Monthly Archives: May 2020

Inside the Internet Hate Machine – National Review

Posted: May 8, 2020 at 10:58 am

TFW No GFAlex Lee Moyers new documentary, TFW No GF, finds the sadness and alienation behind the posturing of the Internets right fringe.

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLEDuring the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton delivered a speech raising alarm about Donald Trumps association with the alt-right. In Clintons telling, conspiracy theories and rank bigotry from the dark, far reaches of the Internet fueled Trumps rise. But if Clinton correctly identified a new political movement growing on the fringes of the Web, she misidentified Breitbart and Alex Jones as its ringleaders. In the strange world of 4chan and weird Twitter, the anonymous posters who took credit for memeing Trump to the presidency call the shots.

Since 2016, academics and journalists have offered alternatives to Clintons simplistic characterization of these online communities. Its no easy task: Cloaked in layers of irony and self-reference, they elude conventional analysis. The operating principle in the hodgepodge of gamers, anime fans, and reactionary ideologues that makes up the online far right is a love of chaos, as Angela Nagle points out in her book Kill All Normies. Some espouse explicitly racist and misogynistic views, others want to lash out at political correctness and identity politics, and others still do it just to get a rise out of people.

Alex Lee Moyers documentary TFW No GF is the latest attempt to explore the dark, far reaches of the internet. The film, featured in the 2020 SXSW lineup and released on Amazon Prime Video in late April, follows five members of the nebulous, overlapping subcultures labeled at various times incels (involuntary celibates), NEETs (not in employment, education or training), edgelords, Pepes, and the alt-right. Moyer borrows the lo-fi aesthetics of her subjects: The movie is a pastiche of memes, archival material, and heavily edited footage set to the music of John Maus and Ariel Pink. But while Moyers visual sensibilities evince an appreciation for her subjects, her film raises questions as to whether the online world these men inhabit offers them anything constructive or whether it simply reproduces the dynamics that drove them to seek virtual refuge in the first place.

The confessional narratives of TFW No GF translated from Internet slang, it means that feeling when [you have] no girlfriend contrast with the brash and irreverent online personas of its subjects. Against a backdrop of bleak, postindustrial locales its almost like nobodys here, says one subject of his Washington exurb the protagonists discuss their alienation, social maladjustment, and inability to attract women. They grew up in broken homes and see no entry point into conventional life. Instead of the white picket fence, theyve exiled themselves to their childhood bedrooms.

Critics have called TFW No GF a film about incels, but its more a collage of various online subcultures. Sex, the be-all and end-all of the online manosphere, is an afterthought to the films protagonists. These characters seem to harbor little of the incel rage that has fueled mass shootings and online harassment campaigns. Theyre mostly just depressed, and turn to the Internet as a substitute for community.

But there have always been lonely men. If TFW No GF simply documented depression, it wouldnt be especially interesting. Gogol and Dostoevsky explored male disaffection before Moyers, and offered conclusions more incisive than these guys are not happy besides. The film momentarily moves beyond misery-wallowing 30 minutes in, when a man known on Twitter as Kantbot appears on the screen. Contrasting with the industrial debris and cluttered bedrooms that form most of the films backdrop, Kantbots world Riverside Park, a Manhattan rooftop, and a Columbia Universityadjacent bookstore is sophisticated. He intermittently exhales cigarette smoke while expounding on German idealist philosophy. His urbanity and erudition, if an obvious put-on, set him apart from his fellow travelers: One of these edgelords is not like the others.

Kantbot first gained online notoriety from a viral clip in which he claimed that Donald Trump will complete the system of German idealism to a crowd of anti-Trump protesters in Manhattan. Such trolling has gained him a sizable audience and made him something of an online celebrity. And with his appearance, the film begins to explore the intellectual underpinnings of the online far right. Kantbot says his project is to solve the problem of modernity: the devolution of pure reason into nihilism, hedonism, and solipsism. He sees his tweets as aphorisms in the style of the German philosopher Friedrich Schelling. Kantbots relevance to the film stems not only from his fanbase of likeminded young men but also from his ostensible aim to provide an alternative to the disappointments of contemporary life. He is the bard to the rabble of online sh**posters.

Those edgelords who have attempted to fashion an intellectual project out of their alienation seem to have the most to say about the peculiar contours of online discourse. A more thorough sociology of Internet subcultures would have spent more time exploring these contours, through Kantbot and other pseudonymous intellectuals.

But Moyers ambitions are different. Though TFW No GF flirts with a phenomenology of edgelordism, it prioritizes the personal experiences of its subjects. And while it documents the alienation and resentment that has led some self-described incels to glorify or perpetrate murderous acts, most of the characters extricate themselves from edgelordism by the end of the film. One finds a girlfriend online, another takes to weightlifting and reading philosophy. A meme reading, Were all gonna make it marks a break from the fatalism of the films early acts. Perhaps Jordan Petersons brand of self-help has more to offer young men than posting threats against women on Twitter. Or perhaps these men were never so damaged in the first place, but merely engaged in transgressive online discourse as a distraction.

