Is this unprofessional?

[Hal 2000]

Date / Time: 2005-09-30 09:32:00
Title: Steve Brandvold Doubles Up Through Freddy Deeb -- After a Scare
Log: Steve Brandvold moves all in under the gun for a total of $59,000, and it's folded around to Freddy Deeb in the big blind, who calls with Ac-Js. Brandvold shows pocket kings (Kc-Kd), and he is in the lead. The flop comes 5c-3c-2h, and Brandvold is still in the lead, though Deeb flopped a gut-shot straight draw and a runner-runner flush draw. The turn card is the 7h, and Brandvold closes his eyes as the river card is shown. Tournament Director Jack McClelland announces the last card as a four, and Brandvold just sits quietly with his eyes close.


Then Jack says, "I'm just kidding. It's a two." At this point Brandvold snaps wide awake, scanning the board to see the truth for himself. He sees that the river card was indeed the two of clubs, and his kings held up to win the hand. There's a brief flash of confused anger before the joyful relief spreads across his face, and he joins the crowd in a good laugh.


Steve Brandvold survives to double up to about $140,000 in chips.

[paperboyNC]

Don't close your eyes and you don't have to worry about it. geez.

[curtains]

Sounds really terrible to me. No Tournament Director should [censored] with the players like that.

[random]

I think that's terrible.

[Autocratic]

I don't think it's too outrageous, but I'd only really consider it fine if the director knew the player.

[TomCollins]

It would be much worse to tell him he won, when he lost.

[Neil Stevens]

Nothing wrong with putting on a show for the spectators.

I agree: keep your eyes open if you care so much about what's going on.

I thought it was pretty funny to be honest.

[MicroBob]

Sort of unprofessional by the tourney-director but I don't think it's THAT unprofessional.
trying to add a little levity of course....but some TD's take this too far and don't realize how serously some of the players are taking the tourney.

I have a bigger problem with players closing their eyes or turning their backs to the board, etc etc.
Such stupid drama and I find it quite annoying.

I recall some guy always turning his back on every all-in in some recent WPT episode and I couldn't help but think that he was behaving like a total jack-ass.


(again...I provide the disclaimer that I've never been on a big-event final-table with serious pressure and TV cameras, etc etc....so I have no idea the levels of uncool I could reach in such a situation)

[Eric Draven]

[ QUOTE ]
It would be much worse to tell him he won, when he lost.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL.

I agree, it depends on how well the director knows the player...

[KramerTM]

[ QUOTE ]
I recall some guy always turning his back on every all-in in some recent WPT episode and I couldn't help but think that he was behaving like a total jack-ass.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you're referring to that Dutch guy who went heads up with Tuan Lee at the WPT Finals. That guy caught every card under the sun to finish in 2nd... it was sick.

I found his antcis quite annoying as well. Besides, there's only two things I can't stand in life... people who turn their backs during the deal... and the Dutch. This guy pissed me off on both counts.

[illegit]

[ QUOTE ]
It would be much worse to tell him he won, when he lost.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, that would be cruel. But even more hilarious.

[Kevmath]

Paul Maxfield isn't Dutch. Would you consider it unprofessional if a fellow player had done the same thing (announcing a false card to the all-in player who isn't looking). One of last year's WSOP minor events on ESPN had someone do that in jest.

[ QUOTE ]
Paul Maxfield isn't Dutch. Would you consider it unprofessional if a fellow player had done the same thing (announcing a false card to the all-in player who isn't looking). One of last year's WSOP minor events on ESPN had someone do that in jest.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was the first one when James Vogl won. David Chiu did it to one of the players.

[curtains]

The announcer has no business doing this. First of all the player who just lost doesn't want to hear the stupid TD joking about the hand. Secondly the TD has nothing at stake in the event, whereas the player may be playing for an amount of money that could change his or her life. The TD should not take advantage of this situation to toy with the players emotions. The TD's job is to simply run the tournament, not to interfere with the players emotions.

