I realize humans as a whole like drama and gossip. People say they don’t and maybe they don’t like perpetuating it but we all sure do like hearing about it.

That being said, it seems poker players (obviously not all but I’d say a large majority) thrive off of it.

The RJL Virbategate story has been nonstop around here and even when the thread is locked, people try to find workarounds to reviving it for some reason.

Is poker just so boring and mundane to people now and they feel like they need to perpetuate the drama to no end? I realize this is NVG so I should expect it but even at WSOP this year, RJL was at a table near me and everyone was going nuts about it in subtle ways such as quietly talking about her and the drama, trying to take pictures without her noticing, or outright going over to speak with her.

So what is it? Just normal human behavior and it just seems magnified because I’m around it or is it something about the poker world that thrives off this stuff?

LOL... if it wasn't for shill accounts and their socks, here, and moreso on facebook and X, this would have died out long ago. Literally no one who saw the hand has given her a clean bill of health, the narrative so important to team clown-world.

The rest of the logical world just wants to make sure that when sitting at a table with RFID cards and known criminals in the booth getting live data, that they're still gonna get a fair game. I am sure, that beyond clown-world's crazy gaslighting campaign, that that has something to do with it too.

Doc, please describe the vibe for those not there. Were people muttering “I can’t believe they let cheaters into the WSOP!” or was it more of being in the presence of a celebrity? Celebrity to them of course.

I don’t think we need to state the obvious that the attention wouldn’t have been the same if it was some fat hairy guy from Ohio that called with J4. That guy might not have even been dragged into the hallway.

It was definitely more of the being in the presence of a celebrity but there were other legit celebrities and “poker celebrities” around that weren’t getting any buzz. Berkey, for example, was filling up his water bottle at the water cooler right next to her and nobody reacted.

Thanks

Not going to put words into your mouth but that sounds like a “clean bill of health” in the poker community

Yeah just another day in the poker office it seems.

Whoops gotta run my horses shoe seems to be lighting up on it’s own. It’s rude to not put your hand over your mouth when you cough too just fyi.

Success at poker breeds big egos - leads to dramas

And is that what this is? Or will become?

That’s not what this is but I suspect, unfortunately, that’s what it will become.

The thread’s purpose is to discuss drama and the insatiable thirst for it among some of those in the poker world.

Doug Polk built a following on it and there are entire podcasts, videos, websites, and social media accounts devoted solely to poker drama. I want the thread to discuss this concept rather than highlight specific drama.

Several anthropologists have claimed that gossip is a key function in society. It is about the efficient communication of information. Where poker is low stakes, who cares, but in high stakes, it's pretty important as a subculture for us to be efficient when it comes to spreading gossip about possible malfeasance so we can protect ourselves. That is to say that gossip is not defined as a lie in the sense of 'just gossip'.

News in poker tends to be drama. Winning a tournament or large debts, cheating etc.

There’s also an element of protecting ourselves from scammers and bad situations. So drama can be educational and informative in poker.

Cheating in poker (or gambling) has always peaked my interest. The ultimate bet movie (maybe bc I was part of it) is probably my favorite poker documentary. Something about calling out thieves is so satisfying.

That’s why I’m a fan of whitteles and jokum.

Nobody’s perfect but calling out thieves and scammers just gets me off. In an unfair and evil world it’s a reminder of free will to do good.

We wake up every day with a glorious opportunity to choose right or wrong and everyone has the choice.

I’m aware of the benefits of it and the importance of being aware of the scammers. But how does that justify the nonstop unrelenting rehashing of drama?

The 5,000+ replies threads of baseless theories, bashing each other, and fruitless discussion that goes nowhere is more than just a form of awareness of malfeasance or some innate desire to share information efficiently.

To me, it feels almost like a sign of sickness within the community.

I've been here a short time and it seems as though the folks who comment about the good of the game get more flack and opposing comments than the ones who seem to lean a little on the shady side.

Of course the community is sick and broken…

A poker table is one big dysfunctional family… so 2p2 is one big dysfunctional community.

Also how do you know that one of those 5000 replies didn’t have some truth in it?

Idk to me I don’t have a problem with speculation as long as it doesn’t cross the line into slander and misinformation. Gossip is a slippery slope though.

Wind up toys, I tell ya...

Yes, I know you are

A little of all 3. It's human nature to gossip and as pointed out, it might play an important role.

Poker itself is far more boring than it once was. Which autistic shut in can most closely copy a strategy created by a computer? I'm on the edge of my seat! We'll never have the drama of Moneymaker, or people doing "crazy" stuff nobody has seen like Gus Hanson or Dwan, or old characters like Doyle. We don't have much to debate about how a hand was played or which strat is best. Something has to replace all that.

2+2 and rec poker were there in the semi-old days, but obviously, everyone being online all the time leads to more drama and scandal. The Charlie/Doug thing seems to be entirely a product of both fishing for clicks and I doubt it would have happened on 2+2 20 years ago as there would be no real point in either of them behaving as they did.

If it bleeds, it reads is a common saying in the newspaper industry, or what's left of it anyway. People like drama and conflict