Sorry, but Ellix Powers is a disrespectful jerk.

[NickTheKid 0]

I was watching a tour the other day and it was the first glimpse I had at Ellix Powers. Before he became a professional poker player he was living on the street playing for pennies apparantly. My problem with this man is the lack of respect he has for his fellow players. Healthy chit-chat is nice to have at the poker table, laughs are always an uplifting thing... but lets face it when you come to a table with professional poker players who have respect for eachother you can' t have this guy saying stuff like (and I quote this, believe me): "You called me with a jack-high? *laughs histarically* Who calls someone with a Jack-High?! Never in my life have I ever called someone with a Jack-high! Baahahahaha" . Sorry but that's just downright unacceptable. Just my two cents.

[Incubus77546 0]

Well thats the strange thing about poker. Respect for the other players is not required as a matter of fact you can do just about anything (trash talk, laugh, yell) as long as it helps you win. For Powers he got 2 or 3 people at that table on tilt because of his "act." I agree that you should give respect and what Powers did wasnt very "good" for poker but he didnt break any rules, hes just doing his part of the game. As far as personalities go hes probably one in a million when it comes to the poker world.You're either...TightLooseAgressiveRockDownright Crazy (and Powers falls under this category along with Phil Laak and Marcel Luske)**Except I have respect for Phil Laak and Marcel Luske!**

[JaysonWeber 0]

Although I've seen this as well, and he did come off as well... a jerk. You can't always blame someone because of one TV Shoot like this, I guess it falls under the same category as Josh Arieh. They made Josh come off as a total jerk, because they showed every scene in which he acted arrogant or was be-littleing the other players. I'd be curious to know if he's been shown much more in other events? (Personally I can't think of any other events where I've more than him mentioned briefly). But hey, in that episode he certainly did come off like that, if we see anymore in the future of him I'll be curious as to how he acts...Does anyone have any information regarding his personality other than what we've seen?

[the_stein 0]

If I remember correctly, the other guy picked on Ellis first because he straddled saying he was disrespecting the game, and then Ellis said well I'll do it everytime now. Then it was personal.

[Metaphysician 0]

The guy who said that was none other than James McManus, author of "Positively Fifth Street," a book which I highly recommend.

[frank2982 0]

I could be wrong but I believe it said he was homeless for roughly 30 years. People may think of him as a jerk and a bad person, but hey, the guy was homeless for all that time. He is just lucky he is alive, so he probably could care less what other people think about him. Just imagine losing $1500 in pennies (he said that in one of his inbetween hand interviews).And besides... I don't think he went "baaahahaha". :roll: He just laughed and went outside and had a cigerette.

[Guest]

ellix powers going off about "jack high" was in response to jim mcmanus telling him he was disrespecting the game, giving him s h i t for raising in the dark. i have seen doyle brunson raise in the dark. i would like to see jim mcmanus tell doyle the same thing. i think that whole "jack high" thing was great to get under mcmanus's skin.

[spiritmagic 0]

I have had the opportunity to play with Ellix before and he's not a bad guy. You've always got to remember editing when watching poker on TV. Being upset with him because he laughed at a guy who called him down with jack high is ridiculous. No matter how highly you think of yourself, I bet everyone on this forum has beraded a player worse than that when they were drawn out on.

[The Sheriff JBJ 0]

ellix powers going off about "jack high" was in response to jim mcmanus telling him he was disrespecting the game, giving him s h i t for raising in the dark.  i have seen doyle brunson raise in the dark. i would like to see jim mcmanus tell doyle the same thing.  i think that whole "jack high" thing was great to get under mcmanus's skin.

I use raising in the dark when I have had no luck or little action. They say you have to be in it to win it, and that is true. Although I am not disputing for a second that you have to be mentally tough to keep throwing away hands, but you can only do that for so long especially when the blinds are rising!While on line I may use a chat screen to say X-ammount of chips before the hands are dealt. Raising in the dark can just throw a spanner in the works and how you then play it reflects on your ability. Sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn't. If we all played the same it would be boring. Can you imagine a final table full of Barry 'Robin Hood of Poker' (Sorry forgot his second name). Technically great, but not great TV.

[LONEWOLF 0]

WHY? Because he chooses to play the game differently than you or most people? I never once heard him use defamatory remarks towards McManus. Sure he razzed him about his play, but McManus started it by getting on Powers about his play. I am only 27, so maybe this is a generation gap type thing, but I see nothing wrong with how Powers played in that tournament. I do disagree with People hooting and hollering with their 'boys' when they win a hand (especially when they were a dog after the money went in ala scott fischman), but to use a specific tactic to try and get more bets, I don't see anything wrong. L*

[Boothy 0]

I had no problem with Powers play or tactics. In fact it was McManus' attitude that bugged me.The 'Jack high' incident was more of a laugh because McManus actually called with queen high.

[johngbrown66 0]

I have also met Mr Powers and he is not a bad guy. As a matter of fact is is actually quite nice.Johnny Boy

[Odie 0]

McManus did say in an interview later that it wasn't just the raise in the dark move that prompted his "disrespecting the game" comment. I don't recall all of the things he mentioned but there were several that didn't make the TV show. Like was mentioned earlier, editing makes all the difference.

[jayistheman 0]

If we all played the same it would be boring.  Can you imagine a final table full of Barry 'Robin Hood of Poker'  (Sorry forgot his second name).  Technically great, but not great TV.

greenstein... and id kinda like to see that. i enjoy watching skilled play more than watching some freak go nuts.. thats what celebrity poker is for.

