“Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it” – Napoleon Hill.

This Vicky Coren Mitchell thing is really interesting.

I’ve read through her post on 2+2 and, unusually for posts on 2+2, there seems to be a widespread respect for her actions.

There is hardly a dagger in sight. No blood to speak of. The word ‘integrity’ is the theme of the thread.

Apparently, Vicky Coren Mitchell has shown that she has the qualities of being honest, with strong moral principles, for choosing to quit once PokerStars crossed that line by increasing its gambling offerings.

Vicky Coren Mitchell Takes a Stand

Do you notice that I have highlighted the word increasing?

I was going to use the word ‘added’ but that would assume that poker is not a form of gambling. That would be wrong.

Poker will only cease to become a gambling game if it becomes a sport. When the money comes into the game from sponsorships and people don’t have to dig into their own pockets to stump up the cash.

Even then, this will only affect the professional element; recreational players will still be gambling if they choose to play poker.

Recreational players aren’t interested in HUDs, increasing their EV and learning to become the next Patrick Leonard. That’s a different brand of poker player entirely.

A recreational player is the type of person who will log on, deposit some money and then continue to hand that money to someone who is better than he or she is.

The poker community, and the organizations that create them, are desperate for more recreational players to get involved in online poker.

Why do you think that is? Is it because we want increased competition? If that were the case wouldn’t people be inclined to play with the greatest players in the game?

This is all about money.

The online poker rooms want more recreational players so they can earn more rake. The professional poker players want more recreational players so they can take all of their money and continue to break even.

Which Camp Are You In?

So where does the word ‘integrity’ stand up here?

How can you applaud Vicky Coren Mitchell for being a woman of integrity, and even suggest that Daniel Negreanu should take a leaf out of her many books, and then continue to play on the same site you hold so much vitriol for?

I guess there are three camps here.

Camp A

You hate what PokerStars has become. It really irks you that they are creating more costs.

You’re choosing not to leave because you still believe it’s the best place to play online poker. This means that you are prepared to pay for the value you are receiving.

There isn’t a moral issue here. Integrity doesn’t come into the equation.

Camp B

PokerStars’ recent actions have sent slivers of glass into your beliefs and values.

You can no longer endorse their behavior by playing on their site, but it’s how you earn your income. You cannot stop playing because you have a family to feed.

You swallow your pride, you sit on “integrity” and you carry on playing even though you know you are doing the “wrong” thing.

Camp C

You cheer people like Vicky Coren Mitchell. Call PokerStars a whore and then continue to play because you couldn’t really give a shit.

You are a hypocrite of the highest order and have zero integrity.

You Can’t Want the Fish and Have an Issue After Eating Them

It’s blatantly obvious to me that one way of creating more recreational players is to introduce online casino games and sports betting.

Anyone criticizing this move should seriously question his or her involvement in the game. You cannot want the fish and then have an issue when you have eaten them.

Poker is gambling. People harp on about the skill element in poker. They use this as a convenient wedge to separate it from the chance dominated games like roulette and blackjack.

It’s a convenient excuse. If we were to place the challenge of making a consistent profit playing poker on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being ‘insanely difficult’ and one being ‘a piece of piss’ – where do you think poker sits?

I interview professional poker players for a living. Hardly any of them will endorse this as a viable profession for their friends and family.

It’s too tough, the game is getting difficult to beat and the expenses are enormous. If this is what it’s like if you are a pro, then what do you think it’s like for the guy who lives in the Valley?

He plays poker with money that he can’t afford to lose. He has a chunk of change stowed away on various credit cards. He lies to his family about the stakes he plays and how much he has won or lost.

He is always angling for a loan, stressed, and in dire straits. He cannot leave the game. Why? He is addicted.

I Think of the Word “Decision”

A professional poker player once told me that in his early days he would pay £5,000 to enter the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event and if he busted he would then put £5,000 on red to win it back.

PokerStars is about to see a huge influx of people acting in the reverse. Why are you complaining?

When I read Vicky Coren Mitchell’s post I don’t think of the word “integrity.” I think of the word ‘decision’.

The most successful people in the world are those that make decisions with haste and only change these decisions slowly, if ever.

The rest of the world are too easily influenced by the opinions of others, make excuses to justify their refusal to make a decision and are talking too much (writing too much) to find the time to take any action.

This is what I applaud Vicky Coren Mitchell for.

For taking action. For making a decision that must have been tough for her, irrespective of the fact that she is hardly figuring out how she is going to pay the mortgage next month.

If you take decisions promptly, it’s because you know what you want. And you know what? You are often going to get it.

Coren Mitchell knows what she wants and she is going to get it. Now what about you?