News: 5 Great Feature Articles You May Have Missed

Over the past few weeks here at PokerStrategy.com, we've released several feature columns, hoping to trigger debate and discussion amongst members of our community. Here is a recap of the top 5 features.

In the news... Jose "Girah" Macedo

1) The Rise and Fall of Girah

Where else could we start? The Jose "Girah" Macedo scandal, and the subsequent "retirement" of Girah's mentor Haseeb "DogIsHead" Qureshi has gripped the poker community.

Here's the Girah story in a nutshell: 18 year old "Portuguese poker prodigy" masters the art of self-publicity (with some people questioning the authenticity of his results along the way) and gets himself involved in Skype chat groups alongside other high stakes pros.

He convinces players to let him "sweat" their games against accounts that are actually his own, scamming them for over $30k. Of course, there are plenty more details.

2) The Great Debate: Is Online Poker Rigged?

This feature addresses an age-old debate: is online poker rigged? Although the endless threads dedicated to bad beats may suggest otherwise, the resounding answer, according to the Online Poker Watchdog, is no.

It analysed the games at PartyPoker, PokerStars and OnGame and discovered no signs of foul-play. However, scandals such as those involving Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker will continue to haunt the game, leaving that little seed of doubt in the minds of many players.

Mr Rheem

3) Jose "Girah" Macedo Analysed by Mental Health Counselor Jared Tendler

A different angle on the Girah scandal - in this insightful piece Jared Tendler tries to get inside the mind of Jose Macedo. Why would a young high stakes pro, with over $1 million in online winnings and lucrative coaching and sponsorship contracts on the horizon, risk his reputation to scam players out of a few buy-ins?

By dissecting some of Girah's emotive statements, Tendler comes to the conclusion that Girah was very calculated in the way he undertook the scam, and that he harbours little remorse for his actions.

4) David "Chino" Rheem's Victory is Poker's Loss

"I'm living my life! Broke or pumped! Ima do me! I know Who' my friends are, I'm grateful for y'all! I love y'all! I'll die for my team!"

Don't let Chino Rheem's Twitter kidology fool you - he isn't the free-loving, honest bohemian he makes out to be. According to allegations made on twoplustwo, Rheem scammed players out of more than $40k.

Rheem's Epic Poker League triumph must have left a rather sour taste in the mouths of event organisers. We delve deeper into the issue of poker ambassadors, and argue that despite some of their pitfalls, the likes of Phil Hellmuth and Isildur1 are great for the game.

5) Poker Players Need to Self-Regulate

It seems that poker players tend to risk their money without thinking too much about it. In this column, guest writer Barry Carter meets with our coach Jared Tendler to try to find reasons for that.

More features?

PokerStrategy.com publishes columns and opinion pieces several times a week. Here are some of the recent additions: