Poker Player Tweets of the Week: Let's go to the movies

The fate of the poker world might depend on a Ben Affleck movie. We're all doomed. Runner Runner, starring Affleck and Justin Timberlake and written by Rounders scribes Brian Koppelman and David Levien, is the first full-length feature film centered on online poker. The plot is (very) loosely based on the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal in 2010, though it's hard to tell based on the film's trailer. But for some reason, the American Gaming Association sees Runner Runner as a chance to push Congress towards passing federal online gambling legislation. The AGA believes that the film could expose the destructive nature of an unregulated U.S. online gambling market, thus shifting public perception and swaying Congress to act. I don't hold much hope, especially given Affleck's track record. The AGA would be more likely to push Congress towards regulation if it threatened it with having to watch more Ben Affleck movies. Nevertheless, Runner Runner has been the buzz in an otherwise slow week for poker. Next week, we hope to bring you the best reactions from pros who see the film over the weekend. Thursday, Oct. 3: Phil "@philivey" Ivey

Looking forward to seeing #RunnerRunner tomorrow, produced by @LeoDiCaprio starring @jtimberlake & @BenAffleck

— Phil Ivey (@philivey) October 3, 2013

I have a hard time believing this tweet actually came from Phil Ivey. This is definitely his verified Twitter account, but this tweet reads like it was written by a robot. There's no way Ivey gives a damn about Runner Runner, at least as it pertains to the poker world. I think he is probably being forced by an agent or publicist to pretend like he cares. He probably won't even see the movie, and if he is actually forced to go to the theater, he will probably play online poker on his phone the entire time. Thursday, Oct. 3: Liv "@Liv_Boeree" Boeree

Look at this guy's chipstack!! A true architect. pic.twitter.com/ayOoVjRCGk

— Liv Boeree (@Liv_Boeree) October 3, 2013

Liv Boeree, apparently playing in the ongoing UKIPT London event, was able to snap a pic of this guy's snazzy stack. I applaud the effort all around, both from the player and from Boeree, who was able to share this genius work of art with the world. That's why Twitter is great. But in reality, I hate playing with people who do things like this with their chips. It's cool for a minute, but guys like this inevitably slow the game down, and that's not fun for anyone. How does anyone expect this guy to bet without creating a Jenga-inspired explosion? To be fair, the players were probably on a break when this guy concocted his stack. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Wednesday, Oct. 2: Shane "@ShaneSchleger" Schleger

The first (and simplest) thing you buy your woman after a score: pic.twitter.com/Vk4ifpBGWu

— Shane Schleger (@ShaneSchleger) October 3, 2013

Shane Schleger outlasted more than 2,100 players to take sixth place in the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Main Event on Tuesday morning. The reward was $291,154, a healthy score for the New Yorker. Schleger continued to play his cards right following the sixth-place finish, purchasing flowers for his lady friend. (Wife? Girlfriend? Mistress? I don't know.) It's a scientific fact that girls love flowers, and it's pretty much a requirement in any relationship that flowers must be presented as a gift at least once every fiscal year. When you take down a six-figure score, though, that's an insta-call to the flower store. Tuesday, Oct. 1: Max "@MaxJSteinberg" Steinberg

New post about how changing my posture changed my game http://t.co/PTWTWcMxI1

— Max Steinberg (@MaxJSteinberg) October 1, 2013

Very interesting. Click on the link in Max Steinberg's tweet, and it will take you to his blog, where he writes about how he now decides to sit up straight as opposed to hunched over the table when he plays poker. Steinberg writes that he has the tendency to get completely engrossed in tasks. I am the same way. If I'm concentrating on something, whether it's at home or at work, I am almost deaf to the rest of the world. It pisses a lot of people off, but I can't help it. I become entrenched in whatever I'm doing. Steinberg is the same way. Maybe improving my posture would improve my poker game, too. Tuesday, Oct. 1: John "@racener" Racener

My business just got turned down at @Starbucks because they DONT accept 100 dollar bills. #thatsunreal #bliondollabiz #WTFFFFFF

— John Racener (@racener) October 1, 2013

John Racener left out one very crucial thing from his tweet: #humblebrag. How ballin' do you have to be to only carry hundreds and zero credit cards? Racener apparently just walks around with stacks all day, expecting the rest of the world to be on his level. Or at least that's what I've inferred from this tweet. Seriously, this is as #firstworldproblems as first world problems get. I have no sympathy for Racener in this spot. Next thing you know, he'll be posting YouTube videos making fun of people that don't count their money in "hunneds."