The Mike Postle drama is a bit like the 11th and final season of the U.S. sitcom Happy Days. By the time it comes to an end, you’re not sure whether you’ll like any of the characters involved.
That might change after the weekend just gone, however, as Phil Galfond, the poker player even other players like, vowed to assist others in investigating Mike Postle
There have, of course, been plenty of investigations into the actions of Mike Postle at the time of going to press. As well as YouTube detectives Joey Ingram and Doug Polk branding up clips with their inimitable styles and slogans, Postle has already had his case heard in court – well, kind of. So far, the jury may not have needed to go out, but Postle’s name is hardly clear. It very much feels like he simply has been caught up yet. While the alleged Stones Live cheat started out a good couple of states clear of his pursuers, however, it does feel more and more like Postle is just a couple of blocks ahead of those behind him.
A shot in the arm for the plaintiffs still trying to seek compensation, emotional, financial or otherwise from Postle could come in the form of Phil Galfond. The Run It Once owner reached out to the poker community to help this weekend.
I’m a busy guy. I probably wasn’t ever going to think about Postle again, but @JFKPokerTD & @StonesGambling responded to a legal “victory” by taunting the victims.🤮
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) September 19, 2020
If we get all HHs into PT or a spreadsheet, I’ll create a detailed report with proof (or lack thereof) myself.
The weary tone of the tweets suggests what many on Twitter in the poker community feel – if Kuraitis hadn’t gloated and teased the anti-Postle community over the past fortnight, this might not be happening, the Stones Gambling Hall employee having put out a series of barmy-sounding proclamations of innocence, sounding more and more like he is communicating Postle’s own thoughts these days.
Galfond’s promise to help collate information and ‘prove’ Postle’s guilt is remarkable in many ways, even if it doesn’t lead to a direct conviction, something which seems less and less likely despite the overwhelming feeling in the poker industry.
After his case was dismissed based on elements of Geography – he was tried in a different area to where the alleged crimes took place – and lack of evidential proof, many gave up hope of Postle ever facing what they think would be justice.
Galfond’s meticulous approach is likely to shed some light on the mechanics of why many feel Postle’s guilt is in no doubt within the realms of credibility. It may be notoriously difficult to prove someone didn’t make miraculous calls, folds or bets, but Galfond’s call to arms within the poker industry has crystallised efforts.
Instead of looking at a pure win-rate for Postle across the games in question, Galfond is focusing on Postle’s actual play. Having analysed hundreds of thousands of poker hands in his life, there could hardly be a better person to organize that kind of laborious look at the lowlights of Postle’s play.
With river bluffs, calls and success rate under the microscope, as well as four-bet frequencies, as well as Postle’s propensity to mis it up whenever players have aces or kings or they do not, Galfond is taking a surgical knife to the corpse of this case, hoping to uncover the cancer everyone seems to know is there except Stones Gambling Hall, Kuraitis or Postle himself.
Postle’s most recent communications are still his proclamation to the Sacramento Bee that not only is he innocent, but a soon-to-be-aired documentary will tell everything there is to know on the case and “…won’t just shock the poker and gambling industries, but the entire world.”
That claim may reek of the most extreme largess and seem too ridiculous for words, but just imagine if someone had told you last year that a local tiger breeder would achieve international notoriety.
You’d have called that bet unless you were privy to some inside information, right?