Once again, Kantbot is the exception he remains extremely online, ending the film in much the same position as when it started, except with 40,000 Twitter followers and a popular podcast. Like other self-styled gurus, Kantbot subsists on the attention of his thousands of anonymous fans, who spend more time vying for a retweet than emancipating themselves.

Thus has the attempt to create an unbounded intellectual space devolved into a replica of ordinary social spheres, with different codes and values but with the same competition for attention. The success of the online Rights minor celebrities depends on a substratum of young men languishing. Vying with the ringleaders ideas might be fruitful, but fetishizing them is not. If there is a hopeful lesson from TFW No GF, its that their followers are starting to realize that.

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Inside the Internet Hate Machine - National Review

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Alan Cumming: I never thought about my foreskin until I came to America – The Irish Times

Posted: at 10:58 am

Im loving the idea of being here for a sustained period of time, says Alan Cumming, speaking over Zoom from his country pile buried deep in New Yorks Catskill mountains. It is purpose-built for isolation. I realised Ive been craving it; its a shame it took a global pandemic to make it happen.

The 55-year-old actor has been rigorous about lockdown. He is asthmatic, so he has been out past his gate only once in five weeks. Cumming spends his days with his husband, the artist Grant Shaffer, and their dogs Lala and Jerry, mostly writing. In the evenings, he has Zoom cocktails last night it was with his old Good Wife co-star Julianna Margulies.

His home is cosy: a crowded bookshelf takes up most of the wood-panelled wall behind him; a blown-up cover image of his first childrens novel, The Adventures of Honey & Leon, illustrated by Shaffer, sits on the floor. He flips the camera to reveal a small outside clearing, empty apart from his trampoline, surrounded by maple trees. A porch swing is rocking; he points to a storm on the horizon coming over the Catskills.

Cumming was in London when the world began shutting down. He was starring in Samuel Becketts Endgame at the Old Vic, alongside Daniel Radcliffe. When the theatre closed on March 15th, Endgame still had two weeks left to run. Cumming may be enjoying this period of isolation, but he is worried about what state the theatre industry will be in when the lockdowns lift. There was talk of bringing Endgame to New York, but he thinks pinning down any dates would be too ambitious.

Until theres a vaccine, I dont think people will really be comfortable sitting in a room with 1,000 people right next to you, coughing, says Cumming. I just dont imagine the theatre or cinema as we know it is going to be able to function.

Even if people are more appreciative of the arts during lockdown, it may not be enough to stave off theatre closures. The UK and US governments have always undervalued the arts, he says a rot thats set in since Margaret Thatcher (he has more than a few criticisms of Thatcher, having just watched the five-part BBC documentary Thatcher: A Very British Revolution).

Many theatres wont survive, because theres so much money going into unemployment and the health service, he says. Not only will these theatres not have produced anything or had any income, but theres going to be a whole range of cuts. Were all f***ed. It is unclear whether he is referring to thespians or, well, everyone.

One person he does include in his assessment is the US president. This could be Trumps downfall. My mother-in-law is a Trump supporter and even shes said: Oh gosh, its terrible what hes doing, using all the Covid press conferences as a rally. Its insane and embarrassing and just disgusting.

He will be supporting Joe Biden for president, but he has his reservations. Hes too old. I think Trumps too old. But we seem to still be in this culture where old white men seem to be allowed to do anything.

Cumming has one of the most eclectic CVs in Hollywood: he is prolific, versatile and prone to reinvention. As well as acting, he writes, directs and produces. He has tried his hand at photography (his latest project includes the self-portrait accompanying this article) and he is a committed activist, particularly for LGBTQ+ rights.

He co-owns a queer cabaret bar, Club Cumming, in the East Village in New York, and even has his own range of fragrances (the parodic advert for Cumming the Fragrance is essential viewing). He still has five bottles sitting on a tray in his bathroom in the Catskills. I actually spray it in the wardrobe upstairs, because were not here very often, so I always just give it a little squirt of Cumming. He describes the scent as earthy.

He has just taken over the pop star Will Youngs role as the co-host, alongside Chris Sweeney, of the Homo Sapiens podcast in which queer people talk about queer life which means he can cross off podcaster, albeit reluctantly.

Everyone has a podcast now! he says. Its like reality TV: I used to say I just wish everyone would go on a reality TV show, so well all have done it and we can get it out of our system and move on.

Yet the lure of exploring one of his biggest passions icons of the LGBTQ+ community was too big. Hannah Gadsby and Stephen Fry are just two of the guests on the new series; it also includes an interview with Cynthia Nixon in which she talks about parenting a trans child.

Cumming has held the title of queer icon since the late 1990s, when he was described by the New York Observer as a frolicky pansexual sex symbol for the new millennium. In November 1999, he posed naked for the cover of the USs largest LGBTQ+ publication, Out magazine. The accompanying interview was his most high-profile announcement to the world that he had sex with men and women.

I still feel everythings kind of grey, he says. Its never felt complicated, my sexuality. Ive never had shame about sex in general or homosexuality. This he attributes to his late father (who died of cancer in 2010), who had an affair with another woman. He wrote about this extensively in his 2014 memoir, Not My Fathers Son.

