Freaky Fortnight – Early Feb. 2024 Amusing Gambling Stories

We’ll never tire of bringing you entertaining, intriguing stories from the poker and gambling worlds. So much happens that you may not expect or find much more amusing than standard gambling. That’s what Freaky Fortnight is all about – providing you with an insight into these entertaining anecdotes.

Let’s have a look at the recent fun, enjoyable, and sometimes bizarre stories from early February 2024 within the poker and gambling scenes.

Charles Barkley Left in Disbelief Following Poker Game with TNT Crew

Charles Barkley is a former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the NBA for three different teams. He now serves as a television analyst for TNT on its “Inside the NBA” program as well as on CBS Sports. His vast popularity with fans of basketball has kept him front and center in the sport.

As part of the “NBA on TNT” crew, he isn’t a stranger to being roasted though. While it has happened before, this time around, he was forced to confront his past. Twice on the Feb. 9 broadcast, Barkley was roasted by the crew, who directed verbal jabs and jokey antics his way. The latest segment of the show was wrapped up by the TNT brigade, including Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, opting to play a round of poker. Of course, any real game of poker needs prizes. Therefore, the TNT crew prepared a luxury selection of rewards, including bottles of vodka and so on.

Barkley is known for his compulsive gambling, and in June 2023, he revealed that he had lost around $20 million engaging in the pastime. While his game of choice was often blackjack (on which Sir Charles admitted to losing $2.5 million in 6 hours), he is also familiar with playing rounds of poker.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on Charles' side in this game with his colleagues. Not only that, but Barkley lost the game to his long-time frenemy Shaquille O’Neal. As the winner, O’Neal claimed all prizes but also got an extra perk in the form of a day off.

As Big Shaq grabbed ahold of his prizes, Barkley wasn’t able to hide his disappointment at losing, hanging his head in somber defeat. Being on live TV, the moment was captured for all to see:

Charles Barkley Following Poker Defeat

Of course, it wasn’t the first time Barkley has lost a game of poker – but perhaps the salt stings a little bit more because he lost out to Shaquille. Still, there are hints that this “game” of poker was as rigged as the old Absolute Poker. A single hand of five cards was dealt to each participant who then revealed them – no draws, community cards, or face-up cards. Charles Barkley's improbable pat full house was bested by Shaq's even more ridiculous dealt royal. Perhaps the bosses of “Inside the NBA” have been taking lessons in poker from Hollywood screenwriters.

Responsible gambling is something that everyone should endeavor to include in their poker and casino gameplay. After all, you probably can't afford to lose $20 million like Charles did back in the day!

Awkward Casino Exchange Between Jason Kelce and Adele in Las Vegas Casino

We all know what happened on Feb. 11, don’t we? Super Bowl LVIII took place, and the Kansas City Chiefs managed to outlast the San Francisco 49ers in a 25-22 finish. Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs and was undoubtedly one of the stars of the game (as was his blossoming relationship with one Taylor Swift!).

Yet he wasn’t the only Kelce to have eyes on him before Sunday’s big game. His brother, Jason Kelce, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, was spotted enjoying his time in Las Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl. Even though rumors began to circulate about him retiring following a playoff defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jason spent time out and about with his wife Kylie the day before his brother’s team took home the win. While in Vegas, they attended a U2 concert at The Sphere before heading to Caesars Palace to watch Adele perform.

Not only that, but the happy couple also hit the casino at The Cosmopolitan, reveling in their wins together especially at the craps table. Yet just before their winning ways started, Kelce had quite the odd exchange with British singing sensation Adele. It seems as though the footballer just couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

During her performance at Caesars Palace, Adele turned to the crowd and asked who they thought would win the Super Bowl. It was then that Jason yelled out, “Eagles!” from his seat.

Adele, clearly on the ball, responded to him, “What did you say? You sound drunk and like a football fan.” The awkward joke seemed to fly right over the heads of most of the people in attendance although Kelce and his wife weren’t perturbed by it and were later spotted singing along to Adele’s hit, “Someone Like You.”

