James McManus

Two chances to spell his name right and blew it both times, clinching your membership in the Subliterates Club.

Ali, don’t forget what Canada did for us during the hostage crisis in Tehran.

Man bod!??!

@Yankees If Garret Cole comes back pretty strong in the spring, he might be the No. 4 starter. #schlittler #Yankees

There is no bigger moron in poker.

@ChidwickStephen Wow. As a writer and writing teacher for over fifty years, I can attest that you’re a very good writer already. All best wishes to you in every other area.

Hello X. Many of you will know me as a top poker player who doesn’t say very much, and for a long time, I guess I didn’t really think I had much of value to say. I’ve kept a low profile for most of my life. I’ve built my career with a quiet determination and focus on the things I could control—my preparation, my decisions, my consistency. “I don’t waste my time with social media,” I told myself. And while that decision was undoubtedly the right one for me at the time, the reasons were fabricated—or at least incomplete. What I didn’t admit so explicitly was my fear: fear of criticism, of vulnerability, and of my inability to control my own obsessive nature. I would almost certainly meet the criteria for autism spectrum disorder. I would almost certainly meet the criteria for bipolar disorder, though I never stuck around long enough after an episode to receive a formal diagnosis (whether or not I identify with these labels is a topic for another day). I’ve known the isolation of being forcibly separated from society, for my own protection, and wondering how I got there. I’ve experienced being so socially drained from a day of live poker that I’ve gone to sleep hungry. Not because I was so focused that I lost my appetite, but because those one or two brief human interactions required to feed myself were just too much. I know how absurd that sounds—I knew it back then too—but no amount of rationality stopped it from being true. Over time, I slowly adapted. I learned how to sublimate that anxious energy and turn it into a motivating force—into an obsessively focused drive to reach my potential as a poker player, to prove my worth to the world through external accomplishments. And then the validation I was seeking started coming. In 2019, I was voted by my peers in a CardPlayer magazine survey to be the best player in the world—my dreams had become reality. My ego had a field day, but it wasn’t long before I realized there was still a piece missing. Now that I was painted as “the best”, there was no margin for error. Despite everything I had accomplished, I was no less fragile. Every misstep felt like a threat to the whole narrative. Am I slipping? Am I getting old and complacent and lazy? How much longer can I keep tricking people into thinking I’m so good when I know how big my mistakes can be? And none of that even touched the root of what I was actually seeking underneath it all—to be accepted. So when someone threw out an offhanded criticism—“boring,” “robotic,” “no personality”—I took it to heart. Because somewhere in me, I was scared they were right. Driven by my desire to be the best poker player I could be, I started doing deeper inner work—peeling back the layers of my belief structure and examining what was uncovered. Why did I feel like I had to be perfect to be worthy? What was I really seeking through my success? Uncomfortable investigations that slowly but surely started to free me from my preconceived notions of who I was and who I should be. And I saw the benefits—in my performance at the table, yes—but more so in my day-to-day interactions with my family, my friends, casual acquaintances, and even total strangers. The progress empowered me and urged me onwards. The more I leaned into vulnerability, honesty, and trust in others, the more confident, authentic, and self-assured I felt. I’m learning to listen not only to my precious logic but also to the quiet, mysterious, unexplainable voice within. The voice that speaks when _I_ am silent. The voice that now compels me to write this—and to expose it for the world to see. And so here I am—the kid inside the robot costume. Just another human being in pursuit of love, of connection, of belonging. Tired of running from my shadow and ready to stop and turn around (I hope). This message is for anyone who feels trapped in the darkness. I’ve lived through times that felt unbearable—where the idea of peace, or connection, or even a quiet mind felt impossibly far away. If you’re in that place right now, I want you to know: it can get better. You’re not broken. You’re not beyond help. Keep going. I also want to thank all the people who saw something in me that I took a long time to see in myself and guided me down this path. Some will know who they are. Others may never realize how much a small gesture meant to someone who was struggling. I’m deeply grateful for all of you. TL;DR: Hi, I’m new here. PS my intention is to be quite intermittent in my engagement with social media, at least initially, so if you reach out to me and I don’t respond please don’t take it personally.

Siege?

When considering Rushmore candidates in any field, shouldn’t people who’ve seen all or most of the candidates get to weigh in? Presentism is inherently stupid.

Jack Paar and Dick Cavett, NOT Leno!

Yes, but everyone should still read J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace.

I had queen high!

Here’s a better angle on that dunk, with Bernie Sanders looking on.

I was there. Covered the Bulls for the Tribune, Sun-Times and Chicago Magazine during the 90s.

Wrote this article about tournament poker and recruiting, my two biggest passions. Inspired by @jimbosweetness , who's #postivielyfifthstreet remains an all-time favorite. I hope I did him proud. linkedin.com/pulse/tourname…

@RealKidPoker @mikejava85 Daniel: we faced down Russian nuclear saber rattling in 1962 over their missiles in Cuba, and many times after that. We can’t give in to their every threat just because they have nukes. We do too, and as hideous as Putin is, he isn’t suicidal.

@mikejava85 So do what then? WWIII? Is that the answer?

My Ukraine take that nobody asked for because, “stick to poker” Putin is a bad guy. Zelensky is a brave dude who hates Putin and wants to defend his country. I spoke to friends in Ukraine who said in the first year they had hope they could win this war, but at this point, they just want the war to stop. So, how does this war end? Can Russia win? Maybe. Can Ukraine win? I don’t think so. Continuing this war leads to more resources exhausted, most importantly the lives of soldiers, many poor ones from rural areas being forced into war and death. Found on the streets walking their dog, thrown into a van, and into battle against their will. At this point, to win this war on the battlefield requires starting WWIII, and the only other option that might work is to end it in the boardroom over a negotiating table where both sides have to make some concessions. Without some concessions, the war doesn’t end. What is Zelensky’s proposal to end this war? More weapons? More money? More soldiers? Is that the plan? If so, I don’t see how it ends war, it just prolongs it. The US can play a role in ending it at the negotiating table, but I don’t see how more weapons aid solves anything. Ukraine faces two scenarios that are both -EV 1) Continue to fight and lose lives in an unwinnable war. 2) Make concessions to the monster that you hate that attacked your country. Both choices suck, but sometimes you have to choose between the best of two bad options. *** If you are angry at me for this take, I just ask you to ask yourself why? I want to see an end to war, and in my opinion, a deal of some kind is the only way. I am no expert, but based on the information I’ve gathered from listening to some experts, this is how I see it.

I can’t distinguish a bad play from a brilliant one anymore

When the Bears interviewed Dan Quinn in 2022, they flew him to Chicago in coach. As a current NFL executive said to me today, 31 other teams either bring you in on the owners jet or they charter a plane. Chicago wouldn’t even pay for a first class ticket. And you expect them to spend at the top of the market for the best available coach? 🤣🤣

He’s a Cardinals fan, moron.

The Bob Costas Yankee love fest has gone on long enough. Erceg “got lucky” with a 99 mph that was fouled off 🙄 Is he that desperate for his beloved Yanks to make 1 more World Series before he dies?

Annoying to subliterates like you because he sounds like he went to college.