Growing up, I saw a man who was unable to control his desire. It made me feel like Ive got a sexual appetite and its not a bad thing. Seeing my father struggle with this and realising that he had no control over it made me feel liberated.

Cumming was born in Perthshire, Scotland. His father was the head forester on a large country estate on the Angus coast, which is where he lived with his mother, father and older brother.

His father was volatile and violent. He would mentally torment his sons by setting them ambiguous physical tasks around the estate, hitting them when they failed to match his infeasible standards.

Cumming had a breakdown in his 20s the memories of a childhood dominated by a sadistic abuser resurfacing. Together with his brother, he confronted his father. They didnt speak for 16 years, until his father caught wind of Cummings intention to appear on the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are?.

His father told Cumming (via his brother) that he was not his son; he said he was telling Cumming this to avoid him finding out on national TV. After a meticulous investigation, Cumming exposed his fathers story as untrue (he and his brother took DNA tests to confirm it).

More than five years on, he is still stunned by the feedback from readers of his memoir. Many said it helped them address their own problematic relationships. Has it allowed him to exorcise the trauma of his fathers abuse?

I thought that maybe I would put him to rest, but actually that hasnt happened, he says. Hes much more in my life than he ever was. And so he should be; hes my father. Any parent is a huge part of your life and pretending otherwise is not healthy. I feel in a much healthier place with him.

Cumming laughs dismissively when asked if his globe-trotting career has gone the way he thought it would when he was starting out as a young actor on the Scottish theatre scene in the late 80s.

I was told that things were not available to me because of my Scottishness, he says. America was never a thing. London was maybe a possibility. The idea that I would be doing what Im doing now or have the opportunities that I have now, there was no one I knew whod had that trajectory... those things didnt happen to Scottish people.

And yet his career boomed. He moved to London after a roaring Edinburgh fringe success as half of the comedy double act Victor and Barry with his friend and co-writer Forbes Masson. Their TV series, The High Life, in which they played a pair of outrageously behaved air stewards, aired on the BBC before Cumming moved to London to play Hamlet at the Donmar under Sam Mendes. He scored an Olivier award for his role as the Maniac in Accidental Death of an Anarchist, as well as a nomination for his performance as the Emcee in Cabaret; he won a Tony award when he reprised the role on Broadway in 1998.

More recently, he has found success on the small screen with his scene-stealing performance as the spin doctor Eli Gold in The Good Wife. In 2018, he landed the starring role in Instinct, the first network drama on US television to feature a gay leading character.

As something of a Hollywood veteran (his vast filmography ranges from Goldeneye and Emma to Spice World and Spy Kids), he has expressed solidarity with the victims of Harvey Weinstein. In an Instagram post, underneath an image of Cumming and Weinstein together, he said that he had posed for the photograph despite knowing about Weinsteins hotel room massage meetings, his rage and his bullying nature. Still, he says he was shocked by the scale of the abuse.

It shows you how clever those people are, he says. Theres a difference between: Oh, hes a bit of an old lech, and being a rapist. That was shocking to me.

Cumming was bullied by Weinstein, with the disgraced producer pressuring him to take roles he didnt want. I remember being at the premiere of The Hateful Eight... and Id just said no to Harvey to doing this thing. He was very persistent. I saw him coming, he was on his phone, and I hid in this doorway to avoid them, because I just didnt want to have to deal with them. He was scary and also he was just overwhelming as a personality.

Cumming has witnessed phenomenal social change since he started his career, when homophobia was institutional and potent. I think its great things should move fast, he says. The constant question I used to get was: Do you think that coming out is bad for your career in Hollywood? Its such a ridiculous question. I dont think people in Basingstoke or Idaho are not going to go and see a movie because someone in it is gay. I really dont think they care.

He doesnt miss a beat as he moves on to the latest battleground for LGBTQ+ people: gender identity. When people get all weird about people putting pronouns at the end of their emails, I think: Fuck you. These people are being kind to you and doing you a favour by telling you how they want to be defined.

As well as campaigning for LGBTQ+ equality and HIV charities, Cumming is outspoken against male circumcision.

I never thought anything about my foreskin, he says, and then I came to America and I was having sex and people would just be gasping because theyd never seen a foreskin before. I was made to feel weird and freakish because I had an intact body.

Its genital mutilation. And I think people say: Oh, thats hysterical. But we do it to girls and its called genital mutilation. As for the religious grounds for circumcision, he believes these are ridiculous: We choose to keep doing some things and we just let the weirdest things go.

Cumming is confident that this period of isolation will result in a positive social change. Im an optimist at my very core, he says. Any time when youve got to be away from everybody, to contemplate, meditate and be made to understand how your behaviour affects other people, I just cant help but think that must be a huge positive.

