Politically Incorrect WSOP Post

[colgin]

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Out of sheer curiosity...what semi-well known to well known poker players are Jewish?
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[/ QUOTE ] I think Matusow is but I might be wrong.

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He most definitely is. He wears either a Chai or Star of David around his neck (or has in the past).

[jcx]

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The syndrome also has little to do with newbies. When you go into the Bellagio and look at games over 80-160 you will see that more than two thirds of the players are either, foreign, Jewish, Black or female. And that has been true for a long time. But it isn't true for medium size games.



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That really proves nothing. I don't believe there are tons of American blacks at the high limit tables. As for foreigners (black and otherwise) they are quite likely to be the elites in their respective countries, and thus rich. How does being at the top of the food chain in a sweaty hellhole somewhere prove your superiority to white male Christiandom?

[slickpoppa]

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Anyway, even if you don't agree with the above I will reiterate that you admitted that religious American Christians are far less likely to become superb at the hard sciences than Asians, Jews, and Agnostics. And I know that most people will agree, albeit reluctantly, that they therefore are smarter.

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DS, I am looking at the list of Nobel Prize winners in Physics (http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/index.html) and Chemistry and judging by the names, there do not seem to be an inordinate number of Jews or Asians on the list. So what are you basing your assertions on?

[PairTheBoard]

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Christian, American, White, Males. Surely well more than half the starting field fit this criteria. Of the final 27 I count five or so. And one of them is our own Greg Raymer who as a 2+2er, doesn't really count.

Almost surely not a coincidence. They don't want to ask directions. And they won't admit there are people smarter than them who can teach them something. Whether it be religion, science, or poker.

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Especially : "And they won't admit there are people smarter than them who can teach them something."

The more you talk David, the more I'm convinced that you are the one who best fits this description.

PairTheBoard

[slickpoppa]

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Especially : "And they won't admit there are people smarter than them who can teach them something."

The more you talk David, the more I'm convinced that you are the one who best fits this description.

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Right on. That reminds me of Sklansky's statement that he could have won a Nobel Prize if he had tried harder or had the motivation. Seems to me that David was smarter than everyone he knew when he was 12 years old and has been making excuses ever since to convince himself that he is still the smartest.

[wacki]

First of all I think this is an excellent post. People are getting upset and angry when Sklansky is thinking very logically and speaking truthfully. I am a bit surprised that some of the more respected posters (The Dude) would call this post stupid.

Second, I think this is more about culture than anything else. I am a bit inclined to thinking that Russians (followed by Asians) are much more genetically suited to play poker simply due to their performance in the computer science and mathematics fields. I also think the American culture makes Americans lazy and unwilling to engage in the harder fields. Simply walking into any college math or computer science class will prove that.

Speaking of which I have work to do..... ugh I have no discipline. This is my last post till sunday.

[David Sklansky]

"Fine. Whatever. But do you admit that American religious Christians are much less likely to be superb at academic subjects where the correct answer is not a matter of opinion, than Jews, Asians and (to a lesser extent) agnostics?"

"If they were to pursue those subjects in equal numbers I have no reason to believe they would not do equally well."

If not equally well, close to it. BUT THAT IS MY POINT. WHY DON'T THEY? You can't use Not Ready's excuse that they have less economic deprivation. Not when I restrict it to math or chemistry. Those are subjects that are not nearly as valuable economically as many others that smart people could pursue. They attract mainly people who have a thirst for knowledge and unequivacal truths about the universe. Given that American Christians are woefully underrepresented in these fields it must be because they are either too lazy to apply themselves, too stupid to understand the subject even if they applied themselves, or that there is something about their religion that stifles this thirst for far reaching knowledge. I'll choose the third reason. What about you?

[RacersEdge]

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So the premise is that Christians are closed-minded relative to learning from others? So what makes Jewish people open to learning - I mean they aren't open to becoming a Christian or a Muslim right?

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I think Sklansky's main point here is that the Jews really love money.

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I thought it was purely about learning, thinking, and reasoning - as in an academic environment.

[PairTheBoard]

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"Fine. Whatever. But do you admit that American religious Christians are much less likely to be superb at academic subjects where the correct answer is not a matter of opinion, than Jews, Asians and (to a lesser extent) agnostics?"

"If they were to pursue those subjects in equal numbers I have no reason to believe they would not do equally well."

If not equally well, close to it. BUT THAT IS MY POINT. WHY DON'T THEY? You can't use Not Ready's excuse that they have less economic deprivation. Not when I restrict it to math or chemistry. Those are subjects that are not nearly as valuable economically as many others that smart people could pursue. They attract mainly people who have a thirst for knowledge and unequivacal truths about the universe. Given that American Christians are woefully underrepresented in these fields it must be because they are either too lazy to apply themselves, too stupid to understand the subject even if they applied themselves, or that there is something about their religion that stifles this thirst for far reaching knowledge. I'll choose the third reason. What about you?

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It may be that Jews and Asians are overrepresented because cultural pressures drive them into these fields. This point was already made on this thread but you ignored it. You have also ignored the points I've already made on this thread which have already spoken to the point you keep belaboring. You are really coming off the rails with this stuff David. I hope there is someone you will listen to who can talk some sense into you. If you make the mistake of putting this garbage in a book you will make a laughing stock out of yourself.

PairTheBoard

[Prevaricator]

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Given that American Christians are woefully underrepresented in these fields it must be because they are either too lazy to apply themselves, too stupid to understand the subject even if they applied themselves, or that there is something about their religion that stifles this thirst for far reaching knowledge. I'll choose the third reason. What about you?

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I think the third reason is related to the second one.