Joe Cada Interview
I did an interview with Joe Cada this week for PokerTips. Cada is my primary rooting interest at the final table (except for maybe Ivey, but everyone’s rooting for Ivey, so that’s kinda lame). He wasn’t quite as chatty in the interview as I was hoping he would be, but there’s no doubting he’s a busy guy right now [who is maybe too big time for PokerTips? *sad puppy face*].
Anyway, this interview kind of got me thinking about November Nine players and their interaction with the media. Perhaps it’s just that people don’t really care as much as I think they do, but it seems to me that out of the now 18 players who have been in this position, only maybe one of them (Dennis Phillips) has embraced the spotlight to any significant degree. This is kind of surprising to me mostly because I think I can’t really relate. I mean, I guess the fact that I’m an obscure player who nonetheless maintains a personal blog should make it obvious that I would be a complete attention whore if I made the Main Event final table. But after two crops of finalists who have mostly kept to themselves, it seems I would be in the minority.
- This year’s chipleader, Darvin Moon, actually returned to his day job as a logger and has so far completely shunned all media requests. Additionally, he is yet to sign with any online poker room and there’s some speculation he might not at all claiming he’s never played online poker before and would just prefer to wear his New Orleans Saints hat. I can’t be sure how much money Moon would lose out on if he did this, but I have to assume it’s well into the six-figures. (In a related note, check out this article about a golfer who is turning down $300k a year).
- Ylon Schwartz, a finalist from last year, spent most of his four month hiatus dropping weight practicing yoga and told reporters if he won the tournament, he’d just prefer to disappear off the map for good. (I was a little surprised to see Schwartz back at the WSOP this year carrying around those extra pounds again and blending in seamlessly with the rest of the weary looking grinders).
- When asked what he plans to do during the four month break, Phil Ivey told reporters he wants to disappear to another country to escape it all and that he’s “not kidding either”.
- Last year’s winner, Peter Eastgate, told ESPN that if he could win $9 million anonymously or $9 million with fame and glory, he’d choose the anonymous route.
I guess I find the choices of each of these players to be a little bewildering. It’s hard to know for sure until you’re in their shoes, but I’m pretty sure I’d be going the Dennis Phillips route and seeking as much media exposure as possible. I mean, why not? I think it’d be fun. Maybe I could even get on Letterman; we share an alma-mater!
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