Joan River’s and the Perception of Poker in 2009
I have to admit to being a bit of a fan of the TV show ‘The Apprentice’ and although all reality TV is basically horse cock, I do enjoy Alan Sugar’s snarling. So I decided to download the American celebrity version to see how it compares and was quite surprised to see Annie Duke appearing as a contestant.
“She’s going to eat these celebrity Muppets for break fast in the games playing department” was my first thought and sure enough over a serious of competitive tasks she precedes to wipe the floor with the opposition. Annie really should have won, but that’s not the way the producers wanted it to play out, so in the end veteran comedienne and plastic surgery casualty Joan Rivers Triumphed.
Anyway Annie’s game playing really got under River’s skin and as well as calling her ‘Scum’ and ‘Worse than Hitler’ she let rip with this venomous tirade, “Your people give money with blood on it. I met your people in Las Vegas. None of them have last names. You’re a poker player. A poker player! That’s beyond white trash. Poker players are trash, darling, trash.”
Not that I put much stock in to what River’s, a crazy bitch at the best of times let alone shortly after someone has just made an arse of her relentlessly annoying daughter has to say, but this did get me thinking about a piece I wrote many moons ago called the perception of poker and how the outside world viewed the game in the year 2009. The original article was a reaction to a slew of negative stories about poker in the mainstream media which had a profoundly negative influence on the public perception of the game of poker.
Re-reading the article I take issue with almost the opening statement I wrote, “The Clumsy lumping in of poker with other forms of gambling, that it in fact had little or no relation with poker”. I’m now disagree with this, plenty of people do not play poker like you or I, they play and view the game as a pure gamble so it’s only natural that the game be viewed by many as pure gambling.
And at the time I argued that the fact you could make a living at the game proved it was more than just gambling. Well many people also make a living betting on horse racing or sport events, I still see this as pure gambling, but they wouldn’t, they use the same arguments as poker players do, I.E they know when there getting the best of it, the right price as it where. So where’s the difference? I can see that at the time my view of poker had been skewed by my love of the game.
Last week I was browsing the RaisetheRiver forum when I came across a post by BurnleyMik. It was a link to an article in the NY times about a mother who discovers her son is failing college and playing mid stakes poker, Here’s the NYTimes link*. I found the article very interesting and it relays a perspective that those who surround themselves by the game can’t quite appreciate.
* You might need to register with Nytimes to view, it can be a bit arsey
If you couldn’t view or can’t be arsed to read it then it’s basically a story about a mother who discovers her son is dropping out of college to play poker and how she gradually comes to terms with this. Personally I found the mothers concerns 100% understandable and would have felt exactly the same in her position; in fact I think she does exceptionally well to control the situation, well apart from her son hanging onto the bonnet of her car “screaming give me my f*cking money back”, but in general she copes with it all admirably.
Honestly though if a twenty something Tom Dwan came to me and said, “I’m a smart lad mate, but sod this getting an education business I’m wasting my time, I’m going to play high stakes poker for a living instead”. And what would I say. I’d say “Don’t be silly son, the game’s not going anywhere, get your education” And of course Tom would have missed out on a billion or so dollars of Gus Hansen’s money.
I think the point I’m making is that it’s impossible to have an objective view of poker, you’re either inside or outside, understand the game or are mystified by it. This reflects in most peoples attitudes to the game, those that know and love poker understand that it’s a pastime that has the potential to be anything you want it to be, it could be a train wreck addiction, a hugely enjoyable and rewarding pastime, a life affirming social experience or an isolating affliction.
Those that exist outside of our “Poker Bubble” will respond to each individual story as they come across them, If a fourteen year old boy happens to run up massive debts on his fathers credit card playing online and commits suicide there would be outrage and calls to ban online poker, but if an unemployed man from Bristol satellites in and then wins the main event, poker would be viewed as a positive.
Those around us will always be swept one way or the other by the ebb’s and flow of the mass media tide. I guess we just have to get used to these periodic surges of interest in what we do and get used to a wide variety of reactions, the game might not change but the general public’s perception will constantly be shifting from the sublime to the ridiculous.
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Comments
4 Responses to “Joan River’s and the Perception of Poker in 2009”
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Perfect way to explain just how those outside of poker view the game. Its so polarised based on what they have read that morning in the Sun.
My own family view it exactly like that, but never seem to moan when i throw them the proceeds from my cashes…
For those 0.0000001% of players that can make a living from it should do of course, just as dik9 should carry on being a TD and you Kev, should continue writing excellent articles.
For the rest of us poker players not in the 0.0000001%, we should take extreme caution and not let ourselves run away with it like we all do from time to time.
[...] Here is the original: Joan River’s and the Perception of Poker in 2009 [...]
dik9 doesnt want to be a TD though, i want a life
I thoroughly enjoyed this. My mum still thinks I’m a degenerate gambling alcoholic. She’s a very perceptive woman, good read Mum.