Winner of the 2010 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event said that European poker players are much more skilled at the game compared to the Americans. He also backed this statement by offering to refund any bets if a US player happens to win the title this year.
About James Bord
Bord won a total of £830,401 during the event last year with his pocket 10’s against his opponent, Fabrizio Baldassarri andn his pocket 5’s during the final hand at the heads up. Bord was the first ever Brit to come out as the main event champion of the WSOPE. The first winner of which was Annette Obrestad from Norway and two winners of the next couple of years were Americans, namely John Juanda and Barry Schulman. James Bord has over $1.9 million in terms of earnings in his career. Bord also says that he is fond of playing different variations of the game and regarded himself as a ‘mixed games cash player’, playing games in various settings in Las Vegas and in London. He is also friends with Sam Trickett, who Bord said is responsible for teaching him how to play the game.
What Bord Said
Bord’s statement says “I don’t think an American can win the bracelet. Europeans are now far superior.” He later on followed up with “We used to look up to the US players back in the day, but those days are now long gone. I’m prepared to put my money where my mouth is and refund any losing bets up to $500 if an American wins.”
US Players’ Reaction to the Statement
Of course, his statement reached a lot of US players and needless to say, the statement did not get a very positive reception for obvious reasons. You really have to be careful not to provoke other players in the world of poker, but things are ultimately up to you. Kevin Iacofano even tweeted later on that “Serious arrogance and comments from a guy who, barring one miracle championship, has a very pedestrian record in poker.” Bord’s statement, if taken real seriously will without a doubt greatly improve the overall performance of US players during the upcoming main event. Whether it is an act of arrogance, or a simple act of tactlessness, Bord may have angered quite the number of US players
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