My apologies to Earl

I see Earl quite a bit. Sometimes he's playing and sometimes he's just at the poolroom. He isn't always a terrible human. I'm not a doctor but I'm pretty certain he's bi-polar and under medicated. I once gave him a ride, maybe 10 blocks, to his apartment. He was nice enough and recognized I was doing him a favor. I would say the ratio of asshat:nonasshat moments are about 4:1 though.

In that movie they made about him they did mention he's bipolar, which could certainly explain a lot of his behavior.
 
I don't play poker or know anything about professional poker. Do Helmuth and the other known players have backers who put up their entry fee for a slice of their winnings?

I think it's a lot like pool where you have some players that can afford to pay their own way and others who can't.

While I can't be 100% certain, I don't think Helmuth is hurting for money.
 
I see Earl quite a bit. Sometimes he's playing and sometimes he's just at the poolroom. He isn't always a terrible human. I'm not a doctor but I'm pretty certain he's bi-polar and under medicated. I once gave him a ride, maybe 10 blocks, to his apartment. He was nice enough and recognized I was doing him a favor. I would say the ratio of asshat:nonasshat moments are about 4:1 though.

And it could be we both have different definitions of "terrible human being". Mine are closer to many NFL players, wife beaters, child beaters, dope sellers, rapists, etc. And or gangbanger types who would shoot someone just for fun or part of an initiating process.

Or someone who would not step in to save a child, someone who would look the other way when something terrible happens because they did not want to get involved. Or the guy, when a possum runs out in front of his car, does not slow down, but actually speeds up to try and kill it.

But someone who is under medicated for a medical condition and thus has a problem dealing with folks in a professional manner is way down low on my list of terrible humans. Otherwise my own mother (may she rest in peace) would qualify under your definition, and I'm just not having any of that. :angel2:
 
Do u understand how many folks play poker, or have played poker at some time? Probably about 80 percent of the folks I know.....it's popular and it gets ratings, and the payouts are huge......something, unfortunately pool can't say. :(

I know that many, many people have played or do play poker, myself included, but that does not mean that it is something that I think would be enjoyable to watch on TV. I am sure you have heard the saying that comes in many configurations that goes "fill -in-the-blank-here may be fun to do but it is disgusting to watch", I think poker fits in to that group. Of course that is simply my opinion which may very well differ from everybody else here. No disrespect meant to you Mr. RJ or to anyone else for that matter. (I still do not hunger to watch poker on ESPN though, the sports network???):wink:
 
I know that many, many people have played or do play poker, myself included, but that does not mean that it is something that I think would be enjoyable to watch on TV. I am sure you have heard the saying that comes in many configurations that goes "fill -in-the-blank-here may be fun to do but it is disgusting to watch", I think poker fits in to that group. Of course that is simply my opinion which may very well differ from everybody else here. No disrespect meant to you Mr. RJ or to anyone else for that matter. (I still do not hunger to watch poker on ESPN though, the sports network???):wink:

Hey, it does not float everyone's boat. But, if they did not show everyone's hole cards, there is NO WAY I'd ever watch poker, EVER.

But seeing the hole cards makes it interesting on how you might play the hand, watch how others play the hand, and see some crazy arse bluffs. Without it might be as boring as watching bowling ;)
 
Yes, because anyone's definition of a POS is they get emotional while playing professional sports at the highest levels humanly possible. And in a sport where shaking has been part of the game for a hundred years or more....

I like earl cause away from the table he is a good dude....and I understand because in another sport I competed in for many years, I played better when I was pissed off, and looked for any slight by the other team to put me in the "zone".

I usually found the slight, sometimes I didn't, but I don't regret a thing, and the guys I played for loved me, the guys I played against wanted me injured, crippled or dead :thumbup:

Now RJ, I've never heard anyone from your Greater Chicago Over 50 Foosball League say they wanted you injured, crippled or dead.
 
AT 7:52, did Phil say "I am not a turd."?

I wonder if any of the poker players have asked him to step outside?

JoeyA
 
AT 7:52, did Phil say "I am not a turd."?

I wonder if any of the poker players have asked him to step outside?

JoeyA

More than once lol. He was a great player before online hit hard. Now online players have played so many hands and have their standard betting patterns that make them damn near unreadable it's more of a game of luck then ever before. Moneymaker brought poker mainstream and there are more fish then ever but more great players too.
 
Phil couldn't beat 25/50 i.e. 5kNL 6max online now.

No he couldn't lol. But you have to admit he is good for TV just like Earl would be. I know many disagree and will talk about how Earl ruins the game and this and that but to make it on TV pool would need "characters." Yes all the greats will draw a small audience of pool players but people that are on the verge of exploding every shot will be what would draw the "reality t.v" type of crowd. Whoever said pool would be better fit for a reality tv series was spot on. Pool won't make it to the typical sports fan only to our crowd while it would draw in more of a mainstream crowd if it was about a player on the verge of busting or random outbursts or just following an eccentric players day to day life. As much as I love watching Shane play he is a robot and although our crowd loves to watch him run racks you know there isn't going to be any crazy outbursts or snapped cues with him while people would love to see Earl go crazy. If pool was on TV I'm sure it's not what a lot of people here would want to see.
 
Every event I attend the biggest crowds are watching Earl.
Clearly the man is manic. Perhaps he tried meds, maybe not, but that's a personal choice. Would you stay on a medication made to make you an emotionless zombie? While animated and emotional the man is clearly lucid and very sane. He is really a genius on the pool table.
Many brilliant minds, particularly inventors were thought to be manic depressives. In their high moments they pushed boundaries to places that otherwise would be unseen.
The man should be praised for what he has given to pool and his accomplishments. Unless you are a internet banger who just can't recognize talent.
 
No he couldn't lol. But you have to admit he is good for TV just like Earl would be. I know many disagree and will talk about how Earl ruins the game and this and that but to make it on TV pool would need "characters." Yes all the greats will draw a small audience of pool players but people that are on the verge of exploding every shot will be what would draw the "reality t.v" type of crowd. Whoever said pool would be better fit for a reality tv series was spot on. Pool won't make it to the typical sports fan only to our crowd while it would draw in more of a mainstream crowd if it was about a player on the verge of busting or random outbursts or just following an eccentric players day to day life. As much as I love watching Shane play he is a robot and although our crowd loves to watch him run racks you know there isn't going to be any crazy outbursts or snapped cues with him while people would love to see Earl go crazy. If pool was on TV I'm sure it's not what a lot of people here would want to see.

I don't believe Earl is crazy or need meds. He sometimes displays something resembling a personality while playing pool which is so rare he stands out compared to other pool players.

The only guy I can remember who had a pool oriented tv show was Minnesota fats. It wasn't because of his ability at the pool table. It was because he had some personality.
 
Now RJ, I've never heard anyone from your Greater Chicago Over 50 Foosball League say they wanted you injured, crippled or dead.

Well, I have mellowed with age ;) The second knee surgery this Tuesday is really making me rethink that maybe foosball would be much safer for me !!!
 
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