Hellmuth, Masks, and Live Tells

Yeah - stare down that virus, also breathe deeply like a real man!

This should shut the haters up, even though it's none of their business. The virus is real, it's still killing people. If people think it's not deadly enough to be afraid of, or are just "over it", that's their call, but probably means they're not immunocompromised. In any case, they're not entitled to impose their choice on others.

My family members all wear masks because two of them are immunocompromised. I wear mine less, and we accept that they are more at risk because of me. On Boxing Day I tested positive for the first time, and subsequently infected all of them for their first time. Pretty reasonable for Ike to want to avoid that.

Pretty sure there was some sarcasm in his post. At least I hope so lol.

I assume your post has sarcasm. PH isnt even in the top 100 of best cash game players. He would be a dog in tough field like triton but like i said he's very good in fields with a high donk to pro ratio

I wish we could mandate all of this again. I'm not looking forward to getting infected as I bust out of the milly maker

Huh? Seems to me that Zrap's post had to be sarcasm. No one in their right mind thinks PH is the greatest NL player of all time and has an edge on Ike. A 'nicer mask' ? If he is not trolling about the mask grossing him out etc., then I don't know what to say. 😵

BTW - Zrap - Was the mask Ike had on in Taipei high roller better for you? The black mask is more professional and classy looking over that gross white mask eh? lol

sorry didn't notice you said his and not your

Didn't see Ike in a black mask for that event. But I could only imagine it would be much better, even the generic blue masks typically worn by hospital workers would be better then the last few times I've seen Ike play on TV. Don't see him that often, because those type of shows are usually high roller type events and I don't enjoy watching them much. Was just giving my impression as a viewer the last couple times I saw him he was not only wearing a mask, which obviously is a huge negative for the viewing experience (think about the year when masks wear still required and everyone wore one) but that his was one of the more off-putting types are masks.

Regarding Hellmuth.

NL holdem tournaments

- I believe he is still the world record holder for championship bracelets in tournaments.

NL holdem cash games

- has played with the best players in the world for decades , and is still playing.

- while his televised cash game results seem poor to me. He is always saying :

"I've played 6 times in LA the last two years and won every single time" or " I've only lost twice in the last year playing cash"

He is always making quotes like that on TV so obviously a crusher when just playing games not on TV. Unless you think he lies or exagerates?

-

Don't wanna call the man a liar so maybe he has bad or selective memory

he's terrible at cash. he can say whatever he wants but internally he knows this. it's why he short buys even in super fishy games.

Ike just digging his heels in now refusing to admit that he was wrong. Hate that.

I bet he doesn't wear that mask to dinner or to a wedding etc.

In poker one should always be obsessed with finding the dumb people at the table

Ok, almost made it all the way through.

First I have to say, i believe in covid. I was vaccinated, wore the mask for the first 18 momths or whatever and continued in super large crowds if necessary etc.

if Ike is so afraid of giving his immunocompromised wife covid, then he shouldn't be in huge crowds of people playing poker with possibly unvaccinated/unmasked people. Seriously, there really is no excuse if he is worried about her health.
Yes, masks do help but they are not infallible and masked individuals contracted covid all the time.

Also, I think most of you are missing Borg/everyone else arguing on his sides point. They aren't hating on masks or Ike specifically. They are saying that we as players should all be concerned about the poker "ecosystem". Understand that it's like littering, sure you throwing that one piece of trash out the car window isn't effecting the earth individually but we can't think like that. It's ironic actually, because it's the same mindset you should have about covid and getting the vaccine. I'm not immunocompromised but I got vaccinated/wore masks because we're all in this together.

Don't make poker boring people! It's a social game. I saw Limon put it well recently: something like "these kids (I'm late 30s so in between) think the game is here just for them to profit and have no care about anyone else or the game as a whole". Good way of thinking about it.