The real reason A-ROD stinks in October...
dgbaseball
Posts: 825 ✭
in Sports Talk
Clearly his degenerate gambler friends pay him to choke, while they all bet against the Yankees. The fix is in!
PAY-ROD
PAY-ROD
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my thoughts exactly ...
Personally I would rather play (safely and legally) in Vegas or in Connecticut
The problem of course for somebody like this is not knowing when to stop. The games aren't like the poker games shown on ESPN - not even close. Tempers can flair and there isn't some TV camera or moderator there to control everybody. Violence is possible, very possible. You have to have experience and understand the etiquette of gamblers to avoid the violence, but you still have to be prepared for the possibility of violence.
The "no limit holdem" poker games on TV are a joke compared to what goes on in private clubs...there...it REALLY is no limit. You can windup owing any conceivable, imaginable amount. I have personally witnessed guys losing their cars on a single hand of poker. I didn't witness this hand but it happened as it was the "talk of the club" for weeks...in this Philly club located off of Roosevelt Blvd, in seven card stud, a guy had a straight flush up to king and another guy had a royal straight flush - Amazing! Almost too amazing in my opinion! Does cheating sometimes go on at these clubs? - you would have to be quite naive to believe that cheating couldn't happen.
A guy like A-Rod can have a super nice hand, but not the nuts, and get devastasted by losing and owing money. Deal a guy such as A-Rod a straight flush up to king and if someone has the better hand...who knows how much A-Rod would lose just on this hand? A-Rod despite his big salary could very well windup with a huge debt. And who knows who he might be in debt to? Lose to a "mobster" and before A-Rod comprehends the stark reality of things - the mobster is "asking" ie demanding that he fix some games. Think just one player couldn't control the outcome of some games? You then do not understand how baseball odds and gambling works.
This is just one brief scenario of the meaning of the statement, "The Yankees have warned slugger Alex Rodriguez that frequenting illegal city poker clubs is dangerous."
Steve
<< <i>A-rod is way overrated. >>
hahah
good one!
There's nothing illegal or wrong with him playing in those clubs...I hear extensively about it today, that if the house takes a profit, they get in trouble but the players can't be touched.
What's the difference in him playing in these clubs or going to vegas or AC?
Axtell, are you naive or what? Didn't you read my post? Didn't you understand the meaning of "dangerous?" I thought I was clear but I'll make it clearer. Yes, people can still get financially ruined from gambling in casinos at Vegas or AC - but if you owe casinos debt and don't pay, they will come after you with lawyers and lawsuits. If you owe debt to some people in private clubs and don't pay, they will come after you with threats and acts of violence. A big "difference."
Believe me, I'm no hypocrite - I go to Vegas annually. I play cards with friends on occasion. I'll pick my Super Bowl squares every year. I've got no philosophical objections to gambling, in fact I enjoy it quite a bit. But the fact is it is not legal in NY. You can quote whatever legal loopholes about how it's not illegal to play but only for the host to take money etc. But in the end, organized gambling is illegal in NY unless you're on tribal land. It's wrong, it's seedy, and it ain't cool, no matter how Ed Norton and Al Pacino make it look in the movies.
That said, personally I don't give a damn what he does. I think this story is a stupid invasion of his privacy, and just another reason why athletes are (sometimes, not often, but sometimes) justified in complaining that the media hounds them too much.
<< <i>...seems like the NY media is desperate for a reason why their team hasn't won in the last 5 years. >>
Nice job twisting this one into "the NY media trys to explain why the Yankees have not won in sooooo long"
The Yankees not winning in soooooo long has NOTHING to do with the media pick up on this. Has alot to do with a recent crackdown on illegal poker dens in the city in which A-rod has been spotted at. Axtell, do this board and thread a favor and turn off your computer ya half wit clown
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
This is another joke and anyone who frequents these clubs already knows this. The "hosts" do ALWAYS take money. What do people think that these clubs are really there for charities or under the guise of a religious group or other group for a night of innocent entertainment without profit to the club organisors? - what a laugh! The hosts almost always front a blackjack, craps, roulette or other casino type game, and sports and horse race betting is the norm there in which the club organisors back the bets. And the club will rake some of the poker games although not nearly close to the amount of the rake that a casino does. And if you win really big that night, you'd better give the club organisors a nice "tip" or piece of the winnings or you may not be welcome back there in the future.
Also: In no way am I insinuating that A-Rod fixed any games. I don't believe he did. The "pattern" of his baseball play in my view from the games I watched didn't indicate that. But is the possibility there in the future because of the reasons already outlined? - absolutely yes.
Steve
Private poker clubs are not illegal in and of themselves, and the patrons of said clubs are committing NO wrongdoing. The only time there can be potential legal action is simply by the clubs themselves - the players can NEVER be in any sort of trouble for gambling there, period.
One last thing - if he had batted .500 in the postseason, and led the yankees to a world series title, would this story even have been brought out? The answer is a resounding NO. That's why I brought up the NY media...the hypocrisy is outstanding. Parade, you're nuts if you don't think Arod having a poor postseason is why this story was brought to light.
<< <i> Parade, you're nuts if you don't think Arod having a poor postseason is why this story was brought to light. >>
ummmm, no axtell. The first picture of A-Rod at a poker club was printed in the NY papers well before the post season.
Also, if these poker dens are taking in ANY profit they ARE illegal. While it is true that the players are not doing anything wrong according to the law they are still patronizing a illegal gambling den. So when you say that "Private poker clubs are not illegal in and of themselves", they most certainly are the second a penny is profited.
