Is it Phil Hellmuth’s rant, Ivan Freitez’ angle shooting or Humberto Brenes’ singing that really grinds your gears?
You might remember Mimi Luu, who put on a real show, tanking with pocket kings in the $5,300 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open event and repeating “I can’t fold this” and “I don’t know what to do” in a high pitched voice. The lady instantly became a poker meme, commented on by Daniel Negreanu as “This woman easily cracks top 5 most annoying people in poker. This video has train wreck written all over it!”
Who do You think the most annoying poker person around is? Here is a compilation of ten of those who can really grind our gears, anyway:
Annie Duke has a talent for making people go mad just by being Howard Lederer’s sister but she has never been very popular, not even pre-FTP scandal. She likes peeking at other’s folded hands, she tends to have a finger in every pie and she is considered by many to better fit a Poker Hall of Shame than the Hall of Fame. Even though she usually advertises herself as the one to keep the best interest of poker in mind, she has mostly only caused problems for the game. This includes her Annie Duke Show from 2010.
Phil Hellmuth has always been a controversial figure of poker. He holds several WSOP records, including that of the most bracelets with 13 event victories. Despite his results, many players criticize his poker knowledge and also himself for his arrogance and rants at the tables. Hellmuth has replied that people overlook his genius and his white magic, with which he can read his opponents. Acting like a child, Hellmuth’s primary concern is to always be in the centre of attention. He divides the community to say the least; while many players, like Doyle Brunson, consider his extravagance harmful for poker, other see him as an entertainer who can grab the attention of a larger audience.
Ivan Freitez won the EPT Grand Final 2011 Main Event for $2,226,345 but instantly became one of the most hated person of poker for his attitude at the table. His dirty angle shooting even caught veteran tournament director Thomas Kremser off his guard. In general, the Venezuelan player tends to get to the money by any means necessary.
Mike Matusow boasts four WSOP titles, including this year’s $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event. Even though he is no longer among the very elite of the most popular game types, he is still a regular feature on high stakes shows. He usually displays the “real jerk” character at the tables and many agree it is not a role, either. He is known for conflicting several high stakes pros for revealing how much money they had stuck on FTP without any prior authorization.
Two times WSOP champion Humberto Brenes’ signature move is to irritate everyone around him at the table. He does not hold back from any dirty means, including singing.
Tony G is famous for nothing if not for his trash talk. Being another player who stops at nothing to put his opponents on tilt, he has himself admitted that sometimes he crosses certain lines. Still, many of his poker sayings have gone gold, including “On your bike”.
Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan is another grinder with a bad temper. He keeps looking for trouble and embraces it when he finds it. Several confrontations have included him, the ones with Matusow being the most intense. They first clashed in WSOP 2005, where both of them got penalized. On one episode of the High Stakes Poker show, Sheikhan even broke Matusow’s expensive sunglasses.
Matt Marafioti is the textbook example of what becomes of a young boy who wins tons of money and cannot handle the success. The egotistic player is undoubtedly one of the least popular around and has been involved in at least two major scandals in the past year. First, he tweeted disrespectful things about his ex, Lauren Kling, including bedroom secrets, and then he turned out to be in close connection with the Bandidos motorcycle gang, including a Swedish IT professional and hacker, Samer Rahman, who has been proven to have cheated high stakes players out of their money. Although never confirmed, it is likely Marafioti himself played a part in some of these scams.
Five times WSOP title holder Scotty Nguyen is rarely seen sober at the poker tables. His victory in the WSOP 2008 $50,000 HORSE event is most likely the best drunk performance ever from a poker player. What his opponents have to say about his drinking habit is a different story.
Last but not least, the aforementioned new poker lady of tanking, Mimi Luu must be featured on our list.
