The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is an off-the-grid, pay-what-you-can treehouse with ocean views and soft towels just down the road from the overpriced afternoon poker news hotel.
Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet, feel free to drop a note in the comments.
Today in the 3-Bet we find high-roller Daniel Cates low-rolling in France, Haralabos Voulgaris thumping on Daniel Negreanu’s loyalty and Erick Lindgren toasted in a finer hour.
1) Cates Goes Low-Brow, Skips WSOPE
While much of the poker world were busy getting stiffed up the road in Cannes at the recent World Series of Poker Europe, notorious high-roller Dan “Jungleman” Cates took a decidedly different line.
Ostensibly in the area to play some events or hit the cash games, Cates not only skipped out on the tournaments altogether, he skipped out on a big hotel bill by staying at a youth hostel in Nice instead.
Yep. The same guy who once had a $6 million bankroll on Full Tilt Poker was theoretically bunking in with a couple of Hungarian crank addicts and a sticky-fingered Polish runaway.
Or, you know, a simple-but-clean private room. But still. According to a tweet he picked the hostel because it’s “more social” than a hotel.
While he wasn’t seen at the casino Cates was spotted living it up by Padraig Parkinson – and the hostel choice seemed to be paying off according to Parkinson's blog:
“We ran into Jungleman in the wee small hours in some bar.
"He obviously knows how big a deal the “Hide and Seek” award is and had the biggest smile in the place as he busied himself buying drink for anyone with a pulse and a few marginal cases.”
Follow Cates on Twitter here.
2) Haralabob Busts On Negreanu for Lindgren Soft Spot
We're so used to seeing Daniel Negreanu busting chops in the poker world it's almost hard to believe when someone takes him to task.
Respected poker vet Haralabos Voulgaris did just that though in a new blog post with his insider thoughts on Full Tilt heroes and villains.
For starters, Haralabob reveals he could have bought up to 3% in Full Tilt in 2004 but declined after meeting “buffoon" Ray Bitar. It cost him about $10m in distribution payouts he says.
The second half deals with Erick Lindgren's degeneracy and Negreanu’s softballing of his pal despite his seedy debtor behavior. While Voulgaris "praises" Negreanu for loyalty, his take is still unkind:
"... while I don’t think Daniel is required to attack his friends with the same venom he attacks his enemies. I do think he needs to be a little more balanced about things.
"Recall that at one point he video blogged about how he would have loved it if Howard Lederer got assaulted (I think with a baseball bat I can’t quite remember and can’t be bothered to watch it again), and yet when it when it came to discussing Erick he kind of shuffled it off."
Negreanu admits to taking it easy on Lindgren but defended himself on Twitter by saying he doesn't take shots at gambling addicts:
I've never scolded someone for having a drug addiction and I have never attacked someone with a gambling addiction. It's not productive.— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) October 10, 2012
3) F'ing Erick Lindgren: Video Sensation of 2008
Remember when Erick Lindgren was one of the most popular players in the world? Seems hard to believe but there was a time - not even very long ago - when Lindgren was easily in the top 10 of the most liked and respected poker pros.
Not so much anymore. In 2008, when Lindgren was WSOP Player of the Year, RawVegas even spoofed his success in "taking all our money" with the ominously titled Fucking Erick Lindgren.
With guest appearances by Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Jeffrey Pollack, Joe Sebok and TJ Cookier, it’s also like an ironic foretelling of crumbling poker figures. Enjoy!
About fucking time someone gave Danny boy ataste of his own medicine. Tired of him running his mouth like a goddamn saint and his shit don’t stick.
fucking erick lindgren