Saturday, December 01, 2007

Payback Poker


You’re at the poker table, raking in pots. You’re cool, sophisticated and you swing in your chair, secure in the knowledge that you’re the best there.

You call a raise and see another flop. Ah, the perfect double date: KQ, top two. Check to the raiser. Pot sized bet? Pah! Let’s go all in. He calls, the action blurs and the money ships to him. He had pocket jacks and caught a third rogue on the river. The pigeon, ‘madforit17’, types ‘lucky me’ in the chat. His shirt is probably Hawaiian. Your light goes out, the world turns, the game moves on, you’ve read ‘em and wept.

Annoyed? There might be an outlet for those feelings of injustice, one that does not involve a complicated revenge fantasy and ravenous penguins.


Last weekend saw the first ‘scalp’ tournament at the Paddy Power Irish Open. Players prepared to pony up the €330 entrance fee earned a €30 bounty every time they busted an opponent. It’s an exciting new development, already picked up by online poker. Just when the fish thought it was safe to return to the river: Poker II: The Scalp – This Time It’s Personal.

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