Hi Everyone:

We have been discussing this internally and have taken into consideration the reaction here. Our decision is to table this for now and not to change anything on site. However, we did want to bring it to everyone's attention in case we need to re-open this issue sometime in the future.

Also, I'm well aware how much effort has gone into these stickies and appreciate very much how work and dedication they represent. So for this I thank everyone for all their support.

Best wishes,
Mason

Hi xxx and everyone else::

As our business model is growing and changing, we seem to be coming up against a number of issues that a short time before would have been completely unexpected. So given that this is the case, I plan to raise ideas here every so often to see what the reaction is. Having this forum can actually help us handle some of these new and more difficult decisions better.

One thing that some of the other mods who have participated in this thread may have missed is the fact that when making our decisions, we try to be flexible. This probably occurred because I didn't write the original post as well as it should have been. But part of our philosophy concerning www.twoplustwo.com is to always maintain flexibility in our decision making, and anyone who has talked to me over the years about how we conduct our business and administer this site will know that this is a common statement of mine.

Anyway, we have listened to your comments and again there will be no changes. So thanks again to everyone for participating.

Best wishes,
Mason

Did I miss something? I listen to several poker and gambling podcasts and every time his name comes up, one of the hosts slams him. I was listening to one today and they were talking about the 2010 BLUFF Power 20 and they said he didn't make the list because he's not well-liked. I know it's not a large sample but I've never really heard anyone say anything good about him.
What did or does he do to piss so many people off?

because his last name is similar to Helmuth

You must be new here. He is pretty abrasive and rubs people the wrong way. He'll bully people when he can and he believes he is right. There have been many fantastic posters here that have been driven off 100% due to Mason.

I heard he slapped El Diablo and made him cry like a girl.

Our attorney has informed us that it is best to not comment on the situation.

maybe people don't like him because he allows people like op to start threads, LOL just kidding. Is he really disliked? I've never head people praise him but never heard that people in the poker industry hated him either.

Thats why I don't like him.

Freak/weird dude, also quite old.

I tried to google some news on him but this is all I found. Apparently, he pissed off some Chinese people in 1988

Впервые "Техасский холдем для профессионалов" увидел свет в 1988 году, с тех пор он несколько раз переиздавался и ничуть не устарел: новейшая редакция XXI века содержит более 100 страниц нового материала. В том числе, авторы добавили разделы, посвящённые так называемой «Свободной игре» и игре с малым количеством участников. В новом издании также рассматриваются такие моменты и ситуации, как полублеф, свободная карта, игра с первыми двумя картами, игра с парой в руке, игра с дикой картой, игра с плохой рукой, ставки отчаяния, "чтение" рук оппонентов, психология и многое другое.

Читать целиком на Покер.ру: http://www.poker.ru/central/article/177#ixzz0f67qVxHW

Had a fling with Sklansky back in '92. No comment from attorney.

he can only bench press 115 pounds

In before life-time ban obv.

He is not liked by bluff magazine fans:

http://www.bluffmagazine.com/forum/f...D=3605&OB=DESC

I thought he was a respected poster. At least I respect him. he is in red afterall

excellent thought process and analysis.

Just FWIW, Mason has always been pleasant in my interactions with him.

OP, have you ever met a Mason in real life that was pleasant to be around? i didn't think so.

That's Russian

haha wp howard

remember that little annoying pos in your class that was mr no it all ? ya the one when the teacher asked a question and he was always the first one with his hand up " i know i know pick me "

and then when having discussions with friends he always came out of no where to correct you guys and was usually condescending and came off slighlty arrogant ?

he also uses money to belittle ppl and always thinks hes right and will not admit when hes wrong but instead try to spin it off into semantics and what not.


so iv heard no personal opinion of him tho

My only experience of Mason was playing with him years ago (early to mid 90's) in the 20-40 and 40-80 games that ran every day at the Mirage. He had published a couple of poker books with Sklansky at the time and that is all I knew about him. I found him to be a solid competent player who never got out of line with anyone. He made little comment if someone put a beat on him and did not gloat when he won a nice pot. He was a winning player in the game. That got my respect. I maybe played with him 8-10 times over the course of a couple of years. Never saw him have a problem with anyone.

Maybe things changed later on. I don't know. Just my two cents. Now Roy Cooke, that's a different story. He had a lot to say about players and hands and how they were played. Not that it's a bad thing. He was just a lot more talkative. Also a pretty good player, but I would rate Mason above him.

Could care less how he is in person. He and Skalansky write good books.

'Feel good' doesn't sell, controversy/animosity does. He's always been pleasant and informative in his posts and that's how I judge him. Plus, for a moderated forum that he controls, he's a very liberal fellow. We can do pretty much whatever we want w/i reasonable boundaries.