"That's why a crazy Internet kid is very unlikely to win one of these things"
This was published 13-07-2009What do you think about that statement? Out of context, it’s blatant, and sounds like some old blow-hard who doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. The fact is, that’s the 2005 WSOP champion talking about a wave of ultra aggressive poker players who appear to be willing to gamble all their chips in every hand they’re involved in. “I had quite a bit of respect but you know what? They know nothing about poker, these kids really know nothing. These kids are just … idiots,” Hachem said.
The World Series is underway, and already the players who are left are guaranteed at least $36,626, while the top prize of $8.55 million will be awarded at the final table in November.
“We’re playing for one of the biggest prizes in history and they’re getting … five hundred million blinds in there with second pair,” Hachem said. “To me, the reason I’m upset is because it’s disrespectful. We’re playing in the world series, we’re not just having fun at a local home game. These guys are pushing chips around like it’s nothing.”
Do these sentiments echo the feelings of most players or is this an outdated attitude in a game that is changing at a faster pace every day? With online poker, players who are ultra aggressive are paid off, and if not they are able to load another table within seconds. To these players its strictly about math and maximising their ability to make money. It seems that older players are trying to hold on to the way it use to be, and are having difficulty adjusting their games to match the new age player.
To Hatchem’s credit he is one of only two former main event champions left in the tournament, along with last year’s winner Peter Eastgate, and so must at least be willing to adjust enough to stay competitive…
“Look, their style may be the way they play on the Internet and that’s what they’ve got to do because they can open up another tournament every 10 seconds,” Hachem said. “It’s fine, right, but you’re playing here, you got so much time, you got so much going for you and these guys just want to go to war every hand” he said.