And what about in the immediate aftermath? I think there will probably be a period of rabid shagging, he says. Im sure therell be some sort of swing towards hedonism, where its just crazy. Itll be like New Years Eve. Guardian

The new series of Homo Sapiens is available on all podcasting platforms

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Too Hot To Handle: How Cast Members Changed After No-Sex Rule and Money Introduced – Screen Rant

Posted: at 10:58 am

Lana set the stage for these singles by telling them about the rules and prize money. Soon, their personality traits became much more pronounced.

Each of the cast members underwent very specific changes after the no-sex rule andmoney were introduced on Too Hot to Handle. The singles'initial meeting in paradise was filled with flirty and dirty declarations of fun to come. But onceLana set the stage for them, each of their personality traits became much more pronounced. First of all, the news elicited severalgrimaces and a few audible groans. What happened next was utterlysurprising.

Vixen Francesca did not take the news so well. Viewers were stunned when the brunette bombshell actually burst into tears over the plot twist. Memes were erected (pardon the pun), quoting her disappointment over having to endure celibacy while on the show. "It's like I lost my mom, like, I'm so sad," Francesca said. Even British model Chloe confirmed that Francesca was shaken up about the rules. Chloeadmitted her own dismay, but ultimately, the rules of the show changed herfor the better.

Related: Too Hot To Handle's Celebrity Look-A-Likes: From Khlo Kardashian To Kevin Hart

Chloetold theDaily Mail, "For some of the guys, sex was like a daily exercise for them. It opened my eyes guys actually love sex. I realised, 'This is why they don't text me back.' Once I've kissed someone, they don't want to know.'"Another participant whose true colors came shining through when learning he'd have to remain chaste to pocket a huge prize was Kelz. Prior to joining theshow, Kelzdescribed himself as an "alpha-male who is used to getting what he wants." It became quite evident throughout production that Kelz wanted that money. He carefully and diligently avoided physical contact with Francesca and even Rhonda, whom he's since been linked to after production wrapped.

Sharron amusedviewers during his confessional when he spoke of being apromiscuous churchgoing feminist with a huge package. Too bad none of the ladies got to experience him in all his glory during production. Sharron formeda physicalconnection with single mom Rhonda early into the cast introductions. However, being told they couldn't act on their urges for one another only made this couple lust even harder. As the season progressed, they workedthrough their arousal and various temptations and began building a relationship that eventually led to Rhonda introducing Sharron to her son.

Too Hot to Handle is a raucousglimpse the socioeconomic ramifications of sexand vanitycommingling in a modern society. What makes the show so great is that we see the hedonism of youth culture and all its social media trappings at work. In everydaylife, these singles would give into their baser instincts and hook up with each other before the introductions could even be completed. Adding money and conditional elements into the mix heightens the fun for the THTH viewer. Face it: It seemed to make things even spicier for the singles, too. The rulesmade Sharron and Rhonda convince themselves they were in love, or something close to it. Abstinence even made Francesca and Harry- seemingly two of the most vapid individuals to breathe air - realize that they, too, could be loving and committed. Overall, the change seems to have graduatedmost of the participantsfrom the swinging singles the show promoted, to casting them in amore conscientious light.

Next: Too Hot To Handle: Cast Members Wildest Instagram & Social Media Posts

Source: Bustle, Daily Mail UK

RHOC's Vicki Gunvalson Insults 'Big Eyes' Ramona Singer & 'Vanilla' Kyle Richards

Ebony March is a contributing writer at Screen Rant. Her career in entertainment journalism began in 2007 as a film and music reviewer. Before joining Screen Rant's Reality TV beat in 2019, Ebony was a contributor at Guitar World and Intent (now Intent Blog). She freelanced as a digital news producer at KABC-TV in Los Angeles and was a freelance producer at the Los Angeles Times.Ebony's interest in social activism, music, and pop culture led to appearances on 60 Minutes, MTV's Subterranean and 12 Angry Viewers, as well as Comedy Central's Beat the Geeks.In her spare time, you'll find Ebony poring over interior design feeds on Pinterest, or obsessively binge-watching episodes of Saturday Night Live. She's also an avid cook and player of classic 8-bit video games like Galaga and Ms. Pacman. Follow Ebony on Twitter.

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The Negative Impact of Coronavirus on the Poker Series and Tournaments – TimesOfCasino

Posted: at 10:56 am

Poker can be easily considered as one of the most popular games among masses. It is enjoyed by millions of people across the globe, and one can estimate the popularity of the game from the fact that the game is counted among the top games in terms of participation, enthusiasm, and spirit of the players.

The proof of this aspect is the long list of upcoming tournaments of poker that have been scheduled across the globe. You name a country, and you will find that a poker league has been scheduled to happen at one or another point in time. Just to give you a glimpse of the upcoming tournaments, Poker leagues are scheduled in countries like the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Manila, and Australia, among others. All these countries are hosting poker tournaments, which are the testimony that the sport is quite popular and rich revenue generation sport.

