One of the reasons that poker has gained so much popularity is that anyone can start playing. Unlike other professional sports, which require an incredibly high level of athleticism, if someone is dedicated enough to practicing and learning how to play poker, they can still become a great player, even if they are five feet tall and weigh three hundred pounds. Poker is arguably the most popular professional sport that does not require its players to possess an ounce of athleticism.
While mainstream America loves watching poker and hearing the stories of average people that beat the odds and made it into the tournament, they seem to be turning a blind eye to many of the questionable individuals that make it into the tournament. Just as it's possible for an average person to get a seat at theWSOP , it's possible for people that would normally be labeled a degenerate or threat to society to earn a seat in the event. If you think I'm exaggerating, let's just take a look at some of the individuals who made their way into the World Series of Poker:
Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan: A resident alien of the US, he was arrested in August of last year for violating his immigration status and faced possible deportation. So, what violated his immigration status? He was convicted in 1995 of misdemeanor sexual battery on a child under 18 (he allegedly offered the child a skateboard in exchange for sex)!
Mike Matusow: Over the course of his poker playing career, Matusow has won over $6.5 million. While this seems like enough money for anyone to live a very nice life, it apparently wasn't for Matusow. In 2005, he spent six months in jail for selling coke and pills to an undercover cop! When he was younger, he also stole money from his own mother to fuel his video poker playing habit.
Thomas A. “Amarillo Slim” Preston Jr.: Making an appearance in this year's Senior Tournament, Amarillo Slim is a 79 year old poker player from Amarillo, Texas. While he may sound normal enough, consider this: in 2003, he was indicted by a grand jury on three charges of indecency with a minor. And that's not all: the minor was his own twelve year old granddaughter!
Ernest Scherer III: Back in March, both of Ernest's parents were found brutally beaten to death in their Pleasanton, California home, and still wearing their pajamas. Before you start feeling sorry for Ernest, check this out: Ernest has been named as a person of interest in the investigation. Yes, you read that correctly: Ernest may have beaten both of his parents to death! What could possibly drive someone to committing a horrendous act against their own parents? According to reports circulating around the Internet, Ernest has some major gambling debts, which could serve as the motivation for taking the lives of his parents, who had accumulated a significant amount of wealth as a result of investing in real estate.
2 comments:
Wow, this is totally new to me, i did not knew this before, thanks
I did not know that about sheiky.
There are a lot of "characters" in poker. That David Sklansky guy has had controversy surrounding him as well.
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