Tyson Fury Enters into a Bizarre Wager with Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have been scheduled to face one another for a while now. Their heavyweight title bout was set to take place in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 17. Yet due to suffering a gash above his eye while sparring, Fury has had to delay the battle, which was officially postponed Feb. 2. He was quick to release an apology to fans who have been desperate to experience the fight between the two.

This marks the second time the fight has been delayed by Fury. Previously, it was set to occur on December 23 of last year. However, in October, Fury went toe-to-toe with MMA star Francis Ngannou in what was supposed to be a mismatch. In that bout, he was decked by the African fighter in the third round and left battered and bruised. Amazingly, the judges called what everyone thought was a one-sided battle in Fury’s favor. While that bout was supposed to be a sweetener for the Saudi Arabia match, it did nothing but delay its happening.

And now, because of suffering the gash above his eye, Fury is forcing the match to be delayed once more. The new date is scheduled for May 18.

The Much-Hyped Fury vs. Usyk Match Was Postponed

To stop such postponements from happening again, Fury and Usyk have entered into a bizarre wager. This means they will definitely face each other on the May 18 date. As the new date was announced on a YouTube broadcast, Saudi organizer Turki Alalshikh noted that any fighter who cancels will have to hand over a £10 million fee. Alalshikh said:

I have delayed it for May 18, I guarantee for both of the fighters £10 million if someone escapes from the fight.

He went on to explain that the cash sum would have to be paid out of the fighter’s own pocket should it come to that. Alashikh also said that if a competitor does pull out of that scheduled bout, a fight would continue regardless. This means that it could come down to Fury defending his title against Anthony Joshua, said Alalshikh.

If Usyk is scared then I will call for Joshua vs Fury and if Fury is scared I will call for any fighter that Usyk wants. This is the fight of the century.

Once the battle does take place, there will be a lot on the line. Four heavyweight titles will be up for the taking, meaning that the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years will be produced by the end.

The scheduled fight has seen a lot of other either too. Fury has taken exception to Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas, who has labeled him a “coward” for dropping out of the fight on Feb. 17. He also managed to storm out of an interview with Usyk due to his manager. This came about after Klimas called his wife Paris a b****.

“All In” Presents a Mixed Bag of Comedy

There have been several instances of movies encapsulating the poker and gambling worlds in the past. Multiple James Bond scenes take place in casinos where the titular spy is playing a game of baccarat or sipping a cocktail at the bar within a famous venue. We even highlighted a specific scene from “Casino Royale” in a previous Freaky Fortnight edition, focusing on Bond’s generous dealer tip.

Some movies fantastically depict the casino world, while others fall short of the mark. “All In” is a PG13 comedy, released on Feb. 8, which features a triple-nationality cast coming from Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Directed by Matt Lai, the story focuses on the superpower of being able to detect when someone is lying. This superpower passes from one man to another, with Malaysian actor Jack Lim portraying professional gambler Cheng Kah Lung. He possesses the superpower and uses it when engaging in rounds of poker.

Cheng can tell when one of his opponents is bluffing with lies being displayed as a red light above his head and truths showing up as a blue light. He’s about to cash in a big sum at a major Texas Hold’em poker tournament; yet, a freak accident on a pedestrian crossing sees his power jump out of his body. It lands in the body of a restaurant employee named Ong Sio Qi. Without his superpower, Cheng has to convince Ong to enter the Asia Poker Tournament for him. There, he has to face down a fearsome nemesis in Wei Yi Fu.

It is from this basic story idea that viewers are supposed to experience the height of comedy. Yet reviewers of “All In” have labeled it predictable, despite its supposed great cast. Unfortunately, it seems as though the story forgets the initial superpower possessed by Cheng as the movie continues. Crude humor is present from one moment to the next, so it may tickle somebody’s funny bone. Yet it isn’t likely to do much for the masses, reviewers suggest.

What about you? Do you think “All In” is a movie you would like? If you had a superpower of being able to tell when someone is lying, would you use it to enter the world’s top poker tournaments?