If the player and the TD are close friends then okay whatever. I still don't condone it, but its at least excusable. I would never even consider doing that in a home game with like a $20 buyin.

[Neil Stevens]

Don't make a show of it yourself, by closing your eyes, if you're can't handle other people making a show of it, with jokes.

By closing his eyes, this player ended any pretense of 'professionalism' for that hand.

[PITTM]

context man, context. if i knew the TD i would be fine with it. if i didnt i would look at him strangely and not care. it sounds like this guy was brutally shortstacked, and freddy deeb was looking at the board, so the only one "tricked" were the audience and all in guy, who both got a laugh out of it.

rj

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
I would never even consider doing that in a home game with like a $20 buyin.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about a $10 buyin? $5?

[Russ McGinley]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Paul Maxfield isn't Dutch. Would you consider it unprofessional if a fellow player had done the same thing (announcing a false card to the all-in player who isn't looking). One of last year's WSOP minor events on ESPN had someone do that in jest.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was the first one when James Vogl won. David Chiu did it to one of the players.

[/ QUOTE ]

IIRC, the other Asian in the hand was a friend of Chiu's (according to Norm).

[MegaBet]

Paul Maxfield is British! How dare you call him Dutch! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[curtains]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't make a show of it yourself, by closing your eyes, if you're can't handle other people making a show of it, with jokes.

By closing his eyes, this player ended any pretense of 'professionalism' for that hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Give me a break, its not the tournament directors spot to say what is proper and what isnt. Why the hell cant a player close his or her eyes if they want to?

When someone complains after a bad beat, do you think the TD should say to that player "Stop complaining , you were only a 60% favorite anyway". I guess so, because once the player started complaining they were obviously "not being professional", and were open to jokes and ridicule from the tournament director.

When you are in a position of power and responbility while running a poker tournament, you don't suddenly get to shed that responsibility because one of the players is doing something that you think is silly.

[curtains]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Paul Maxfield isn't Dutch. Would you consider it unprofessional if a fellow player had done the same thing (announcing a false card to the all-in player who isn't looking). One of last year's WSOP minor events on ESPN had someone do that in jest.

[/ QUOTE ]


It was the first one when James Vogl won. David Chiu did it to one of the players.

[/ QUOTE ]

IIRC, the other Asian in the hand was a friend of Chiu's (according to Norm).

[/ QUOTE ]

I just dont think it matters. There may be other players at the table who are playing for so much money that it could change their lives overnight. They might not enjoy seeing the Tournament Director make a joke about the river card as though the event is not really important.

A director of a major poker tournament should be as professional as possible at all times. I don't see how you can even argue with this? Do you see major league umpires saying "STRIKE 3!! Just kidding it was a ball"

[Russ McGinley]

I agree, don't think the TD should be joking like that, but I can understand two players who are friends jopking with each other.

[curtains]

I agree that this is fine. I just don't think the person who is in charge of running the tournament should do so. It just doesn't look good.

[benkahuna]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Don't make a show of it yourself, by closing your eyes, if you're can't handle other people making a show of it, with jokes.

By closing his eyes, this player ended any pretense of 'professionalism' for that hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Give me a break, its not the tournament directors spot to say what is proper and what isnt. Why the hell cant a player close his or her eyes if they want to?

When someone complains after a bad beat, do you think the TD should say to that player "Stop complaining , you were only a 60% favorite anyway". I guess so, because once the player started complaining they were obviously "not being professional", and were open to jokes and ridicule from the tournament director.

When you are in a position of power and responbility while running a poker tournament, you don't suddenly get to shed that responsibility because one of the players is doing something that you think is silly.

[/ QUOTE ]

nh

Unless the tourney director both knows the player well and knows he's okay with such a move, I think it's completely unprofessional.

Not only that, it could seriously change the mindset of the player and make him play worse in the tournament. That's simply not fair.

And anyone that doesn't think a player should be scared of the cards to come is, IMO, lacking compassion.