[sketchy1]

No, it is true.

You can Hendon Mob DB his name.

05-May-00 United States $ 2,500 Pot Limit Omaha
31st World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2000, Las Vegas 2nd $ 97,500
03-May-99 United States $ 2,500 Omaha Limit
30th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1999, Las Vegas 17th $ 2,600
10-May-90 United States $ 5,000 Omaha Pot Limit
21st World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1990, Las Vegas 1st $ 142,000
May-85 United States $ 5,000 Omaha Pot Limit
16th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1985, Las Vegas 1st $ 85,000
May-74 United States $ 1,000 No Limit Hold'em
5th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1974, Las Vegas 1st $ 11,100
May-72 United States $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship
3rd World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1972, Las Vegas

4 out of 4 of his first cashes were wins, and the next he took 2nd to ivey. no other 2nd places listed.

it's completely true and also accurate. slim talks your ear off at the table, from every account i've read at least. in all honesty, most of these guys who talk your ear off AREN'T trying to get under your skin. a lot of it is just verbal warfare, and what you tell them gives them more information. in many indirect ways all of the answers even from small talk mean something. developing a rapport with a player and hearing what he has to say (or doesn't have to say) later can be used.

in most cases, that's all it is. in mcmanus' case, it got under his skin. it's not the first time something like that has happened.

and in ivey's case, he just don't give a [censored]. if you don't give a [censored] what someone has to say to you, and just flat out ignore their bantering, it will give them no edge. that's another reason i love having an mp3 player at the table. i like being in a shell playing poker (maybe that's why i like playing online so much), instead of chattering it up. i might miss some information verbally, but i don't get wound up ever. i also like wearing sunglasses in some tournaments for the same reason, so that no one can see where i am looking at any time. it has nothing to do with hiding fear or being iced down by players, i just don't like anyone to see where i am looking. it allows me to observe the entire table and no one has any idea what i'm watching. i usually don't look directly at who i am looking at for that reason.

and no, i don't wear sunglasses when i play a $100 tournament at 2 am at binion's. in fact, those guys are funny. same with $3-6 players who have a pokerstars shirt and hat, sunglasses and the whole thing.

it's mainly to avoid giving away where i am looking and to avoid giving much of any of my own visual cues away to thinking players. i think it is ridiculous but it's the standard and accepted, so i do it for that reason.

in all honesty i wouldn't care if sunglasses were banned, but if they aren't i'll use them and get what little edge out of them i can.