Weekly Flop: Bilzerian Distressed | Negreanu Rebuy Debate | Phelps Guilty of DUI

Typically known for his far-reaching Instagram presence and bad-boy image, Dan Bilzerian now seems legitimately worried about his recent arrest over bomb-making materials... Whether or not rebuy tournaments are good for poker is an age-old debate that never gets solved. And Daniel Negreanu re-ignited this debate with his strategy at the WPT Five Diamond Classic... With Michael Phelps' recent guilty plea in a DUI case, will he be back on the poker tables any time soon? Let's discuss this and more in the Weekly Flop!

Dan Bilzerian "Distressed" about Recent Legal Troubles

Christmas shopping isn't the only headache that Dan Bilzerian has worried about in December. The 'King of Instagram' allegedly kicked model Vanessa Castano in the face at Miami's Liv nightclub when she approached the stage that he was dancing on; Castano is now suing him over the matter. Shortly after this incident, he was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport on an out-of-state warrant for possessing bomb-making materials.

One might expect this muscle-bound, gun-toting, womanizer to simply shrug these legal troubles off. However, as People Magazine reports, friends say Bilzerian is "distressed" about the charges and that he "just wants to put the matter behind him." One of these anonymous friends goes on to discuss the Castano case by saying, "That's just not what he's about. Sure, he has sexual relationships with women, but he is all about respecting women."

Bilzerian is right to be distressed over these matters, especially the explosives case since this could land him in prison for up to six years. He's already hired attorney Jose Baez to represent him, the same lawyer who got the infamous Casey Anthony off on murder charges.

Daniel Negreanu re-opens Rebuy Debate

Thank Allen 'The Chainsaw' Kessler for drumming up drama about rebuy tournaments by pointing out a recent Daniel Negreanu tweet. Kessler jumped on TwoPlusTwo to express his annoyance at this tweet from Negreanu:

"I will be playing the WPT Bellagio Dec 16th, entering on day 2 and will be playing aggro to purchase a stack. Haven't played poker in ages!"
Okay, not exactly the most controversial statement, until Kessler complained about how "spewing money into a tournament" is not the best way to get recreational players to the game. In just a week, the thread has already gotten quite big, with players expressing their opinion on whether unlimited rebuy tourneys, like the WPT Five Diamond Poker Classic, are good for the game.

Well, most contend that they wouldn't want to see the large majority of events feature rebuys. But on the other hand, an occasional $10k buy-in with unlimited rebuys doesn't set too many players off. This is especially true when you consider that it's well-bankrolled pros playing these events. As for Negreanu, he fired 5 bullets ($50k total) in the Five Diamond Classic and took 25th place ($36,947).

Michael Phelps pleads guilty to DUI charges

It's always nice to see 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps come around the poker world. After all, he still commands international attention and brings some star power to the game, even when he's just railing a WSOP event or two.

Unfortunately, Phelps got into some legal trouble last September, when he was stopped in Baltimore for driving 84 mph in a 45-mph zone. After being administered a breathalyzer, he tested .14, which is well above Maryland's legal limit. And he recently pleaded guilty to the charges, drawing 18 months' probation, during which he is supposed to abstain from alcohol - something that he admits to being "powerless" to control.

Phelps has also been suspended from competitive swimming for 6 months. However, he'll continue to train for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Given everything that's going on with the swimming champ right now, don't count on seeing him too often (if at all) on the poker tables until the Olympics end.