{"id":38161,"date":"2020-07-15T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T09:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=38161"},"modified":"2020-07-15T13:54:10","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T13:54:10","slug":"wsop-retro-two-decades-of-espn-world-series-of-poker-villains-and-outlaws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/wsop-retro-two-decades-of-espn-world-series-of-poker-villains-and-outlaws\/","title":{"rendered":"WSOP RETRO: Two Decades of ESPN World Series of Poker Villains and Outlaws"},"content":{"rendered":"

The World Series of Poker<\/strong> may not be live from Las Vegas<\/strong> this summer, but the biggest spectacle in poker kicked off online\u00a0July 1. WSOP.com and GGPoker<\/strong> will be offering 85 bracelet<\/strong> events giving players a shot at poker glory.<\/p>\n

ESPN has been along for the ride during much of the last two decades. The network always likes to frame a good \u201cpoker villain<\/strong>\u201d for the coverage. These aren\u2019t necessarily bad guys, but more work as nice foils to other players.<\/p>\n

\u201cVillain\u201d is certainly in the eye of the beholder and some movie fans definitely enjoy cheering for the gunslinger in the black hat instead of the hero. Or rooting for the heel wrestlers. Many tennis fans enjoyed John McEnroe\u2019s<\/strong> on court-rants as much as his wins.<\/p>\n

Poker fans can now check out some of these players on PokerGO<\/strong> as part of the new WSOP Classic<\/strong><\/em>. The show runs through July 24, mimicking the usual WSOP tournament\u2019s summer dates. Viewers will find daily, exclusive footage for series from 2003-10.<\/p>\n

Every sport needs players to cheer for and against, and these guys fit the bill. Here\u2019s a look at some players that draw the ire of many poker fans.<\/p>\n

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Phil Hellmuth \u2013 the champ that becomes the brat<\/span><\/h2>\n

Even his nickname offers a glimpse into his attitude at the table \u2014 the Poker Brat<\/strong>. Hellmuth is the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to WSOP bracelets<\/strong> at 15.<\/p>\n

Two of those include the US and European Main Events<\/strong>, a feat no other player has accomplished. He\u2019s also planning to play a full slate online this summer to try and add to that total.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think online poker is legitimate,\u201d he told USPoker<\/em> recently. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to battling tens of thousands of poker players for WSOP gold this summer.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But it may be his penchant for occasional petulance that many think of when it comes to Hellmuth. Despite his blowups and antics, his skills at the table leave little room for criticism.<\/p>\n

And in an era of high roller events where players sit stone faced, Hellmuth can make for great TV. Who could forget some of his quips on ESPN through the years?<\/p>\n

Love him or hate him, the brat is good for poker. An online bracelet<\/strong> has remained elusive so far despite coming close in 2019. Could No. 16<\/strong> come this summer?<\/p>\n

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William Kassouf \u2013 Insufferable with speech play<\/span><\/h2>\n

If Hellmuth is the guy fans love to hate,\u00a0Kassouf<\/strong> may the poker equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. The Englishman\u2019s<\/a> mouth never seemed to stop during the 2016 WSOP Main Event<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During his 17th-place finish, his \u201cspeech play<\/strong>\u201d drew the ire of players and viewers alike. His play was slow, his words repetitive, and his action annoying.<\/p>\n

Kassouf defended his style as gamesmanship<\/strong> meant to put opponents on edge and leading to mistakes. Hellmuth may blow up now and again, but Kassouf was like the dog next door that never stops yapping. Add in the slothful pace of play and he left many frustrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust look at your cards in advance,\u201d Cliff Josephy<\/strong> told him in a particularly frustrating situation during the Main Event. \u201cWe don\u2019t need the clown show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clown show or not, Kassouf scored $338,000<\/strong> and now has more than $1.4 million<\/strong> in live tournament winnings. Some players believe the criticism of his table talk went too far, including Daniel Negreanu<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTable banter and slow play are two separate issues,\u201d he noted on Twitter.<\/p>\n

Kassouf\u2019s infamy in poker would continue however. At the 2018 Main Event<\/strong>, hitting on Shaun Deeb\u2019s<\/strong> wife landed him in hot water. Later in the year, he was caught palming \u00a3100 chips at the roulette table at Grosvenor Casino<\/strong>. Deeb seemed giddy in breaking the news.<\/p>\n

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Just got a very interesting message about @WilliamKassouf<\/a> getting caught palming 100$ chips at roulette table and getting banned from all properties and dropped by his sponsorship shocked to hear it but now we know where his buyins were coming from #goodriddence<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 shaun deeb (@shaundeeb) September 16, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Grosvenor actually sponsored Kassouf at the time. The company quickly dropped that deal and banned him from all properties. The speech play wizard fessed up<\/a> to a drunken error in judgement. But not before poking the poker world in the eye just a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will continue to do what I do best by bringing the fun and entertainment factor back to poker as that\u2019s what\u2019s most important to me in my poker career,\u201d he noted. \u201cI wish all of you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you at the tables.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some players might not share that last sentiment.<\/p>\n

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Chris Ferguson \u2013 Main Event champ to public enemy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before the demise of online poker site Full Tilt Poker<\/strong>, Ferguson<\/strong> may have been one of the biggest names in the game. He has plenty of poker skins on the wall:<\/p>\n