Camaraderie

[thomastem]

I've heard several times on WPT and WSOP about the camaraderie that tourney players feel. With the tourney tonight and the support I received yesterday I have a definate opinion but do you really think they are a closer group than we have here?

[HUSKER'66]

Nobody loves you and all your animals like we do tommy. It's not even a close contest....... /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[bull7]

If I accept the camaraderie, I can still keep the cash, right?

[thomastem]

What are you doing to my sheep?

[HUSKER'66]

Most definately! /images/graemlins/smile.gifFor example, when you fleece tommy of all of his and his flocks chips, you can have the comaraderie that all various animals offer........ and keep his cash. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif One problem though; don't let his duck try and convince you to put it "on his bill". /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Inthacup]

I would say that there's more "bad blood" on the tour. I didn't cost you a couple hundred thou last week when I knocked you out of the tourney on the bubble.

One thing they have going for them is face to face interaction and conversations outside of poker. There are only 2 or 3 people here that I've ever talked to seriously regarding outside matters. I'm sure that makes their bond pretty strong.

From what I witnessed on the cruise, they all ate at the same tables and Phil's wife knew Erik's wife and stuff like that. It was cute, really. So, as much as I'd hate to say it, they're probably closer than we are, but we have a helluva lot more fun playing tournies against each other than they do.


Cup

[ZeeJustin]

A lot of this is based on hearsay and from what I've observed playing competetive magic since I've yet to experience the pro poker scene. Basically the same players compete against each other, and get to know eachother this way very well. I would guess it's hard to play 12 hours at the same table with someone without having some form of conversation with them that's not specifically about poker. It's almost as if these people work in the same building, even though they may live in different cities. They see each other at all the major tournaments, and get to know each other very well this way. This naturally leads to socializing during breaks, and after elimination. I know in Magic that many cliques have developed, although overall the pros are very friendly people. They go clubbing together, see movies together, play poker together, talk stratey together, and some even live together.

[pokerfunnMyAss]

Unfortunately Thomasten, Inthacup is dead on. The internet is a great way to interact with people from all over the world. However, the tourney pros are much closer than most realize. While I would be honored to have a nice dinner with you sometime (vegetarian of course), the probability of it happening is close to zero.

OTOH, of all the internet discussion boards, usenet etc that deal with gaming, you guys at the zoo seem to have a better relationship than most of those platforms. There is a sense of community and defense of each other that is unheard of in other places. Perhaps it is the moderation aspect of this forum that makes it so congenial. The zoo is moderated, but not that heavily. it seems the perfect balance that has resulted in a forum that is basically free of extreme trolls that usually ruin the mission of the discussion.

Censorship can be good if used only to prevent people from yelling "fire" in a crowd, or launching personal attacks that are void of civility. Censorship is bad when it is used to silence humor or rigorous debate. I don't think any long term posters, or longterm lurkers turned posters had any doubt that Mat was not going to silence you. Maybe his father and the others in admin, as well as many prolific posters, think he does not moderate enough. I think he moderates perfectly, and I have been watching him since he got the gig. Every now and then he needs to appease a crybaby, but IMO your posting privilages were never in jeapordy as long as Mat had final say. Didn't Mat allow Dr. Wilhelm Kuhlmen to have a second chance, knowing full well who he was?
Trust me, your chicken, buzzard and studbull were always safe. (Someone seems to want to kill your sheep though, and I would keep a close eye on him)