Written by :
Published on :
A little background (or should we say "battleground"?): Jeff Shulman is the President and COO of Card Player Magazine who just happens to have made the Final Nine Table of the 2009 World Series of Poker, which will be played out in November. Shulman raised eyebrows after announcing he would "throw the bracelet in the garbage" should he win. Most folks would agree Shulman probably won't be throwing away the guaranteed million dollars plus he's about to receive.
Shulman is angry with the World Series of Poker for dissolving its partnership arrangement with Card Player Magazine in favor of Bluff Magazine. If Card Player still held the broadcasting rights to the WSOP, chances are pretty good Jeff Shulman wouldn't be making the comments he has about that organization and its bracelet.
And Shulman continues to raise eye brows. Cali Jen of Pokerati.com offered this observation:
As the Card Player Media President and COO, Shulman has the magazine at his disposal in which to write a lengthy explanation of what is so wrong with Harrah's and how he could fix poker. Instead, though, a page in the September 1 issue is dedicated (as always) to the Card Player TV show entitled "The Scoop with Adam & Diego," and this time Shulman was the guest and excerpts were printed from the interview. Right off the bat, Diego Cordovez asked a question that baffled me coming from someone in the poker press:
"Now, the last couple of days, the poker press, what there is of it, has started to quote you and stir up controversy, which you initiated..."
Anyhooo, his answer? "...I've had a lot of people come up to me and say that somebody's got to do something about it. I'm not sure I'm the right guy, being that I'm in the industry, but it's not like we have some special relationship here. They hate us, for whatever reason... I think they hate anyone who's not a celebrity, or maybe it's just that they treat the celebrities so much better than everyone else that they have special rules, they don't get penalties. I've never seen anything like it. If we really want to take poker to the next level, you can't have different rules for different people."
Evidently, by disrespecting the WSOP bracelet and Harrah's (and all the players who would do anything to be in his final table position), he plans to take poker to the next level. Would that be the rude and insulting level? Would that be the vague and evasive level? Would love to hear some thoughts on this issue...
Needless-to-say, Jeff Shulman being part of the 2009 World Series of Poker final table makes this year's event that much more interesting. Whether he actually does throw the bracelet away, that remains to be seen. Such an action (or anticipation of this action) is likely to boost ratings for ESPN and the WSOP, so he won't exactly be hurting them.
Ace King, Gambling911.com
