I’ve played enough tournament poker, and I’m confident enough in my skills, and I’m not super star-struck, that I’d like to think there aren’t many that would really intimidate me. Daniel Negreanu would be fun to have at your table, but the nature of his style of conversation would eliminate any intimidation or fear that you might have. Doyle Brunson is a living legend, and I would just want to bend his ear and thus wouldn’t be focused on the game, but that’s still not intimidating. If Shannon Elizabeth or Tiffany Michelle were at my table, I may be staring at them too much to even know what my hole cards are…but again, that wouldn’t really be intimidation.
I came up with 3 players who I thought would be intimidating if I had them at my table…who would make me nervous or apprehensive playing against them. First on the list is Phil Ivey, who I find intimidating based solely on his skill level and ability to know what to do in any given situation. Second is Patrik Antonius, who I can never get a read off of, and is an extremely skilled player. And third is Tom Dwan, but I amended that selection to only say that it would be intimidating in a cash game instead of a tournament, because of his utter fearlessness and my inability to put him on a hand based on his wide range.
I brought up this topic because I want to hear your thoughts on this. So what do you think?Poker players, dealers, fans….who would YOU be intimidated to have sitting at your table if you were playing. List as many as you would like.
12 comments:
Gus Hansen. Wide range of hands, can make you look very stupid.
Barry Greenstein. Does Robin Hood look like the devil ?
Aha! I knew I had forgotten one...Gus Hansen was actually my 3rd one, and Tom Dwan was just for cash. Same reason as you...can't ever put him on a hand. Very hard to play against.
PI
PA
X-22 Paul Magriel
Like you Sean I too have played lot of poker. Within the group of guys we play with I have also played what can be considdered hi stakes nlhe. Intimidation is not a word I would use but caucious is more like it. Phil Ivey (tournament and cash) the man is pure skill, Gus Hanson (tournament and cash) because of skill and unpredictability, JC Tran (tournament), the man can read a hand on play and make some sick calls. Durr (cash), fearless, unpredictable and agro. Intimidation to me is like playing with fear, no room for it. Even you would not be intimidated, you just know not to show up to a gun fight with a knife
I was thinking about this the other day and I think Phil Ivey is a player that would make me feel on edge.
Not only is Ivey the best poker player in the world and plays a solid game, he also knows how to mix enough gamble to keep everyone guessing (anyone who has watched him shoot Craps on "Life of Ivey" knows he has a lot of gamble).
I suppose Gus Hansen is like that, but I think Ivey makes better "big" folds in cases where Hansen calls off a lot of chips.
In the end, though, don't we feel uncomfortable or even intimidated when exposed to new situations? And when you're sitting around a table with well-known pros, one shouldn't feel bad if they are intimidated. These pros have produced strong results over and over again and deserve some respect.
Sitting across from Sean "the coffee fountain" Furfaro would intimidate me....unless I managed to steal the splash guard from a salad bar for self defence.
One amendment to my earlier posting: Kenny Tran makes sick reads on people. He would see right through me and give me nothing.
So here's my thought...if i or most of the guys i play with regularly was comfortably bankrolled to be playing with any one of the names in here i don't truly feel i'd be "intimidated" at all. Dwayne said in best...cautious would be more appropriate. I knwo my game would change to accomodate the play of these gusy really. Alas i have no roll to speak of and apparently lack the ability to build one to play at a much smaller level than any of these guys!!!!!
I did however leave out the fact that if one of them sat at a table...any of them...a table i was playing at and was rolled for then yes i would be intimidated. Period.
Great conversation everyone! Just what I was hoping for!
A few follow-up thoughts:
- Coffee Fountain - awesome! Made me laugh out loud...glad I wasn't drinking coffee.
As a couple of you said, you're right..it's not like you would be scared, but I understand the concept of "cautiousness" as well.
I have to agree with Irem on Kenny Tran. That's not someone I would be intimidation by so much, but someone I would avoid...for the same reason he mentioned. It's like he can see your cards!
Come on-just see them as sitting on a toilet taking a crap..As someone said,its easy to play when your bankrolled, not playing with your own hard earned money.Same old problem,the american media,or all the media for that matter,make these bozos out to be important,influential,life changing important people.
I would be intimidated if I had to watch Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey or anyone for that matter taking a crap. It would mean that things have fallen pretty low ... to ever be in that situation!
Seriously, the only reason you would ever be "intimidated" is if you had life changing money on the line ...
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