Hal Lubarsky

I have got to give it to Hal Lubarsky, who plays on the Full Tilt online poker team. The man lost his site several years ago, and so he uses a “reader” to help him play online.

Essentially the reader will tell him what his hand is, and what his opponents hands are, and what they are betting each round. The reader is not to advise Lubarsky in any way what to do when he plays, so that it stays fair.

Many people have a problem with this, saying that Lubarsky has help, or that he may not always play, but rather his reader. Give the guy a break people, he’s blind. I think it is amazing that he still plays, and I feel that if he really wanted to cheat, he could just have the guy play FOR him.

Honestly, don’t use someone’s disability to complain about not winning in an online poker room.

Lubarsky participated in several tournaments in Las Vegas this way, and was recognized for some time before he was signed with Full Tilt.

"A friend of mine, Dennis Jackson, had been a manager at the Mirage poker room. When he passed away, a charity tournament was held to offer support to his family. They called me up and asked if I'd come, but I told them I couldn't see anymore," Lubarsky recalled. "They suggested I use a reader."

In the three years since, Lubarsky’s reader at the tables has been Jo Adair, as Vegas dealer.

Lubarsky sometime later was prompted to participate in the WSOP, but when he contacted Harrah’s he was told that he could not be an exception at the tournament. Eventually, probably out of fear of a lawsuit, the Director of Poker reversed the decision. He didn’t win, but he did take home $51,398 and managed to inspire poker players everywhere.