PokerStars ambassador and writer Maria Konnikova received her first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet earlier this week. However the victory was surrounded by a little bit of criticism from Norman Chad, who opposes limitless reentry/rebuys. Chad was none too thrilled with Konnikova shopping for in 4 instances en path to successful the $888 buy-in on-line poker match.
Regardless of Chad’s feedback, the favored poker ambassador does actually personal a gold WSOP bracelet. She wrote a prolonged Substack to debate her ideas on the criticism, and she or he did not maintain again.
You possibly can learn an excerpt under.
Konnikova on the WSOP Win
This Monday, within the early hours of the morning—round 3am PT, to be precise—I received my first ever World Collection of Poker bracelet. It was in a web based WSOP occasion, the $888 Loopy Eights, in a area of 468 gamers, after virtually ten and a half hours of play.
I do know individuals are likely to look down on on-line bracelets as one way or the other much less actual than ones received on the stay felt. And I do know that 468 gamers—effectively, 464, if I’m being trustworthy, since 4 of these entries have been my very own—is way fewer than the a number of thousand that almost all summer season stay occasions routinely get. However I’d be mendacity if I mentioned I wasn’t proud and glad. I’d been working onerous for a number of years to get right here, not realizing if any gold bracelet, stay or on-line, was ever in my future. And it felt unimaginable to lastly make it occur.
Once I awakened later that day, I used to be nonetheless barely delirious—it’s onerous to sleep with all of that adrenaline!)—however very glad. After first taking on poker in 2017 for The Greatest Bluff, I’d accomplished it! I’d lastly received a bracelet! I made a decision I might spend a number of hours reviewing my play, run a number of sims, after which write a bit for my readers about the entire expertise. I’d discuss my resolution making throughout the run-up to the win, replicate on mindset, and dissect a number of pivotal arms. It was a stable plan. After which I checked Twitter.
Earlier than going to sleep, I had posted a photograph of my win—the identical one you see above. There was an outpouring of help and congratulations; it made we really feel extremely fortunate to be a part of such an incredible group. After which there was the opposite response. The response that determined to take this second to make use of me for instance of…effectively, I’m not fairly positive. Every thing flawed with match poker today, I believe it’s.
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The poster little one (man?) for this response: Norman Chad, WSOP announcer for the final nonetheless a few years. I’m not truly positive what his official title is, however he does the WSOP broadcasts with Lon McEachern. And, regardless that he has by no means met me, he apparently has Many Points with my win (to not throw shade or something).
I just lately rewatched the primary few episodes of Recreation of Thrones. In a single, the fantastic Peter Dinklage, aka Tyrion Lannister, visits the famed Wall that guards the Seven Kingdoms. As he tells Benjen Stark how impressed he has been by his go to, he says, “However…” And Benjen interrupts him. “My brother as soon as informed me that nothing somebody says earlier than the phrase ‘however’ actually counts,” he counters. And, certainly, it doesn’t—as Tyrion then demonstrates by primarily negating all of his reward. You understand what phrases most reliably sign that nice offense is about to be given? I don’t imply to offend, however… You possibly can make sure that no matter is coming subsequent is a nasty because it will get.
So let me simply say this: Norman Chad completely did wish to throw shade on me. In any other case, why single me out, why tag me, why the non-public contact in that last little bit of prose? She ran out of chips. She re-entered. She ran out of chips once more. And on and on.
I’ve by no means met Norman Chad. I don’t know what he has towards me. But it surely’s positively one thing. I’m removed from the one bracelet winner to rebuy—certainly, I occur to know that a number of winners of this on-line sequence in the previous couple of weeks rebought a number of instances. However I’m the one one who he has chosen to single out. And the one method I stand out from the others—or from many of the stay winners this summer season, as most occasions are re-buys and the freezeout format is a uncommon breed—is a straightforward one.
