Sunday, June 03, 2007

Author of MS Word banned from WSOP

Update 6/12/07: They let him back in, calling it a mistake. Rich, but not smooth.

Wikipedia says:

Richard "Quiet Lion" Brodie is the original author of Microsoft Word, was employee #77 at Microsoft and is now a professional poker player. During the World Series of Poker of 2006, he mentioned the red squiggly underline marking misspelled words in Microsoft Word was his idea.
On Brodie's blog he writes:

On May 10, Harrah’s sent certified letters to several high rollers informing them that their business was no longer wanted at Caesars Palace or any of the other Harrah’s properties in Nevada, California, and Arizona. I was one of them. ... I was being 86ed because they couldn't figure out how to make a profit off me.

Now understand, the only games I play are poker and video poker. In poker, the house makes a 100% guaranteed profit straight off the top. One reason I like video poker is because you can get lucky and win. You hit a royal flush every 40,000 hands or so. If you’re lucky enough to hit two, you’re ahead! If you hit three, you’re ahead for a long time!

Boy, have I been lucky at Harrah’s.

I hit four huge royal flushes in the last year at three of the Las Vegas Harrah’s properties. Not surprisingly, I’m ahead, although I’ve put 80% of it back.

Dumb move, Harrah's. I expect to hear a lot more about this dumb move the next few weeks.

(Nod to Patrissimo)

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