It is important to understand the implications of ongoing COVID-19 on the schedule of poker tournaments. The highly contagious disease is impacting businesses across the globe, and its impact on poker is also going to be disastrous. We wont be surprised if poker tournaments will be delayed or even canceled in case casinos continue to remain shut down in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, especially if lockdown continues to remain in effect till July. We are already witnessing the impact of COVID-19 on a series of Poker tournaments with some of the prominent ones like World Series of Poker already announcing postponing its scheduled event to fall. The tournament was initially scheduled to start on May 26, but now it has been postponed to fall in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

For many poker series, it will be a dubious distinction as this will be the first time in their operating history that they wont be organizing an event. Not only scheduling of poker series will be a problem, but getting the competent staff members and crew on the ground is also a huge challenge that many professional organizations will not be able to overcome. Many experts suspect that given the monstrosity of the situation, the future seems quite uncertain for the poker leagues and tournaments in 2020. Another important challenge will be to maintain the social distancing and to get the audience even in case the official lockdown comes to an end. People are currently suffering from financial implications of the COVID-19 and are unlikely to spend the money in order to participate or view the poker tournaments.

One of the solutions that tournament organizes can effectively implement is to go online in order to organize events. Some have already gone online, and it is time for others to think about switching to virtual mode. This is the only possible solution we see in the backdrop of grim situations that we are witnessing across the globe. Of course, going online will reduce the number of players that can participate, but at least you will be able to keep the spirit alive in this difficult time.

There is hardly any doubt about the negative impact of Coronavirus on the poker series and tournaments. It is a difficult time for the game, just like for the global economy and social structure across the world. There will be a delay in the organizing of poker tournaments, and one must prepare to postpone, delay, or even cancel the event for the sake of safety and security of human lives.

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The Daily Grind: Another Big Weekend of Poker Awaits – PokerNews.com

Posted: at 10:56 am

May 08, 2020PokerNews Staff

The poker action continues all this week with the GGPoker WSOP Super Circuit Online Series, PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker, the WPT Online on partypoker and the Unibet Poker Online Series all having daily events.

The PokerNews Daily Grind is here to keep you up to date with which tournaments you might want to add to your daily schedule!

Nine more events take place today on PokerStars as the site gears up for the second weekend of the Spring Championship of Onlin Poker. The highlight of the day is no doubt the Heads-up PKO Zoom tournaments later this evening.

They're not the most common of tournaments, so take this opportunity to try them out for the first time!

If you've wanted to jump into some of GGPoker's exciting tournaments this weekend, but haven't got the bankroll just yet, then here's just the thing for you. The T$ Builder tournaments run at buy-ins from $1 to $8 offering you the chance to boost your bankroll.

Winnings are paid out in T$ which can only be used for tournaments, so what are you waiting for, check them out in the GGPoker client today!

Pick up the pace this Friday with the 6-Max Hyper Knockout tournaments on partypoker as the WPT Online rumbles on.

There's also the chance to play in the first flights of the Weekender and Mini Weekender later in the evening, with flights running all weekend!

partypoker Launches $2M Defection Party Promotion

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Grosvenor Poker Will Also Switch from MPN to iPoker – Pokerfuse

Posted: at 10:56 am

Grosvenor Poker, the online poker room owned by publicly traded Rank Group plc, will be moving to the iPoker network when its current network MPN closes on May 19, PRO can confirm.

On Thursday, PRO revealed how at least half of all MPN skins are planning to migrate over to iPoker in the next two weeks.

Shortly after the publication of this article, Grosvenor informed its player base that it too would be making the switch. A statement issued to PRO confirmed the move.

We are excited to announce that we will be joining the iPoker Network on the 19th May and look forward to utilising their greatly improved poker platform, a Grosvenor spokesperson told PRO.

The site will continue to offer its players exclusive tournaments, series and promotions, making use of new games available on the iPoker software, including Progressive KO Tournaments, Re-entry Tournaments, Multi-entry Tournaments, 6+ Holdem and Speed Poker, the statement concludes.

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Edward Norton and Bryan Cranston to Play in Hank Azarias Charity Poker Tourney – PokerTube

Posted: at 10:56 am

07:3208 May

Its not all bad. Bleak times are here for sure, but some of the responses to the pandemic are truly heartwarming. Even as the president of the United States continues to advocate swapping human lives for a poll boosting bump in economic activity ahead of his re-election campaign.

For example, poker pros and poker playing celebrities will be gathering (online) to gather donations during the Stars CALL For Action charity poker tournament. The tournament was the brain child of Hank Azaria an amateur poker player and star of The Simpsons, The Smurfs, and the music video for Smash Mouths All Star and Andy Bellin.

Other celebrities who have signed up include David Schwimmer, Amy Schumer, Brian Koppelman, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Michael Cera and and more all of who will have webcams on during the event. The tables and webcams will be streamed on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitch where there will be a donate button and commentary from James Hartigan and Lex Veldhuis.

Donations will be split evenly between Care International, an anti-poverty charity, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation which is running a program to support those affected by COVID-19.

Regular folks will also be able to play through a giveaway program that the PokerStars ambassadors will be running. Contest winners will compete amongst each other in a separate field to the celebrities. The two fields will then combine once each is down to one table.

The online MTT will be streamed on the 9th May 2020.

