Barry Shulman

[Mike Souchak]

I had posted this earlier on RGP.

On Tuesday night May 4th I was playing in a super satellite at the Horseshoe; sitting on my left was Barry Shulman, publisher of Card Player Magazine. At one point Casey Kastle came over to speak to Mr. Shulman voicing his concerns on the potential conflicts that occur when players share percentages of their tournament results. Casey had a copy of an article that Mason Malmuth had written for Card Player regarding this problem and asked if he would consider republishing it. After looking at the article Shulman said in no uncertain terms that he would not publish it;he then referred to Mason Malmuth as an "idiot" and a "disgrace to poker". I was somewhat taken aback by his comments due to the fact that he made them in public without regard as to who might hear them. I have known Casey Kastle for a number of years and consider him to be a person of integrity and consider his concerns a problem that few in the tournament poker world are willing to deal with. Shulman seemed less concerned, making the comment that this is a frequent occurrence in professional golf. At that point, I made the comment that this was untrue, and that the PGA tour had expressly forbidden this practice since the 1950's. I do not know Barry Shulman; I have known Mason Malmuth for more than fifteen years and consider him neither an "idiot" nor a "disgrace to poker". For better or for worse, the success of Two Plus Two Publishing has made Mason the object of much professional jealousy from other authors, publishers, and poker players. Barry Shulman's words were poorly chosen, and someone in his position has an obligation to a more reasoned temperment in public.

Mike Souchak

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

If you are indeed Mike Souchak, I find it fitting that Shulman had the bad timing to make an inaccurate comment about the PGA tour with you sitting next to him. Pretty funny.

[Mason Malmuth]

Two Plus Two Publishing LLC has ended our relationship with Card Player magazine and all affiliates of Card Player. We intend to keep this separation permanent.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Kurn, son of Mogh,

The person making this post is Mike Souchak Jr. He's an excellent poker player and a good friend of mine. His father, Mike Souchak Sr., was once one of the leading golfers on the PGA tourn and has many titles to his credit.

Best wishes,
Mason

[El Barto]

[ QUOTE ]
Two Plus Two Publishing LLC has ended our relationship with Card Player magazine and all affiliates of Card Player. We intend to keep this separation permanent.

Best wishes,
Mason

[/ QUOTE ]
Care to enlighten us as to why?

Personally, I think it is a fine idea. 2+2 has a certain level of quality to uphold.

[Michael Davis]

Of course it's a huge project, but you should consider starting up a 2+2 magazine. There are at least 15 posters here who could reasonably write for the publication.

-Michael

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Two Plus Two Publishing LLC has ended our relationship with Card Player magazine and all affiliates of Card Player. We intend to keep this separation permanent.

Best wishes,
Mason

[/ QUOTE ]
Care to enlighten us as to why?

Personally, I think it is a fine idea. 2+2 has a certain level of quality to uphold.

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually think this was a long time coming. It sounds like there may be some personal ill will between Mason and Shulman, but that's irrelevant. The advice in Card Player is so consistently terrible that it goes against everything 2+2 supposedly stands far. I mean, not only is the advice in Card Player generally terrible, its can be downright damaging. This isn't to say there aren't CP authors writing good stuff, there are. But the bad ones are so bad that the relationship between 2+2 and Cardplayer really needed to end.

[astroglide]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Kurn, son of Mogh

[/ QUOTE ]

lol at that /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Jimbo]

[ QUOTE ]
Of course it's a huge project, but you should consider starting up a 2+2 magazine. There are at least 15 posters here who could reasonably write for the publication.

-Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

That is a great suggestion. I don't know much about playing winning poker but I have a knack for fluff articles. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I hereby volunteer since Chuck doesn't want me anymore. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Jimbo

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
Of course it's a huge project, but you should consider starting up a 2+2 magazine. There are at least 15 posters here who could reasonably write for the publication.

[/ QUOTE ]


I'm not sure, Michael. Notice how few guest essays 2+2 has published. I agree that a handful of posters could reasonably write for such a publication, but the difference between "reasonably write" and "expertly write" may be quite substantial in the estimation of 2+2 Publishing.

Anyway, our opinions don't really matter all that much; I think we should be waiting to hear what Cyrus has to say about it/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Easy E]

"The advice in Card Player is so consistently terrible that it goes against everything 2+2 supposedly stands far."

I thought 2+2 was about counteracting terrible advice? How does this accomplish that?

And why so suddenly? Has Card Player advice suddenly gone critically bad in the last week?

There's more to the story here...

Walter Cronkite

[mikelow]

Does that include Roy Cooke?

Actually, I haven't read it in almost a year.
And the only way to improve is to play a lot and post here.

[snakehead]

nose-spite-face

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You know, after I made the post I started wondering if it might be his son, as the original would be, what, like 77?

Still, it was a perfect foot-in-mouth moment.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Amazing how polite Humans get when there's a Klingon in the room. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hi Kurn, son of Mogh

[/ QUOTE ]

lol at that /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Mason hasn't got a good grasp of Klingon culture. The proper greeting would be:

"What do you want?"

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

"What do you want?"

Or, in Klingon, nuqneH'

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]


Or, in Klingon, nuqneH'

[/ QUOTE ]

One of these days, I want to see you make a WPT final table in full Klingon makeup.

[slavic]

Mason-

Have you given any thought to putting a “heady” poker periodical together? Card player has started to degrade into drivel, and there is a certain population that is willing to pay a price for stronger advanced information.

The down side is that I’m uncertain if that type of periodical would have much of an advertising base. The nature of the publication would only interest a smaller subset of the poker community and while online sites would be desperate to get their business that advertising business seems to be going away.

[El Barto]

[ QUOTE ]
Mason-

Have you given any thought to putting a “heady” poker periodical together? Card player has started to degrade into drivel, and there is a certain population that is willing to pay a price for stronger advanced information.

The down side is that I’m uncertain if that type of periodical would have much of an advertising base. The nature of the publication would only interest a smaller subset of the poker community and while online sites would be desperate to get their business that advertising business seems to be going away.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm against the magazine idea. Instead just put out Poker Essays IV, V etc.

No one says the essays have to be published somewhere else first - they could be new to the book.

Nor must they be all Mason essays - he could a section, David could do a section, Ed could do a section, etc.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Ask anyone who's met me. I'm scarier looking without the makeup. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Fmonti]

Think I ran into you once at Foxwoods...and have to agree with your "scarier looking without the makeup" quote....Appropriate attire required!

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Yeah, I think it was right outside the men's room. You noticed my Paradise shirt.

[_2000Flushes]

I think this is a great idea. There's a good six months' worth of material at PokerAdvantage's website. I'm sure he'd be willing to deal. Also, I hear Ken Warren is for hire.

-2kF