Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastBalla
Another sad fall from poker royalty. Dude has been MIA for years now. Owes everyone and their mom $300 and will be remembered now more for being a sick craps degen rather than at 1 time a top poker tournament player.
There is no "fall" there. At least as far back as the 80s he was well known for owing everyone money and for being a degenerate pit gambler. He got financially sorted out when he started letting his backer pick up his prize money and distribute 1/3rd to TJ and 1/3rd to TJ's wife.
Perhaps it is hard for today's young poker players to understand, but I never got the impression from any of the many MANY old timers that he was a thief or con artist, or that it was impossible to ever get money off him (if they happened to catch him dead to rights with cash in hand). For the most part, they still think of him fondly, even if he still owes them X hundred dollars to this very day! And it was a always $200 here or there, not $10,000 or $50,000, or borrowing a rebuy to a cash game on the pretense that your money will arrive shortly, then slipping out while the lender is in the bathroom (as Chino has been alleged to do).