Over the weekend, poker players in the Twitterverse were abuzz over the two major poker championships raging on both sides of the Atlantic. The World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship, which ended on Saturday, and the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final, which started the next day, kept poker players active on their Twitter accounts and kept fans informed on the proceedings.
After capturing the WPT Championship, David Williams issued an apology to his followers when he tweeted, “Sorry for the lack of updates this week. I was in a zone and on a mission… and I did it!” Congratulations for his championship flooded in soon afterward, with fellow Bodog pro Evelyn Ng chirping, “Couldn’t be prouder or more happy for David Williams! I love it when good things happen to good people!”
Eric Mizrachi added in his congratulations: “@dwpoker I knew you were taking it down! Looking forward to watching it on TV soon! Great Job!” After Tweeting her congratulations for runner-up Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin – and getting some good-natured ribbing from Williams – Annie Duke added in her congratulations: “I am really happy for you. Well deserved!” Even a day later, Williams was still stunned by the victory when he Tweeted his followers, “The next day, and this still doesn’t feel real. Even though I knew I would win, still unbelievable. I DID IT!”
Speaking of Baldwin, the 2009 Poker Player of the Year fielded his share of congratulatory Tweets for his runner-up finish. Adam “Roothlus” Levy shared his congratulations: “Congrats to @DWPoker for winning the WPT Champs for 1.5 million!! 1 mill ain’t too shabby for @Basebaldy’s 2nd place either.” Baldwin was keeping everything in perspective with perhaps the best Tweet from a second place finisher, saying, “Love you guys for all the support. Like I told Sexton post game, ‘it’s bittersweet, but I can wipe my tears with seven figures.'”
Over in Monte Carlo, players flooded to the EPT Grand Final and one player, Barry Greenstein, might not have wanted to make the trip. Soon after he opened up play, Barry Tweeted, “Out. AK < 55. The earliest exit I can remember.” Others, however, seemed to be playing well and survived the first Day One. “Action underway at the EPT final. The sun’s shining, the internet’s glitchy and JC Tran’s on my table. So it’s all good! Sort of,” Tweeted Vicky Coren about her table. Coren would run well during her Day One: “JC Tran just went out. He got low but it was a horrible last hand for him, TT v 99, his opponent flopped a 9. Meanwhile I’m up to 70k and listening to Willie Nelson ‘Ain’t It Funny How Time Slips Away;’ feels all apt and poignant at the poker table.”
Other players off to a good start included Justin “Boosted J” Smith (“Up to 46k from 30k at start of level 5… playing real gooood relaxed and focused“) and Daniel Negreanu (“49,275 end of lvl 4 and I’m lovin’ it. Jet lag is still an issue but I got enough energy to get me through. Playin my butt off.”).
Although he was in Europe for the EPT event, Negreanu took some time to start a Twitter war against fellow pro Mike Matusow: “@TheMouthMatusow are you ever going to learn how to tweet like a normal person? Seriously, we don’t need to see every reply to your fans!” This only drew the ire of Matusow: “Dan is a good player. As a person, he needs work. At some events in Tunica, all he did was insult southerners.”
For over an hour on Twitter, Matusow took the time to speak to his fans about a range of subjects. Of most interest was his autobiography, “Check Raising The Devil,” and he patiently explained to his fans how to get an autographed copy. His best Tweet, however, was to a fan who asked, “How can i shake a terrible poker slump and getting the fear of losing?” Mike’s simple reply: “By winning something.”
On the lighter side of the Twitterscape, Joe Sebok shared a memorable dinner conversation: “Topic of conversation at dinner: top 80’s movies. my top three: 1) The Lost Boys, 2) Point Break, 3) Red Dawn (non-comedy obv).” After a follower pointed out that “Point Break” was a 90s film, Sebok Tweeted, “Damn… One Crazy Summer, Better Off Dead, Top Gun, Weird Science… too many great ones.” Tournament director Matt Savage, nearly 100% after his recent gallbladder surgery, suggested, “Say Anything!,” in a Tweet.
When it comes to the best Tweets of the weekend, “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott had two that made an impression. “Felt quite glam til I realized my mirror was actually a window and everyone inside could see me ‘adjusting’ my dress. Classy,” Kara tweeted her followers on Saturday. The next day, she added, “Vegas is dangerous. I’ve been here 36 hrs & already eaten 3 desserts & bought a pair of shoes. I’m about to go make it worse. More dessert.”
Other top Tweets from the weekend included “Poker After Dark” host Ali Nejad’s issues with flying. Nejad tweeted, “Dear Guinness: pretty sure the dude sitting behind me just set the record for most times clearing a throat on a plane. Sleep assassin.” Rafe Furst was concerned with some statistics when he Tweeted, “Just became concerned that I have more tweets than followers. What’s the right ratio?” Finally, Tiffany Michelle gave many in the Twitterverse something to look forward to this week: “IT’S HERE… Kentucky Derby week!!! Got my tiny blonde partner in crime & looking forward to the Louisville festivities. Lotsa pics to come!”