[Cknman11 0]

This is what McManus himself had to say about this."I just want to make clear to everyone that I didn't tell Ellix Powers he was disrespecting the game simply because he bet in the dark a couple of times. He'd just spent two hours aggressively taunting the likes of T.J. Clouier and David Chiu, two of the best players ever. (No, he wasn't taunting me, in case you were wondering.) He also left the table during the action several times, muttering to himself, claiming anyone who wanted to finish higher than sixth was crazy or greedy. He also was betting in the dark on a regular basis. The last thing I wanted was to get into a beef at a televised WSOP final table, of course, but anyone who was there can tell you Ellix was 186,676 miles out of line."

[elkang 0]

I thought McManus was being a bit of a prig.Powers was an entertainment bonanza. I have that WSOP episode permanently on my Tivo. David Chiu and John Hennigan commented best on Powers - he's good for the game. Now, if everyone acted like that.... then I'd start to get annoyed.I won't comment on the appropriateness of Power's actions, but he did put that table on tilt, and especially McManus who played incredibly poorly on the calling with "Jack high" hand, and had a great run of well played (lucky?) hands on TV. Sadly, it is clear that he over played his replenished stack at the end.I play like occaisionally (i.e. when a good rush hits and I am playing for entertainment (er... drinking)) and have had people take my picture and be glad to give them money with all the fun I'm giving them. I call out there hands, tell them what I have and it's just tremendous fun for all except the guy with a stick in his ass. I've won good money, but seriously, I have better memories of the fun of a good table. And usually the two are not exclusive.

[Suited_Up 2]

Just wanted to add that it was actually Queen high, and Ellix got it wrong. Doesn't matter much, but just to throw it in there. And I don't care if it's allowed or not... he was acting like a jerk.... doesn't mean he has to stop... but it is what it is.

[Bonesy 0]

I'm not so sure the Ellix act is good for the game but it was enjoyable to watch. I think Ellix actually "tilted" himself. He got the better of a few hands with his style overall but seemed to have really hurt himself going after Mcmanus later on where he got crippled. I could be wrong but it looked like he played that hand miserably, but maybe it just goes along with his style. Someone at another website I think put it correctly given what little we saw on ESPN. And he said that Ellix probably realized that he was not going to beat these guys just playing his game so he used his verbal skills to even it up a bit. Or it could be that is the way he always is. I'm sure I'm in the minority on this but I rather enjoy the European rules of no talking during hands.

[banker2005 0]

I really don't mind Powers, I actually think he's entertaining to watch, a good poker player? Perhaps in his own way. But I don't think it should bother a good player's play, he's just entertaining for TV.

[Smasharoo 0]

The guy who said that was none other than James McManus, author of "Positively Fifth Street," a book which I highly recommend.

Great book.He's been a complete ass the five or six times I've played with him person unfortunately. That's just my personal anecdotal experience, offered for free and as the saying goes you get what you pay fot, but I'd rather play with a crazy black dude who blind straddles than JM any day. That's just me though.

[NickTheKid 0]

I can see why he did it, it doesn't make it right. I like to talk a little trash at the table sometimes, it's all in good fun with my buddies though... so it's hard to compare. But I never laugh at someone for playing a hand a certain way, I might question a persons actions but never go out to have a smoke and laugh my head off with my entourage. What was with those two people he had hanging on his back saying how great he was? Can someone say insecure..?

[Smasharoo 0]

I can see why he did it, it doesn't make it right. I like to talk a little trash at the table sometimes, it's all in good fun with my buddies though... so it's hard to compare. But I never laugh at someone for playing a hand a certain way, I might question a persons actions but never go out to have a smoke and laugh my head off with my entourage. What was with those two people he had hanging on his back saying how great he was? Can someone say insecure..?/shrug. Poker's a game of psychology. He clearly tilted McManus on that one hand, if he had been able to sustain that and play well while keeping another player playing poorly it'd have been something you could understand. On the other hand it's a good way to get punched by an irate player.

[LeeDanger 0]

I don't know if he's a jerk. The thing people have to realize is that this was televised. We all know that certain people will "hollywood" if they are on TV. I think that Ellix was just trying to have fun with the TV cameras and use his verbal comments to give him an edge. This is the WSOP after all, and his techniques worked, he had the table tilted so much. Did you realize how everyone called him when he was all in? McManus had 62 offusit for christ sake.

[Smasharoo 0]

Did you realize how everyone called him when he was all in?It's pretty common in a limit tournament for lots of people to call an all in to get better odds of someone hitting a hand that knocks a player out.It wasn't a NL tournamnet,

[doublesuited 0]

Although I've seen this as well, and he did come off as well... a jerk.  You can't always blame someone because of one TV Shoot like this, I guess it falls under the same category as Josh Arieh.  They made Josh come off as a total jerk, because they showed every scene in which he acted arrogant or was be-littleing the other players.  I'd be curious to know if he's been shown much more in other events? (Personally I can't think of any other events where I've more than him mentioned briefly).  But hey, in that episode he certainly did come off like that, if we see anymore in the future of him I'll be curious as to how he acts...Does anyone have any information regarding his personality other than what we've seen?

I've played with him in a cash game and the TV appearance is rather accurate depiction. if anything, he toned it down because he was playing with other pros. granted, in a middle limit game he did get in people's heads and caused them to play back at him for no reason