If you like playing online poker and take your cues from the pros, you will probably be aware of how many eccentrics the game attracts. It seems that the players' celebrity following grows as their acts get more outrageous.
Poker is, undoubtedly, the most popular table game at most casinos out there. You can visit iGaming NJ to find out more not only about poker, but about the NJ gambling industry in general. It’s a world full of entertainment and memorable moments. You'll laugh, or at the very least shake your head in awe, as we present some of the funniest and strangest events in professional poker.
1. All Hail the Emperor
Even if you just play Texas Hold'em online or in live tournaments, you have probably heard about some bizarre antics of Phil Hellmuth. Not exactly renowned for his humility, the uncontested king of World Series of Poker bracelets isn't exactly a shy guy. However, the way he entered the WSOP in 2009 was quite unprecedented and made spectators laugh.
Two hours after the game had begun, he showed up at the WSOP location dressed as Julius Caesar, the Roman Emperor. He was brought in by hulking gladiator-clad guys, accompanied by ladies holding sacks of flowers. He explained to the assembled reporters that you really feel in power when you dress like the Emperor.
2. Sasquatch Sighting
The 2010 tournament was in full swing when a large, hairy sasquatch began running rampant between the tables. The 10-foot-tall beast sped by the gamers, clearly startling more than a few of them. Once players and spectators understood they weren't in danger, the prank, which was dreamt up by the snack brand Jack Link's marketing, caused laughter. The corporation often uses the sasquatch in its advertising, so it’s a bit more understandable.
3. Everyone Makes Mistakes
The horror of a hand Phil Ivey played in the main event of the WSOP 2017 series will never leave the 10-time WSOP bracelet winner. Keep in mind that even the finest poker players sometimes suffer the biggest shocks at the table. Phil raised pre-flop to 320k with pocket 8s, and after the majority of the other players had folded, Jordan Smith raised to 1 million with ace-9 offsuit. Ivey had three spades on the flip with a 74% chance of winning the pot, which was worth 2.1 million chips, thanks to the queen of hearts, five of spades, and ten of spades. Ivey and Smith both checked. Ivey missed his flush when the queen of spades appeared. Ivey checked after Smith with an ace high.
Ivey is still troubled by the incident, but it makes many players' cheeks light up to realize that everyone slips up sometimes, whether you're a WSOP champion or like to enjoy a game or two just for fun.
4. On and On Goes Jamie Gold
Few players have heard of Jamie Gold on the professional poker circuit before 2006. The Californian television producer and talent agent had a few poker victories under his credit, but none that had made him a household name among poker players or established him as a pro. Everything changed in the 2006 main event of WSOP when Gold established a commanding chip advantage over the rest of the field. Gold went on to win the grand prize, but his table antics had the poker world in stitches.
Gold's verbal antics became his defining style, and his use of the strategy in the 2006 main event of WSOP cemented his place as one of the tournament's most enduring champions. It went like this: Gold would go into a protracted discourse that prolonged out each turn and required his adversaries to endure it patiently. These protracted statements made audience members laugh out loud. A few pundits even referred to his speeches as "psychological warfare."