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
completely disagree.
If it was Willy Taveras from the Astros, or Konerko of the White Sox it would have been page 6 news ... if at all. This is Arod of the Yankees we're reading about, and if the guy has diarrhea we are going to hear about it.
Absolutely right to disagree with that. This is definitely a valid news story.
The Yankees understand, I understand, and many others understand the dangers involved in patronizing these private gambling clubs. There is a huge difference between a clubhouse poker game between baseball players as pointed out in the article, and the gambling games played in these private clubs. And A-Rod being a pal with Phil Hellmuth? I would trust the former president of Enron before I would be a pal with or trust Phil Hellmuth.
You mention that quit gambling three years ago. Since then the poker phenomenon has taken place. Is it possible that these places are not as dangerours as they once were since everyone is now playing poker and it is now a very mainstream game? I'm sure the clientel visiting these games is much more diversified then it was 3 years ago.
He doesn't have a 'morals' clause in his contract.
He's not breaking any laws.
He's not out drinking, beating up women, being violent.
Yet this is news? I think it's pure and simple jealousy of Arod's money rearing it's ugly head once again.
Good question but the "poker phenomenon" has mostly occured with online gambling websites, and there are now more casinos offering poker and related tournaments. Yes there most probably are more new players going to these private clubs, but these types of private clubs would not have changed their demeanor for new players because they have always gotten new players. Just that now because of the "poker phenomenon" it would be presumed that there is simply a greater influx of new players.
Are there some private clubs which are less "dangerous" than others? - of course. But the fact that the Yankees had to make the statement, "The Yankees have warned slugger Alex Rodriguez that frequenting illegal city poker clubs is dangerous" tells me that A-Rod has NOT been playing poker at some college fraternity poker game.
Guess you're not that familiar with the Black Sox Scandal and how associating with hard-core gamblers affected that World Series. A-Rod's gambling is also the Yankee's "business" because what A-Rod is doing can be how seeds get sown for incidents such as the Black Sox Scandal.
<< <i><<< It's funny that people want to jump all over this story...what Arod (hell, anyone) wants to do in their free time is THEIR business. >>>
Guess you're not that familiar with the Black Sox Scandal and how associating with hard-core gamblers affected that World Series. A-Rod's gambling is also the Yankee's "business" because what A-Rod is doing can be how seeds get sown for incidents such as the Black Sox Scandal. >>
In the black sox era, players weren't making millions and millions per year...most (if not all players) until the 50s and 60s had to have jobs in the offseason to pay the bills. Arod making $25 million per year, and you're worried about Arod playing some poker?
If it's truly about gambling, then why allow any player to go to Vegas or AC? It's the same thing! I don't want to hear about selectively choosing which gambling establishments are 'ok' and which can lead to another black sox scandal.
Where was this outcry over Jordan's gambling on golf? I mean he's come out now and admitted he lost hundreds of thousands...and there's rumours swirling that it was the reason his father was killed.
Hypocritical? You bet.
I'm not worried about it - I'm explaining why the Yankees are worried about it.
The comparison of player's salaries past and present is meaningless, and actually I think makes A-Rod more susceptible to problems. Money "meant" something to those past players. With these large dollar amounts, money might not hardly mean anything to a guy making 25 million a year plus the endorsements, etc.
Lemme explain a possible, I'm not saying it's likely, but a possible scenario. A-Rod is in a high stakes, no limit poker game - gets a little drunked up - he has a hand with a straight flush up to a king - he thinks he has the nuts and can't lose - they have been betting hundreds of thousands perhaps millions have gone through the pots all night - and in these games, "no limit" means no limit - another player says "I bet 50 million dollars"- A-Rod quickly calls, the other player has a royal straight flush and A-Rod has just lost 50 million dollars.
Of course in normal circumstances such as these, with most of the club players, a "rediculous" amount like 50 million dollars usually gets "settled." Depending on the players and their relationships with each other even a large sum such as this can get settled for a few thousand dollars. Example - True story - I am a very, VERY good pool player and had often shot pool and won money basically for small stakes. One night me and a good friend got involved playing for five and ten bucks a game - I am a much better player than him and basically can't lose a game of eightball or nineball against him. But he was drunked up and wanted to bet anyway and he lost about 50 bucks cash to me, and then wanted to go double or nothing on credit. Well, he kept doubling up and wound up owing me over $100,000 for the night. I "settled" the total amount he owed for a glass of beer.
In a normal game of pool against other most other people, firstly and lastly I wouldn't ever have played them for credit so it would have naturally stopped with their $50 cash loss. But with a guy like A-Rod, these gamblers would be more than happy to extend him credit, especially a guy who they positively know is making 25 million a year. And these guys are NOT going to "settle" with a guy like A-Rod. He lost 50 million and that's what they want and expect to be paid - 50 million...CASH! Is the picture clearer now about these gambling games being dangerous?
Also if we theorize that Jordan got in to so much trouble that his father was killed, it's not a stretch to think someone like Rodriguez could get in to the same amount of trouble, where, maybe he's given an option and has to choose to either lose a baseball game OR a family member...
Now personally, I think all of this is crazy speculation that, while entertaining, isn't in any way likely to be true. But that also doesn't make it implausible either. And I think that's the problem most people would have with what he's doing. As a role model for kids, it's bad to be engaging in any gambling activities, particularly in illegal establishments with shady individuals. As a MLB ballplayer with significant influence over the outcome of his team's games, it's bad to be engaging in any gambling activities, particularly in illegal establishments with shady individuals. As a human being, who cares what he does...