An Open Letter to PokerStars
An Open Letter to PokerStars
As many people in the poker community are aware, Daniel Negreanu recently called me a f**king c**t in an interview. In case you haven’t seen it, the interview is here.
It is no secret that Daniel and I don’t like each other. But this is not about whether he has valid reasons to dislike me. This is not about whether he is right or I am wrong in the particular argument that spurred the comment. This is about treating people with respect and the use of a word that is abusive and demeaning to all women.
When I saw PokerStars’ response to a customer who wrote in to complain about Daniel’s remarks, I was alarmed. (Read her letter here). Here is the response:
Hello ________,
Thank you for your email.
We are glad to hear that you are enjoying the Women’s Poker League and value
very much as one of our loyal female poker players.
Daniel and Annie are both passionate about poker, and both aren’t afraid to
speak their mind. I think this is a fact people like and appreciate about
both players. When you have two people that are similar in that regard,
there’s bound to be friction somewhere along the line.
Although Daniel Negreanu is a Team PokerStarsPro, he is an entity to himself
and as such will always be encouraged to express his views and speak his
mind as he would otherwise do so, PokerStars Pro or not.
I hope you will still enjoy watching both Daniel and Annie play as both are
fantastic poker players and an enrichment, on one way or another, for the
poker world.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions and
thank you for choosing PokerStars.
Regards,
Katja
PokerStars Support Team
I am shocked that PokerStars didn’t even distance themselves from Daniel’s comments in this response. In fact, they did quite the opposite. The most alarming part of the response is this section:
…and as such will always be encouraged to express his views and speak his
mind as he would otherwise do so, PokerStars Pro or not.
I am not offended by Daniel’s opinion. He has a right to disagree with me and dislike me. And I, just like PokerStars, would encourage him to express his views and opinions. This is not about his views. It is about a particular word he chose to express those views. The word “c**t” is not an opinion, it is an abusive epithet, and PokerStars is completely ignoring the use of that term in their response.
But more distressing is the use of the word encouraged here. So, PokerStars, you are encouraging Daniel to continue to express views in this manner, to conduct these public attacks using offensive slurs and inappropriate language? I am more than dismayed that PokerStars is making a statement here that they encourage this kind of behavior, this kind of language use. According to PokerStars, this kind of behavior enriches our community.
Why is it, then, that if you type the word into the chat box on PokerStars it comes out ****? Clearly, PokerStars finds this word offensive enough that they don’t allow their customers to use it to insult one another, yet they encourage their primary endorser’s use of the term.
So I have a question for PokerStars: Are you equally encouraging and accepting of Daniel expressing his own opinions and views if he utters the equivalent Anti-African American, Anti-Semitic or Anti-Gay epithets? Is it just the c-word that is okay with you? In my opinion, comments that are degrading to a person’s race, color, gender or sexual orientation are offensive and do not fall under the “that’s his opinion, not ours” category.
PokerStars recently formed The Women’s Poker League, presumably to support and encourage women in poker. Yet this response condones its star player calling a female poker player a “f**king c**t” in public. PokerStars had an opportunity here to take a stand and express regret that Daniel would say such an offensive thing and failed to do so.
I am curious as to what the NFL’s response would be if one of their players uttered that word to or about a female reporter. I am curious as to what Nike’s response would be if that player were an endorser of theirs. Would the NFL and Nike just shrug it off and say “his opinion, not ours?” I think not, and as long as the poker community is accepting of behavior and language like this, we will never be truly mainstream.
Again, this is not at all about whether you like me or whether you are on Daniel’s side of an argument. This is about PokerStars condoning an offensive term spoken publicly about me to a journalist by PokerStars’ biggest endorser. Like it or not, PokerStars, Daniel represents you and his behavior and choice of words reflects on you.
I would have expected a better response.
Annie Duke
Overall this seems like a moot issue really. Being the face of a company doesn’t mean, you’re not allowed to express views, opinion or flawed facts doesn’t matter, freedom of speech exists in the USA and he is free to say ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING he wants, as long as it’s not libel or slander, I don’t hear him saying anything in terms of that. A word is a word, anyone remember the 7 dirty words from George Carlin? It’s how they are used that matters. Now is it distasteful, sure, no doubt, probably not the best choice of words, but at the end of the day they are words.
Look you all play poker, fair enough, tough game. I used to do repossessions for over 12 years, whatever names you have been called I can GUARANTEE I’ve been called far far worse, I take no offense to it, because I know it’s not directed really at me or other recovery agents, they are just upset at the situation they’re in and are simply venting.
Now me personally, I’ve never used that word, but then there are alot of profane words that I typically don’t use, and then there are others I use quite frequently. Hell in England, a fanny is an EXTREMELY bad word, but here we use it to describe those waist packs. I said “Fanny pack” in public in the mall once, and I swear I had EVERYONE looking at me.
