WSOP Event 25 recap, David Sesso talks about the ladies event and the Dan Bilzerian twitter controversy on today’s Daily Deal.
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.
This year’s Omaha Hi-Lo Championship was definitely a test of champions. Suave high-stakes pro Sammy Farha, best known as “the man who finished second to Chris Moneymaker in 2003,” faced Englishman James “Flushy” Dempsey, who just won a bracelet nine days ago. The duo tangled in an epic heads-up match that lasted four hours. Eventually, the bracelet returned to the man who had already won it in two thousand and six, Sammy Farha. He is recognized as one of the top Omaha Hi-Lo players and has won three Omaha bracelets during his career. When WSOP reporters asked Farha about being one of the best Omaha Hi-Lo Split players in the world, his reply was typical of the witty pro: “I think so. I think I can play the game.”
As we discussed on yesterday’s episode, several male players joined the ladies’ event, which began last Friday from the Rio in Las Vegas. This week, Shaun Deeb issued a statement, and Bustout Poker endorser David Sesso spoke to Poker News Daily about why he entered. Here are some highlights of his interview:
“My friends and I had a prop bet. Part of it was that the first one out had to play in the Ladies Event and I lost. The other part was that if you had to play in the Ladies Event, you couldn’t talk about the prop bet at all during it… When a guy goes to the tables on a given night, it’s very common for it to turn out to be a fun (or not so fun) night out with “the guys”… Females don’t get to have this “girls night out” feeling when they play poker; the Ladies Event, I feel, gives them a chance to have this. Realizing this fact is what makes me feel sorry for playing.”
And continuing with the theme of apologies, a Tweet by Victory Poker pro Dan Bilzerian sparked a controversy that has both Twitter and the poker forums on edge. Bilzerian quoted an admittedly VERY un-PC Clint Eastwood joke from the movie Gran Turino on his Twitter account that caught the eye AND ire of poker journalist Joy Miller. Things escalated quickly and soon there was talk of an ESPN ban on the entire Victory Poker team. Bilzerian seems to consider the issue closed:
“I’ve offered a public apology and given her an apology. There’s nothing else I can do.” He also increased the privacy level of his Twitter feed. Miller, on the other hand, also seems to have moved on, partly thanks to her supportive poker friends. She told PND:
“I had tears in my eyes earlier, talked to Phil Ivey, and he said, ‘Let Dan Bilzerian come tell me the joke.’” Miller does not work for ESPN in any capacity which made talk of the potential ban extremely curious.
Thanks for joining me on The Daily Deal. Be sure to check out our other videos which include CardRunners strategy clips and interviews with the biggest names in poker. I’m Sean Gibson and I’ll be back tomorrow with more poker news.