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What is Tilt When Playing Poker? – Different Types of Tilt at Poker – BestUSCasinos.org

Posted: at 10:56 am

Poker is one of the most emotionally demanding games you can think of. So much so that one of the words youll hear most often is tilt.

Being on tilt, roughly speaking, is when you allow bad feelings to dictate your behavior.

Everyones been there. But not everyones aware that there are at least two reasons for this to happen. And knowing the difference between the two may change the way you approach your next poker session.

Lets start by refining our understanding of what it means to be on tilt.

As Ive suggested, this is when you let your emotions hurt your game. This is often an insidious process, which can manifest itself in different ways.

But, if we pay enough attention, well be able to identify some common behavior patterns.

The most obvious form of tilt is when you start entering pots with marginal hands more often, in the hope of hitting a monster on later rounds of betting.

Not all players on tilt may do this. But all of them become more subject to some kind of speculative play. In short, they disregard most of what they once learned about the fundamentals (hand selection, pot odds, position, etc.).

Sometimes, its great. Nothing in poker is bad per se. After all, you have to know how to change gears and how to manipulate your table image.

And speculative plays can help you with that. Against skilled opponents, you wont go too far if your game is too predictable. But when those plays arent done in the proper state of mind, this means that youre simply relying on luck.

Knowing ones own state of mind is, in itself, a full-time job, because it requires constant attention. But its easy to put into words how a person is feeling when he/she is on tilt.

In fact, we can summarize it with a single wordfrustration.

Frustration is an interesting word. According to the 3rd edition of the Longman Active Study Dictionary, heres how its defined:

[] the feeling of being impatient or angry because you cannot do what you want to do[.]

I dont need to tell you what it means to be impatient or angry, do I? Any human being knows those feelings all too well.

Still, it requires a good deal of self-awareness to identify certain emotions as soon as they show up during a poker session. And it requires an even greater deal of self-regulation to not let them interfere with your game.

Self-awareness and self-regulation are emotional intelligence skills. As such, they deserve an article of their own. For now, lets continue analyzing our definition of the word frustration.

Once again, according to Longman (and most dictionaries, by the way), its a feeling that comes because you cannot do what you want to do.

And its here that I ask you, do you know what you want to do when you play poker?

I suspect that, for most poker players, the question What do you want to do? isnt even the most relevant because theyre way too concerned about what they want to have.

That is, theyre all about the results Im not here to say you shouldnt be results-oriented. After all, this is a common trait among successful people.

But these people have also learned that your results should come in direct proportion to what you do and also, your level of being, if you want to sustain your success.

This sounds obvious, right? But how many players fail to notice this?

Poker is demanding not only because of its individualistic nature but also because of the luck factor. This makes it all too easy to blame the deck when things dont go your way, especially when playing no-limit. Here, you can lose a lot (or all) of your chips in one hand.

When that happens because of a bad beat, thats enough for many players to start playing much worse. And thats how most of them go on tilt.

Theres a fine line between being focused on results and being attached to them. And we all tend to cross that line more often than wed like to admit.

But we must know that attachment is exactly what makes it difficult to have the necessary emotional stability to play poker.

At the felt, anything can happen in the short run. Unfortunately, it seems that most players only learn this at a cognitive level (if that).

What do those players need to develop, then?

First of all, a desire to play well. Second, the habit of seeing their results from a larger perspective. Bear in mind, though, that none of that will necessarily save you from going on tilt.

Theres another reason why this happens to poker players.

When you decide to get serious about improving your game, its common to develop a series of habits.

You start reading books, joining forums, and watching tutorials about poker. You keep track of how long you spend at each session (both online and offline). You spend hours analyzing different hands youve played searching for what couldve been done differently.

Then, you pay attention to your nutrition, sleep, exercise routine, and so on. You even experiment with different kinds of meditation, visualizations, and affirmations.

In short, you do everything you can think of to give yourself even the slightest edge at a poker table. And you definitely should. But, as great as those habits are, they may present a certain danger.

The danger is not in any of those practices themselves, but in how you relate to them. Because, if you do everything right, you might expect to play as close to perfect as humanly possible.

And when youre not able to do this, youre bound to get frustrated.

Poker player and author Mike Caro calls this second type of tilt the scratched-car syndrome.

He named it as such because of something that happened to a neighbor of his a long time ago. His neighbor just bought a new car, of which he seemed to be very proud of. And he polished it frequently. That is, until a scratch appeared on it.

After that incident, the man felt it wasnt worth it anymore to do anything about his once precious car. As Caro observes, such is the case for those poker players who come into a table expecting to play great all the time.

All it takes is a costly misjudgmenta bad call on the river, for examplefor them to feel like their whole session was ruined. Although the circumstances behind this type of tilt are different from the other, the underlying reason is the same.

Both types of players get frustrated because of some kind of attachment. In our first case, as weve seen, that attachment is mainly to amassing chips. In this second case, players tend to be attached mainly to their self-image as poker players.

These would do well to ponder on the following advice from Caro:

[] You are where you are and the past is the past. Are-are, past-past. Try to play perfectly, but expect to fail.

