Interesting Tidbits: 60 Minutes Airs & Tiffany Michelle Answers Some Tough Questions

60 Minutes

So the long awaited (and dreaded) 60 minutes piece aired on the online poker cheating scandal(s). There are SOOO many things about the piece that were inaccurate, annoying, etc, but it was interesting to watch nonetheless.

I am going to clear up a few things, make a few comments, share some inside info and be on my way.

First, Online Poker IS NOT illegal. At best, they could of correctly stated that the laws surrounding online poker are gray or blurred… but they insist on saying this industry is “illegal in the U.S…” Although there are some states that do consider internet gambling (in general) illegal, there are some states who have no such laws. Not to mention the fact that poker has been long argued (there is NO argument in reality) to be a “skill game”– exempting it from rules that would otherwise apply to games of chance (like roulette, etc). For more information on the legalities of online poker and how YOU can help keep our favorite pastime alive please visit and join the Poker Players Alliance.

Secondly, I thought that Todd Witelles (“Dan Druff” aka “Alectro”) kinda’ bit the hand a little bit. Maybe he was a little overzealous to be on TV. Let’s face it, the guy doesn’t appear to get out much. But in all seriousness (and I have no idea what his M.O. would’ve been to do it) I definitely felt like he was knowingly over exaggerating about the likelihood of rampant online cheating.

Thirdly, I will share a fun “dirty” little tidbit of the day. Did you know that many employees and higher-ups at the poker site PotRipper hacked/cheated all still hang out with him on a regular basis? Although the big bosses, as a PR move, have cut all ties, the rest of the company has no problem partying with him on the weekends. (Note: PotRipper never actually kept any of the money he stole. He dumped it back on the tables after stealing it– an apparent effort to avoid prosecution and “see if he could do it” at once…).

I don’t know… hopefully this 60 minutes piece doesn’t cause any big repercussions to the poker world. It just wouldn’t be fair to the thousands of people who are making an honest self-employed living.

Tiffany Michelle

I know after the recent airing of the WSOP main event final table, we’ve all developed an “opinion” of Tiffany Michelle. Between her ungrateful treatment of Tony G*, her questionable level of skill, and her apparent disregard for fellow players (calling the clock on another player during a hand she was not involved in), it looks like (or has been made to look like) she’s quite an ass.

I know when I watched the WSOP with my husband I myself felt like she was being a “moronic douche bag” and as a woman player this makes me especially angry because I feel like she’s in the precarious situation of representing “women poker players” (which is a heavy burden I realize she did not ask for in the first place). So…bla bla bla, I came across this video and thought I’d share. Maybe we (myself included) were a bit quick to judge? Maybe, as an audience in general, we don’t take into consideration the huge distortion of truth that comes with crafty editing. Who knows? I’m still not sure where I stand, but I felt better after seeing this.

*The “short version” of the Tony G story (as I understand it) is this. Michelle asked poker player Tony G to buy her in to the WSOP which he originally did not agree to do because he did not feel like her poker skills were up to snuff for such a huge tournament, etc etc. He ended up splitting her buy in with a friend in exchange that she represent “PokerNews.Com”– which she did UNTIL… upon finding herself deeper in the tournament and approached with other sponsorship deals. As anyone who watched the final table knows, Tiffany Michelle was sponsored by Ultimatebet.net.

In case you didn’t see it…

Calls the clock