David Sands and Erika Moutinho: A Conflict Of Interest at the Table?

Methinks there will be extra attention paid to this couple by Jack Effel & Co. and perhaps even Nevada Gaming Control--and that the happy couple knows it. They're on a TV table now and the field is almost at two tables, both of which are TV tables equipped with enough technology to review any questionable hands in depth.

If anything, its a huge disadvantage for both of them as they dont want to do anything "stupid" in front of each other. I think thats why they played ultra tight and busted 28/29. But there is a simple solution. Move one of them to a different table ?!??!?!

@swallsjr, seating is random and the tournament director is duty-bound to keep it that way.

Seriously? Do you actually believe that Phil, Daniel or any other top name pros JUST happens to end up at feature table? Random? LOL

Hey "pokerlover", you might want to acquire a clue before you start LOL'ing at people. Especially when it is as obvious as this. But since it appears you need the obvious explained to you: "Top name pros" are seated randomly, just like everyone else, with respect to what other players they are seated with (which is what the article is about and what @swallsjr was referring to). They are more likely to end up at the feature table because the TV production folks have control over which of the randomly grouped players (tables) sits at the physical feature table. I.e. when a table looks interesting (or contains a 'name player') they can move the entire randomly drawn table to the feature table and move whichever group is at the feature table to an outer table. This has no affect on the table draw (i.e. the players you play with). Understand?

They used to separate married couples and such at the World Series. Now its all random. Some places still do separate them, others don't. There are arguments on both sides. If you think they should be separated for example, imagine a situation where they redrew to 2 tables, and there ended up being one very tough table and one very soft table. One of them would be guaranteed to be at the soft table instead of both of them having a chance to face the tough draw.

I tend to agree with the poster who said sitting next to each other hurt them both as they both tightened up. Erica especially seemed visibly upset when David first came to her table, and the players picked up on her tightness and abused her more than they did to David. I think David would have done something much different with the 99 if he was in the position she was tho.

@pokerlover17: Seating most certainly is random. I'm guessing that the tournament officials select one of those randomly drawn tables to seat at that piece of furniture they refer to as the "featured table" and have those players sit in the same seat as that to which they were assigned at the piece of furniture on which they were originally assigned to play; maybe they post a nice big sign at whatever originally-assigned table they pick reading "GO TO TABLE 1" and the rest is eventually history. This does not compromise the randomness of the seating process no matter what the method to the tournament officials' madness may be in selecting that "featured table".

Wow Rob I can't imagine how you figured that out.

Well, Mark, elementary as that guess may be, with pokerlover implying that seating is somehow something other than random I figured it was worth saying.

Oops...just now read your post that went up three ahead of mine. Now your reaction makes sense. Sorry!