ‘I swear every TV producer should ban sunglasses entirely from any televised event. They are so bad for poker on so many levels. Poker wouldn't be on TV if everyone wore hoodies and sunglasses to hide their eyes’. He believes wearing shades destroys the whole essence of live poker – being able to see your opponents and strike fear into their eyes. Players such as Phil Laak often turn to shades to avoid giving tells and retain an aura of mystery. Should sunglasses be banned at the poker table? What do you think?