Is Antonio Esfandiari Superstitious?

[IQ89]

I assume Antonio is superstitious, considering the way he was plugging his ears when the amounts to be payed out were being announced over the intercom during the NBC Heads-Up match against Phil.

[img]http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=plugging+ears/v=2/SID=w/l=IVS/SIG=127ejhdnp/EXP=1116983681/*-http%3A//cache.corbis.com/agent/13/16/43/13164395.jpg[/img]

[Klepton]

superstition is 1.4 for sure

[J-Lo]

actually, knowing the payouts changes some people's play. While their goals are different than what proper strategy dictates because of the payout.

Ex. Sometimes its +EV to eek into the money, but some pros prefer to go for the win. They pass up on the +ev chance because they want 1st and take -EV chances.

[Malachii]

Posts like this are sooooo not rocks and rings.

He probably believes that knowing the prize amounts will negatively affect the outcome. I've know sports-betting junkies who do the same thing; they don't want to know the score of the game they're betting on until it's over. They'll try anything to influence the outcome of an event, especially if they've been experiencing a bunch of losses recently.

[IQ89]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes its +EV to eek into the money

[/ QUOTE ]

NO WAY does this apply to an egomaniac like Antonio. He want's to WIN(!) so he can do his little wave move on national television while experiencing the crowd cheering him on. End of story.

[Bartman387]

[ QUOTE ]
He probably believes that knowing the prize amounts will negatively affect the outcome. I've know sports-betting junkies who do the same thing; they don't want to know the score of the game they're betting on until it's over. They'll try anything to influence the outcome of an event, especially if they've been experiencing a bunch of losses recently.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really the same thing. A sports betting junkie can in no way effect what will happen in a game he is watching (short of actually somehow getting involved), whether it be performing some OCD tasks or just simply not watching the event.

On the other hand finding out the payouts mid tourney could have an effect on your play. It may be a minimal effect, but it is realisitc that finding out how the different places pay will affect your mind set.

[ QUOTE ]
Not really the same thing. A sports betting junkie can in no way effect what will happen in a game he is watching

[/ QUOTE ]
Tell that to a superstitious sports junkie.

[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand finding out the payouts mid tourney could have an effect on your play.

[/ QUOTE ]
But this didn't happen mid tourney. I think they were down to the final four.

[ QUOTE ]
It may be a minimal effect, but it is realisitc that finding out how the different places pay will affect your mind set.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's definitely a posibility. I don't know Antonio personally, so I can't say for sure one way or the other.

-Later

[Bartman387]

by mid tourney I meant any time during the tournament, beginning, middle or end. There is a monetary difference for each position, so being down to even the final two and then hearing the payout difference between the two spots could affect your play. Hearing that there is not much difference could cause you to play looser as you may begin to not care too much. Where as hearing that there is a huge difference could cause you to tighten up as you dont want to lose a big pot to cripple you.

Like you said, I dont know Antonio either, but just saying that I can see it as a legitimate tactic rather than a silly superstition.

[PukaPlaya]

It's not rocks and rings to be superstitious...

So no.

You are so 1.3 you dull normal.