Dan Colman's reaction to winning 2014's One Drop in retrospect (1 Viewer)

Mojo1312

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Title sums it up. Poker has evolved over the last 4+ years. Have people's opinions?

Here is Dan Colman's statement explaining his actions after being shunned and flamed by members of the poker community on 2 + 2.:

--I really don’t owe anyone an explanation but I’ll give one.

First off, I don’t owe poker a single thing. I’ve been fortunate enough to benefit financially from this game, but I have played it long enough to see the ugly side of this world. It is not a game where the pros are always happy and living a fulfilling life. To have a job where you are at the mercy of variance can be insanely stressful and can lead to a lot of unhealthy habits. I would never in a million years recommend for someone to try and make it as a poker pro.

It is also not a game where the amateurs are always happy to be losing their money for the sake of entertainment. The losers lose way more money at this game than winners are winning. A lot of this is money they can’t afford to lose. This is fine of course because if someone is dumb enough to gamble with money they can’t afford to lose, that’s their problem. I’m not really buying that though. In a perfect world, markets are based on informed consumers making rational transactions. In reality, sadly, that’s not the case. Markets are based on advertising trying to play on peoples impulses and targeting their weaknesses in order for them to make irrational decisions. I get it if someone wants to go and play poker on their own free will, but I don’t agree with gambling being advertised just like I don’t agree with cigarettes and alcohol being advertised.

It bothers me that people care so much about poker’s well-being, as poker is a game that has such a net negative effect on the people playing it, both financially and emotionally.

As for promoting myself, I feel that individual achievements should rarely be celebrated. I am not going to take part in it for others and I wouldn’t want it for myself. If you wonder why our society is so infatuated by individuals and their success, and being a baller, it is not that way without a reason. It is there because it serves a clear purpose. If you get people to look up to someone and adhere to the “gain wealth, forget all but self” motto, then you can get them to ignore the social contract which is very good for power systems. Also it serves as a means of distraction to get people to not pay attention to the things that do matter.

These are just my personal views. And yes, I realize I am conflicted. I capitalize off this game that targets people’s weaknesses. I do enjoy it, I love the strategy part of it, but I do see it as a very dark game.--
 
The guy is a spineless douche nozzle

He wants to try to take some moral high ground bashing gambling's "dark side", yet he is too weak to not play it as well. I'll go ahead and assume he smokes and drinks as well.

A lot of people aren't happy with the way they earn their living. That's part of life, I'll bet he could find a job shoveling shit if that makes him feel better
 
what is the backstory here? What did he do wrong?

Some fellow poker players took umbrage with Daniel Colman's reaction after winning 2014's One Drop against Daniel Negreanu. They felt he should have responded more positively by smiling for the cameras while holding bundles of cash or the bracelet high in the air.

 
meh. If all he did was look unhappy and decline media seems not so bad.

I can understand his conflicted feelings about poker being exploitative.
 
what is the backstory here? What did he do wrong?
Dude wins 15+ million dollars and then goes on some (what I would call borderline narcissistic) holier than thou rant(??) trashing the game that he makes a multimillion dollar living off of. Not even a thank you to anyone or anything. I also don't recall ever seeing anywhere where he donates to any gambling help hotlines or anything. Put up or shut the fuck up
 
Football has a dark side too.

Imagine if the Superbowl winners shit on the NFL in their post-game speech. Would people continue to follow it? Would kids aspire to play?

I'm not saying that he should be the next "big thing". Lots of WSOP winners fade into trival obscurity. But for the moment, the 15 minutes God, luck, fate or whomever gave you, be somebody. If my child won the little league world series and said on a news broadcast that baseball, most players are losers, and everything around it sucks... that fucker wouldn't sit for a week.

...and I hold adults to a higher standard than children.
 
Football has a dark side too.

Imagine if the Superbowl winners shit on the NFL in their post-game speech. Would people continue to follow it? Would kids aspire to play?

I'm not saying that he should be the next "big thing". Lots of WSOP winners fade into trival obscurity. But for the moment, the 15 minutes God, luck, fate or whomever gave you, be somebody. If my child won the little league world series and said on a news broadcast that baseball, most players are losers, and everything around it sucks... that fucker wouldn't sit for a week.

...and I hold adults to a higher standard than children.

Can you see the extreme differences in professional poker from the sport comparisons you made?
 
I am on his side. He seems like he was just being honest. He wasnt lying or being malicious. Sounds like he has legitamite concerns and inner conflict about the game.

He is the one who knows about higher stakes games not me

Anyone who denies media GETS points in my book.

Not everyone is going to smile and waive for the cameras....Let him be himself.
 
Didn't he and Olivier wear some "Free Palestine" t-shirts on a live broadcast final table together? I watch tv to be entertained, not to be preached too. Keep your politics out of my entertainment please
 

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