For Immediate Release
June 6, 2012
Captain Tom Schneider stripped of patch
for handling of disputed WSOP hand
(LAS VEGAS, NV)–Tom Schneider may have won the pot in a recent $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event when his opponent may or may not have mucked the better hand, but he didn’t win any good will for his handling of matters on the table and off.
As a result of a dispute that required multiple floor interventions and spilled over onto the internet after the hand and tournament was over, Schneider, who would go on to min-cash, has been suspended for 10 events or two weeks, whichever comes first. He will not be allowed to wear the patch of Team Pokerati during that time nor receive any Twitter retweet benefits … unless he goes really deep with a lot of chips.
Tom has been captain of Team Pokerati since winning his second bracelet wearing a Pokerati baseball jersey in 2007– the last time he won a bracelet, if not the last time he made a final table.
“It doesn’t matter who’s right or who’s wrong. Our patch-wearers are held to a higher standard,” says Pokerati-in-Chief Dan Michalski. “If you bear the mark of Pokerati, it’s expected you help games run smoothly, securely, and enjoyably. Not the other way around where you hold them up to get a ruling that may technically be in your favor, but certainly isn’t in the spirit of good, clean, fish-friendly fun.”
Technically Tom was not wearing a patch during this event, but had the new Team Pokerati patches arrived from the printer, he might’ve been. Schneider has worn Pokerati patches throughout his non-winning years as a WSOP post-bracelet pro.
“By his own account, Schneider was way more of a little bitch about it than the Pokerati Standards Committee was comfortable with,” says Michalski. “We expect better from our players and representatives — and demand it from a Team Pokerati captain!”
“Are you kidding?” says Schneider. “Dan ‘suspended’ me? What a fucking joke. He sucks at poker. Fuck Pokerati.”
Schneider has chosen not to appeal the Committee’s ruling. “I accept my punishment. I am a good and honorable player. I believe in the pursuit of better poker in all my endeavors. Pokerati is the best poker blog ever,” said Schneider in a pre-approved statement.
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