I know, I said Id talk about only two types of tilt, but theres another one which deserves at least a brief mention here.

Sometimes, you go on tilt not because of a bad run of cards, a hand poorly played, or anything else thats part of the game.

Sometimes, you just cant get some personal problems out of your head.

Maybe your mother is sick. Or youve argued with your spouse. Or youve had an altercation with another player about something unrelated to poker.

Whatever the case may be, its unlikely that youll be able to focus on that game you happen to be in. I say its unlikely because some players are actually able to do it. Somehow, theyre able to detach from anything else that may be bothering them outside the felt.

If thats you, I salute you. If thats not your case, maybe its better to skip that particular poker session. Or, at the very least, try to make use of some techniques that involve some kind of relaxation.

None of us are immune to going on tilt when playing poker. This can happen even to top pros (as you may have seen on TV).

The secret, if there is one, is to learn how to bounce back quicker each time it happens. And the first step towards this goal is to learn to develop an accepting attitude.

Tilt, as weve seen, comes from frustration. And frustration comes from one thing, and one thing onlya lack of acceptance.

So, as long as you can stop wanting things to be different from the way they are, youll be a winner. Thats a tricky feat, because you do want to improve and develop. But you dont want to be attached to neither the cards nor to your performance when playing poker.

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Is It Possible to Socially Distance Live Poker? – CalvinAyre.com

Posted: at 10:56 am

Live poker has been shut down for over six weeks in almost every territory around the world. Since Coronavirus forced the game back inside peoples homes, poker has continued, however. Online tournaments have welcomed players who might usually have ventured outside into their virtual lobbies and poker brands such as PokerStars, partypoker and GG Poker have all hosted big events in the last few weeks.

With the looming possibility that Las Vegas has been secretly preparing to reopen venues such as casinos in order to maintain an economy in a city built on the entertainment and gambling industries, the obvious question has been whether live poker will come back and if so, how and when?

Plans to reopen pokers live game are obviously riddled with issues. How do you keep players from transmitting the Coronavirus when the cards, poker chips and dealer button are all potentially contaminated?

A glimpse at the equipment needed to restrict players from being in contact and maintain a social distance has led to some poker players commenting disparagingly on the visual for what would be an incredibly complicated physical set-up, although Phil Galfond of Run It Once chose to focus on what many players thought; that playing online would be much, much easier than resorting to this sort of table sitting in your local casino.

As Daniel Negreanu discussed in the latest episode of Dat Poker Podcast, what it would take for players to retake their seats at poker tables around the world isnt a simple question. The very future of how a casino might look would be very different, as demonstrated by this Tweet about casino games. Can you imagine this sort of set-up for a live poker tournament and how long it would then take to reach a conclusion?

With poker likely to return with a maximum of four poker players to every table, there are huge logistical and financial implications of such restrictions. Casinos are already talking of having to employ one dealer to shuffle up and deal and another to disinfect the currency and controlling elements of actual gameplay. Again, consider how long this sort of process would take.

From a financial position, casinos may be making no money at all at present, but any freelance or zero hours casino staff arent costing them any money. Two dealers per table with only four players paying rake would both double the outlay and halve the income at each table, essentially chopping the money casinos make down to 25% of pre-COVID-19 profit margins.

The talk of poker returning, however crazy it might sound to imagine, is not restricted to theory at present. The Nevada Gaming Control Board released health and safety policies that are new as of last Friday, which include the limited seating that would need to be strictly enforced.

Live tournament poker would, essentially, still be in quarantine. Cash games would need to be a very high level for poker to turn a profit, unless rake is raised, which would in turn scare off players anyway. Even high rollers are currently able to play big buy-in tournaments throughout May on GG Poker in the WSOP Super Circuit Series or in other big events like SCOOP and the forthcoming WPT Online Series. Poker Central host a Super High Roller Bowl from May 23rd to June 1st that is sure to draw the eye of many high rollers.

There have been and will be more big events at PokerStars, partypoker and other sites that make it possible for those in lockdown to maintain their poker playing without leaving the safety of their own abodes. The incentives needed to drive people out of their homes to casinos would only be big enough for players at a level which falls well below profit for casinos themselves.

The prevention of large social gatherings is one that the whole world will find difficult to implement as society adjusts to what has to be a new way of life to rid the world of COVID-19. As has been seen as recently as last week in Germany, relaxing of social distancing measures can have a catastrophic effect in no time at all, the reinfection of a population happening in days, not weeks.

Things arent as simple as casinos throwing open their doors and welcoming poker players and other gamblers into their cavernous gaming rooms. Before even thinking about reopening, any establishment has to submit a plan outlining how theyll comply with the new rules and regs. Then they have to wait a week before they can welcome anyone into their building.

From personal protective equipment (PPE) to face-masks, regular handwashing schedules and ramped-up cleaning rotas, the efforts that will have to be made by casinos in re-opening are huge.

Here is the most important paragraph of the proposal in full.

Plans must limit the number of patrons based on type of game to ensure proper distance between players by limiting the number of seats or betting positions per table. For example, player limit per table should be limited to three players per blackjack table, six players per craps table, four players per roulette table, and four players per poker table.

