The reputation of poker has always been on somewhat shaky ground. Its association with the crime-ridden saloons of the Old Wild West marks a precedent which some outsiders are still reluctant to look beyond.
This state of affairs is hardly helped by some of the players who fans take to their hearts as role models or ambassadors of the game. The “Prince of Poker” Scotty Nguyen displayed deplorable behaviour in winning the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event at the 2008 World Series of Poker. The hero-worshipped Stu Ungar spent much of his adult life dealing with a crippling cocaine addiction and died ignominiously at the age of 45. French businessman Cyril Mouly – a wanted man in two countries – regularly plays in the highest-stakes poker games at the Bellagio and has a Facebook page set up in his honour, as if he were a figure of fun rather than a criminal. Even Archie Karas, a professional gambler who won and lost over $40million, had his degeneracy somewhat glorified in a feature on ESPN’s World Series coverage.
Archie Karas, "the gambler's gambler"
But all of these eccentricities and misdemeanours pale in comparison with the story of Ron Fanelli.
Known as the “Mad Yank”, Fanelli had been a popular figure on the London poker circuit before moving to Thailand. But recently his friends and acquaintances were shocked to hear he had confessed to the murder of a Thai prostitute.
Poker pro and journalist Victoria Coren wrote this touching article, assessing the situation from the perspective of a friend, rather than that of a fellow poker player. She touched on his demeanour at the poker table, but the focus of the piece – as it well should be – is that we sometimes think we know someone and then find out we were wrong.
In such circumstances, it is invaluable to have a reasoned perspective on matters, rather than jumping on any pro- or anti- bandwagons. Unfortunately, whether through a morbid fascination or a mistaken sense that any publicity is good publicity, posters on poker forums such as Two Plus Two have dwelled on Fanelli’s crime. Some simply express their shock, others search for humour in the situation. Few realise the implications of their actions.
van der Sloot confessed to murder in June
Parallels may be drawn with the case of Joran van der Sloot, prime suspect in the much-publicised disappearance of student Natalee Holloway, who confessed to the murder of Stephany Flores last month. Does it matter that van der Sloot was a recreational poker player? Of course not. But other recreational players, or even some professionals, may be keen to relate to the fame of such criminals by being able to say “I know that guy” when in truth they sat across from him in a poker tournament in Aruba for about ten minutes.
Whether down to an obsession with commercialised “true crime” figures or something far more sinister, the media and public focus on such stories of violent crime may be unavoidable. However, there should be no excuse for the poker aspect of these stories being jumped on as anything more than a mildly interesting footnote. In an age where efforts are being made to elevate the game to the status of an honourable profession, we should be seeking to do anything in our power to distance it from its ugly past.
Six Seven Suited 