Clonie vs. Team Brandi/Sklansky

by , Jun 8, 2007 | 2:47 pm

LAS VEGAS–Shuttergypsy sends word of an ado brewing yesterday between Clonie Gowen and Brandi Hawbacker, seated to her left. According to Gutshot (scroll all the way to the bottom) Clonie wasn’t too appreciative of the apparent coaching being given to Brandi (dubbed the Lindsay Lohan of Poker by Pauly) by master game theorist (and young-girl lover) David Sklansky.

For whatever reason, Clonie insisted it was not Sklansky but rather some random old guy — because surely Sklansky would never violate any terms of rules and etiquette, right? With all due respect to the original boom-era poker babe, I am willing to bet, oh, I dunno, how ’bout $250, that Clonie is so wrong. Not about the coaching, but about the identity of the bald and scruffy rail rooster, who looks very similar to this guy, shot by Shuttergyp last year wearing his lucky shirt:



12 Comments to “Clonie vs. Team Brandi/Sklansky”


  1. Scott Chaffin
    says:

    How do they get away with that?


  2. Zero
    says:

    follow the money and the boobs.


  3. Mulry
    says:

    Dan, Pauly’s blogging that you went AWOL for 2 days. Wanna fill us in on the scoop? Emergency elopement and quick honeymoon in Reno? If so, what’s his name?


  4. DanM
    says:

    Just a little bracelet celebration recovery, some losing poker, a few meetings, a surprise Karridy-in-Vegas arrival … and now I am staying away from the Rio to get a little writing done for my paid gig at PokerWorks.

    It’s a long series. Don’t worry, plenty of good Pokerati jimjabber to come.


  5. Pauly
    says:

    Michalski is smoking crack with Vinnie Vinh in the parking lot behind the Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas.


  6. RyanBrown
    says:

    Saying Brandi is poker’s answer to Lindsay Lohan is a slap in the face to Lindsay Lohan.


  7. DanM
    says:

    Pauly, dude, you were supposed to meet us there! What happened? You were supposed to bring the shit.


  8. DanM
    says:

    >>>Scott Chaffin Says:
    How do they get away with that?<<< It's not collusion unless he's playing in the same game, of course. And though conferring with a coach on the rail is definitely allowed, there's a fine subjective line at which point the floor can determine too much is enough. I think that's what Clonie's point was in this beef.


  9. TommyTwoToes
    says:

    more than just the game is at stake for clonie….

    look at it from her perspective… she is basically the hot poker playing chic that is pretty good at cards … if she has to share that title that means lost revenue/income for her, frankly i dont think she has much to worry about … but none th less she probably percieves brandi as a threat…

    plus we all know how catty women can get ….

    CAT FIGHT!


  10. Scott Chaffin
    says:

    And though conferring with a coach on the rail is definitely allowed

    For whatever reason, I thought the “one man to a hand” rule was enforced. Is coaching something newly allowed recently-like?


  11. DanM
    says:

    It is. Subjectively at least. If she is showing cards (which I don’t believe she is doing in the picture above) and he’s talking to her about that hand … yes, terrible, bad.

    But it’s perfectly acceptable to sweat someone, or be sweated … and it’s up to you with how careful you want to be protecting your hand. If you were sweating me, Scott, and you knew my hole cards say more than half the time … and about once every two orbits, i got up when not in a hand to talk with you on the rail about what’s going on at the table, discussing what we think the other guy might have had in certain situations, etc. … is that against the rules?

    I don’t think it is.

    However, when Martin DeKnijff snaked a media badge last year to get even closer to the action, at which point he was barking out thoughts to his friend still alive in the main event in some sorta Scandi tongue? Well that was definitely declared illegal. But where is that line drawn? As far as I know — Bob Ciaffone, are you out there reading this? — it’s up to floor personnel to make a decision on what crosses the line.


  12. Tulsa
    says:

    The good news here is that Milwaukee’s Best is getting its money’s worth.