Negreanu & Esfandiari involved in cult? - Poker News

Turns out Choice Center Las Vegas wasn’t for me. For starters, Choice Center Las Vegas is BBB rated F which usually means it’s a scam of some sort. IMO it’s pretty much a poor-man’s Scientology. Daniel is Tom Cruise and Antonio is John Travolta.

Any new-age rubbish gets a fairly wide scepticism from me but this has smelt of Scientology-style cult behaviour strongly and it turns out I'm not alone in thinking that. If the rumours in the linked article are true (especially that he's now dating someone from CCLV) it sounds like Daniel is in pretty deep.

Last edited by Matt Crocker; 03-04-2013 at 09:15 AM. Reason: Link keeps getting filtered

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03-04-2013 , 09:18 AM

gobbo

Trust the fat man.

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 15,623

Most interesting part of it for me was him missing NBC heads up for attending the next level of his 'training.'

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03-04-2013 , 09:18 AM

MichaelScarn

grinder

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 647

Does it matter?

If they aren't harming anyone, then who cares?

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03-04-2013 , 09:21 AM

DaycareInferno

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 18,285

well he did fall for those hologram stickers.

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03-04-2013 , 09:22 AM

Matt Crocker

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,337

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobbo

Most interesting part of it for me was him missing NBC heads up for attending the next level of his 'training.'

Agreed. More worrying is that he explained it as having an arrangement with 'friends'

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelScarn

Does it matter?

If they aren't harming anyone, then who cares?

At the most benign these things are set up purely to make large amounts of money. This doesn't matter for Negreanu or Esfandiari but their celebrity status is likely to inspire people who can't well afford it to join up (see aforementioned Cruise/Travolta for parallels)

At worst they're like Scientology, which has murders, kidnappings, forced abortions and massive control of its members on its rap sheet.

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03-04-2013 , 09:27 AM

gobbo

Trust the fat man.

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 15,623

They're free to do whatever they want and you could make a case for natural selection because if anyone is dumb enough to join them and ruin their lives they kind of deserve it; personally, I don't like that extremist mindset and think people should call them out on their bull****.

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03-04-2013 , 09:32 AM

ThatsNotPoker

adept

Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,066

It's worrying if they have any kind of dirt on him. IMO the only reason why Tom Cruise is still lapping up the Scientology is they know big, career-ending (or potentially embarrassing) secrets about him and if he makes waves then he is probably finished, career-wise.

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03-04-2013 , 09:33 AM

Matt Crocker

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,337

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobbo

No question for me - I have no desire to see scam artists run rampant in our community whether in the form of player-to-player scams or cults with poker celebrity backing.

At the end of the day we can take the piss out of people who fall for this but the entire presentation, from "Leadership University" branding to endorsements to "charity status" is designed to mislead and cloak their true intentions. It shouldn't come as a surprise or be chalked to stupidity that some people fall for it - that's the whole point, after all.

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03-04-2013 , 09:37 AM

woodys

old hand

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 1,449

Was expecting photoshop thread, left disappointed

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03-04-2013 , 09:37 AM

#10

GambitMaia

journeyman

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 337

LOL donkaments.

No, really. You have to be pretty stupid to fall for this kind of stuff.

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03-04-2013 , 09:40 AM

#11

vinivici9586

Breakfast?

Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 11,608

d negs doesnt surprise me, but i figured antonio was a little more street smart than this

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03-04-2013 , 09:44 AM

#12

molinn9

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 3,632

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobbo

Daniel and Antonio are perfect targets for groups like that rich well known people. Same with Scientology getting Cruice and Travolta. Strange if true that someone like Daniel gets fooled into something like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R_mLFXDdCM

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03-04-2013 , 10:09 AM

#13

ThatsNotPoker

adept

Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,066

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03-04-2013 , 10:12 AM

#14

overcall

journeyman

Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 226

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Crocker

From DonkDown:

Any new-age rubbish gets a fairly wide scepticism from me but this has smelt of Scientology-style cult behaviour strongly and it turns out I'm not alone in thinking that. If the rumours in the linked article are true (especially that he's now dating someone from CCLV) it sounds like Daniel is in pretty deep.

I don't know if it runs as deep as scientology, it doesn't look like the deep infrastructure that that cult does. Reminds me of Landmark.

Last edited by overcall; 03-04-2013 at 10:16 AM. Reason: nm

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03-04-2013 , 10:29 AM

#15

champstone

banned

Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,372

I think I saw him selling flowers at airport . now we know why he shaved his head. hes and the magician on front page of there wbsite . congrats d-neg your lv127 whatever that means.

Last edited by champstone; 03-04-2013 at 10:41 AM.

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03-04-2013 , 10:40 AM

#16

i am run

veteran

Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2,308

You would think that before joining any club, organization, or even restaurant, one would do a simple google search or yelp review before going.

It is 2013, amirite?

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03-04-2013 , 10:42 AM

#17

chinamaniac

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3,720

first thing that comes up when you google that place is cult

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03-04-2013 , 10:42 AM

#18

Matt Crocker

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,337

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatsNotPoker

Crude but dang if I don't like it

And yeah, seriously, it takes 2 minutes and the right search term to Google.

Quote:

Originally Posted by overcall

I don't know if it runs as deep as scientology, it doesn't look like the deep infrastructure that that cult does. Reminds me of Landmark.

Yeah, it's definitely not going to be involved in as much shady **** as Scientology but it has a very similar "more money = higher in cult" structure.

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03-04-2013 , 10:50 AM

#19

pookomoo

banned

Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 390

How do they manage to brainwash seemingly intelligent guys like this?

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03-04-2013 , 11:00 AM

#20

actionzip54

banned

Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2,855

I know alot of people will probably disagree with me but this doesn't seem like a cult at all. I think it's just pretty cutting edge and alot of people are just not willing to accept it. IMO kudos to daniel and antonio for forgoing people's judgements and instead trying to fight the good fight. Keep it up guys and keep doing what makes you happy.

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03-04-2013 , 11:06 AM

#21

ThatsNotPoker

adept

Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,066

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlb-NEz8M8I

Negreanu at the back in a purple shirt w/ a tie on? Not seen much of him with his shaved-head look but it looks like what a shaved-head Negreanu with a bushier beard than normal would look like. Some clear-ish spots are at 3:54, 4:11, 4:42, 7:34

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03-04-2013 , 11:06 AM

#22

Matt Crocker

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,337

Quote:

Originally Posted by actionzip54

If you read the article I quoted it goes down a checklist of what constitutes an LGAT-style cult and this thing ticks basically every single box.

It's this kind of thinking that gets people suckered in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatsNotPoker

Definitely not.

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03-04-2013 , 11:11 AM

#23

GambitMaia

journeyman

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 337

Quote:

Originally Posted by actionzip54

trolling

LOL let's see how many people give you credit

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03-04-2013 , 11:14 AM

#24

SrslySirius

Animated Character

Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 4,357

Looks like this is a rebranded Lifespring. John Hanley, founder of Lifespring, now coaches with Choice Center.

Apparently Lifespring caught a bunch of lawsuits for causing mental damages and deaths of its members, so they closed up shop. But you can always get a fresh start with a new name!

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03-04-2013 , 11:16 AM

#25

Matt Crocker

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,337

Quote:

Originally Posted by SrslySirius

Cheers for the link. The wiki article doesn't seem to explicitly link CC and Lifespring but that Lifespring's founder coaches with CC is pretty damning.

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