Las Vegas properties have been closed since mid-March under the terms set out by Governor Steve Sisolak. However, with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman going on something of a rant about how Nevadas business closures are killing the local economy, there is a political stand-off to match the one facing poker players on both sides of the argument.

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SCOOP 2020: Day 8: Martirosyan and Filatov Among the New Champions – PokerNews.com

Posted: at 10:56 am

May 08, 2020Matthew Pitt

Day 8 of the 2020 Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) was another day of intense poker action at the PokerStars virtual felt. Thousands of the games elite grinders took to the table to chase fame and fortune in the $85 million guarantee festival. Which players manage to achieve those goals? Lets find out.

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Russias Artur mararthur1 Martirosyan has been in scintillating form for several weeks, going deep in dozens of high roller events in the online poker. He won a SCOOP event on Day 5 and last night took down the SCOOP-29-H: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max Midweek Freeze, $750K Gtd.

Martirosyan banked an impressive $157,426 for his $5,200 investment. The Russian scooped the top prize after sending Dutch player pm_marke to the showers in second place. The runner-up collected $121,869.

Several household names were present and correct at the final table. These included back-to-back SCOOP Main Event champion Gianluca Tankanza Speranza, Francisco Tomatee Benitez and third-place finisher Ole wizowizo Schemion.

It was a British one-two in the SCOOP-29-M: $530 NLHE 8-Max Midweek Freeze, $500K Gtd with the Brits striking a deal when heads-up.

Gavin gavz101 Cochrane is better-know for his PLO prowess but it was at the Holdem tables that he excelled here. Cochrane officially finished in second and padded his bankroll with $71,742 after the aforementioned deal. Sc0RPioN95 was crowned the events champion, an accolade that came with a chunky $83,609 prize.

PLO is an extremely popular game in Scandinavian and Nordic countries and that showed with four of the six finalists in the SCOOP-30-H: $530+R PLO 6-Max, $350K Gtd event hailing from those regions.

WRUUUM of Finland busted in fifth for $26,488 before the PLO specialist Andreas Skervoy Torbergsen crashed out in fourth for $35,878.

Swedens tobbeb95 banked $48,598, which set up a heads-up battle between Netherlands aaldert-92 and Norways Myrmo locomi Espen. There was a prize difference of more than $30,000 but no deal was struck. This meant Espen got his hands on $89,165 when he emerged from the one-on-battle victoriously. His Dutch opponent consoled himself with $65,828.

Joao IneedMassari Simao came agonisingly close to taking down the SCOOP-30-M: $55+R PLO 6-Max, $150K Gtd event but ultimately fell at the final hurdle. Second-place in this event weighed in at a cool $23,780 but that was blown out of the water by the $34,130 top prize secured by Greeces tsafas13.

Also at the final table was the German star known as Sintoras. They put together another deep run but ran out of steam in third-place and had to make do with a $16,569 addition to their bankroll.

A field of 675 ensured the guarantee of the SCOOP-31-H: $1,050 NLHE PKO, $500K Gtd was surpassed by $175,000 and it as Russias fantomvmk who took full advantage of the juicy prize pool by being the last player standing.

The final table was a star-studded affair with such luminaries as Max goodeh99 Silver (6th - $16,533) and Romanias Vlad dariepoker Darie (5th - $20,891) being present and correct.

L1VeYRdrEamS and shtiriltz_ busted in fourth and third place respectively, setting up a heads-up clash between fantomvmk and Netherlands tonn22. Tonn22 fell by the wayside in second-place and won $72,533, including bounties, leaving the Russian to win the tournaments only six-figure prize.

Anatoly NL_Profit Filatov became a SCOOP champion on Day 8 courtesy of being the last man standing in the SCOOP-31-M: $109 NLHE PKO, $400K Gtd.

Filatov banked the $33,567 top prize plus a cool $21,392 worth of bounty payments for a combined prize worth $54,959. A large percentage of that bounty payment was on the head of runner-up fishgirl19y of Greece who tripped at the final hurdle and had to settle for second place. The runner-ups total prize weighed in at $34,738, a great return on a $109 investment.

Brazilian "bauruzito" took down the low edition of the Midweek Freeze, with Brit Guy "temp0r2k" Taylor (pictured) finishing second for $46,079.

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Andras probirs Nemeth has an almost unnatural ability to navigate his way deep into the toughest poker tournaments. Hes gone and done it again in the SCOOP-33-H: $10,300 NLHE [8-Max, Progressive KO], $1M Gtd event where he leads the 15 surviving players.

$113,785 is up for grabs for finishing first and nemeth has already accumulated $42,500 worth of bounties!

Some of pokers elite join Nemeth on Day 2. These include Niklas Lena900 Astedt, Thomas WushuTM Muehloecker, and Sam SamSquid Grafton.

See if Nemeth can get the job done, here!

May 8 is Day 9 of this incredible series and sees some massive tournaments take place. Check out the table below to see which events you can play in the table below in addition to the in-play events above that conclude later.

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