Don’t be so uptight, a word is a word, are you the word? Is that why it’s offensive? Because people can call me whatever they want, it won’t affect me, because I know I am not what they are calling me. Not to mention, you’ve won millions of dollars, continue to make tons of money, who cares what some shmuck says anyway?? If I had that money, you can call me EVERY single bad word in the book, and I would be laughing, and I mean LAUGHING HARD alllllll the way to the bank……
Pokerstars is only out to make money and they do not really care who says what or does what even if it is offensive or dirogatory. I have played there many times and at tables with verbally rude and disgusting individuals and I have reported this and all they ever did was inform them to stop and then leave, big help right? Any time that a player is verbally out of line they should be banned for 1 month and that is it. But of course that will never happen as they might loose money. As for Daniel, he needs to grow up and think before he opens his mouth as verbally insulting another is nothing but a show of weakness and intimidation. And lastly, thank you Annie for taking the picture with my mother at Derby Lane Fl., she is still bragging about it.
Be careful, the microphone might be on.
No, Daniel might not “be” Poker Stars, he represents them and all they are.
I have been a fan of Annie’s for years and I think what was said about her was most definitely out of line. I also feel that it’s out of line for people to come to her page and tell her how she should react to this. Clearly she was offended and she has a right to her feelings and her actions. I personally find the language used to be offensive too and would not appreciate it being used against me. By not standing up for herself she would be implicitly saying that it’s okay for that sort of language to be used against her. I believe Annie’s open letter was a healthy outlet for her emotions (whether they be anger, disgust, etc.) and I applaud her for not taking this lightly. I’m by no means a feminist but it does irritate me when a woman is viewed negatively when she stands up for herself or is assertive or becomes defensive. Also, as an earlier comment said, how would you feel if that particular phrase was used (in public) to describe the women in your life? There’s just so much hatred and ignorance in this world and I think the negative comments on here are a perfect example of that. Whatever happened to “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”? Okay, now prove my point and attack me.
Dear Dutchess,
I wish I would of been there! To help him pick up all his teeth I knocked out.
I am a Canadian. I have admired Daniel in all he has done for Poker. He has definately shot himself in the foot and lost a lot of respect from the poker community.
He owes an apology to Annie and Pokers Stars has to rethink it response because the response given was with out any integrity.
Frankly, I’m appalled by the WSOP’s attitude. Calling Annie Duke–OR ANY WOMAN– a c**t is equivalent to calling pHIL iVY A n***er or Scotty Nguyen a ch**n, just to name a few great (minority) poker players. The WSOP and PokerStars should be ashamed!!!
I have to say i think you need to get a life. If you dont care about Daniels opinion, then try not caring about the way (correct or not) he expresses those views.
Poker Stars, you so disappoint me, Daniel, Im lost for words, shame on you, what were you thinking, how dare you be so abusive and disrespectful, not only to Annie, to your own family. Your parents must feel you let them down, with your behavior. Don’t you think people are thinking you were brought up in the gutter. Daniel, you must make this right, it’s time for you to step up to the plate, and do the right thing. You are a very talented poker player and it’s time you take responsibilities for your actions. You can start with, HUMBLE and hopefully it will come from your HEART. One other thing Daniel and you can take this to the BANK, You could never shine Annie’s shoes, at poker or as a respected and very given human being.
I doubt that it will make u feel better but I doubt Daniel Negreanu even knows what “c**t” means. I have seen this guy call your brother an “asshole” on High Stakes Poker (late night TV). I have also seen him try to make fun of Vanessa Russo’s bust size, obviously offending her; she had the sense to challenge him to explain his “joke”. Plus he chases the waitresses after tourneys. Basically this guy hit it young and has never grown up. I’ll close by saying that he takes his mother with him to tournaments. b4u allow yourself 2b offended, consider the source…
Unbelievable. Just one more reason for me to dislike PokerStars. That is such an ugly word, loaded with so much vitriol. And I have to agree with an earlier poster that it is indeed comparable to calling Phil Ivey the n-word. Yes, there is freedom of speech in the United States, but that doesn’t mean someone is entitled to abuse that right by publicly using such abusive language towards another person.
I watched him play heads-up against Vanessa Rousso and he made a comment to the effect of “women can always read me”. I really think he has issues with being beaten by women.
He needs to deal with the fact that women continue to be a growing force in the game, in large part thanks to you.
Annie, I know you’re holding your head high in this debacle. Daniel is the loser in this, as it seems that even despite PokerStars pathetic response he has lost the respect of many in the poker community.
This is so funny. I guess my first question is who started what? From what I see it started way back when they did not even know each other. I read D.N.’s story about what happened and no where did I see anything about what promped A.D.’s attitude and demeanor toward’s D.N. Now I have been in that situition and it would have pissed me off too. I also do not read anywhere, about anybody refutting the statements from D.N. about the way A.D. acts in tournaments or toward people that are not in her click. Again a right to be upset with her. She claims she is out supporting “equal player rights no women vs men ” stuff. Yet she plays in all the “female” tournaments and look on this very site, she tries to dress up like some pretty thing to sell herself?? I guess I have to agree with the person above that said, guess we have to call a spade a spade , in others words if it walks, talks and acts like crap, it must be crap… ? I’ll also add that the word “prick” when meant toward men, is much accepted in the general public??? vs the word ” cunt” ? Why is that. ?? So A.D. trying to gain an advantage in the way of which word is worse is like her claiming for equality in the sexes for playing poker, then going and playing in the women only tournaments. Seems to me she is a very hypocritical person. If she was a smart person, maybe she would look at herself and maybe clean up some of the things she is doing. But if she thinks that doing what she has been doing is ok, then why is not it ok for D.N. to speak his mind and be himself? (Plus I’ll bet anything, she has called other people much worse things, and that has not made the news)