Five Thoughts: Picking on Polk, Fire MartyDerbyshire, and Make Poker Fun Again

Poker can be serious business. It’s an industry, but first and foremost, it’s a game. Enjoyed recreationally by millions of people around the world, and played professionally by a few thousand who have elevated the skill aspects of the game to an artform, it’s important we all remember that poker should be fun.

With that attitude in mind, please enjoy this week’s Five Thoughts:

Picking On Polk Fire MartyDerbyshire Sportification Hits a Snag Make Poker Fun Again Going Back To Cali 1. Picking On Polk Doug Polk

Get your Dongers up and your cookie jars out because the enigmatic Doug Polk has started a $100 to $10,000 bankroll challenge live on the Upswing Poker Twitch stream. Polk took it to the WSOP.com Nevada streets this week and kicked it all off with a frankly hilarious fake work-out YouTube video that’s definitely worth watching. Admittedly, The “Polkernews” videos he’s recently posted are pretty funny as well.

Despite Polk’s connection to the rather acerbic Evil Empire, the videos, and the stream, all go to show he’s a truly funny and entertaining character in his own right, which begs a question as to his overall brand building strategy.

Polk kicked off the summer of 2016 trying to build up both himself and the Upswing Poker brand by putting others down — A wholly ineffective tactic tossed in his face when at least one of the players he labeled a “bad reg” went on to win World Series of Poker Player of the Year honors (See Jason Mercier).

In response to recent criticism of his constant criticisms, Polk vowed to continue to be himself.

I’m all for keeping it real, but I have to think leaning towards the engaging and entertaining side of his personality, rather than the insulting an abrasive one, will do more to build those brands.

WATCH: Doug Polk To Attempt a $100 to $10,000 Bankroll ChallengeEmpire Strikes Back: Polk and Fee Take Tag Team Event 2. Fire MartyDerbyshire Joe McKeehen

The reigning World Champion Joe McKeehen has decided to turn his Twitter account into a campaign to get me fired. The very same person who has thumbed his nose at the media and poker fans requesting selfies and autographs has the strange idea that I am somehow bad for the game.

I suppose I could respond with some old adage about pots and kettles, or by recounting all the good I’ve done for poker in writing about the game for the past decade.

I’d rather just let my lengthy track record of work in this industry speak for itself, and instead, I will simply suggest the winner of the 2015 WSOP Main Event take a step back and think about what he’s really doing here, and why. If assassinating my character and attempting in vain to derail my career in the name of what’s good for poker are really how …

continue reading in source www.pokernews.com