Silly Season

Late summer is traditionally dubbed “silly season” in the media as journalists, editors, and their newsworthy subjects take their annual sunshine time out and recharge their batteries ahead of the new poker season rolling around in September.

However the last couple of years have seen things change in the European poker world as the barren August live schedule has been filled to capacity with new tournaments stretching the length and breadth of the continent.

Good news for struggling hacks trying to fill column inches but bad news for those who miss the downtime.

So in honour of the long-gone quiet season here are some silly season stories which caught the eye in August.

Baseball Star Hits One-Outer

ESPN reported that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will most likely not face suspension following his alleged participation in underground, illegal poker games
However, Rodriguez could face league action “if it was determined that his conduct violated Major League Baseball standards concerning drug use and betting on baseball in the course of the poker games”.

Specifically, MLB will want to know if Rodriguez had anything to do with the alleged cocaine use at the games, or if the money amounts involved could make him more vulnerable to gamblers. Investigators are currently trying to set up an interview with Rodriguez about his alleged involvement.

Rounders Return?

As this issue of Card Player Europe was going to press, news was leaking out that legendary film producer and co-founder of Mirimax Films, Harvey Weinstein, has expressed a desire to make a sequel to his seminal poker movie Rounders.

According to Variety magazine, Weinstein was addressing the decline of the DVD market and its implications for producers. “It’s become much more of a theatrical business because the movie has to work in theaters,” he said. “There’s no second chance.”

Weinstein pointed out that Rounders, made on a budget of $12 million, was lackluster at the box-office, grossing $23 million when released more than a decade ago, but became a hit in ancillary markets. Weinstein expressed his interest in being involved in a sequel with Matt Damon and Edward Norton, the two stars of the original film. “I never make sequels but it’s something I’d like to revisit,” Weinstein said.

Good news for film buffs and poker alike given the poor quality representation of the game and industry in recent times — both on celluloid and real life.

Punch Phil

Poker pro Phil Hellmuth was recently named in Bleacher Report’s list of the “50 Most Punchable Faces in Pro Sports”.

Amber Lee wrote about the 11-time World Series of Poker champion, Hellmuth’s “childish temper tantrums are legendary, and he’s become the poster child for how not to behave after a loss.”

Hellmuth, who is fresh off a great WSOP, finishing second three times, was ranked 12th on the list, while Miami Heat star LeBron James was first. ♠