Dan 'Jungleman' Cates, arguably one of the top online poker players since the start of the glorious online poker boom at the turn of the century, decided to take an indefinite break from poker and pursue acting and improv in wake of a potential ghosting cheating scandal, that was initially brought to the public's consciousness after Bill Perkins hinted at cheating scandal involving a "Top 7" player. And of course, Dan Bilzerian confirmed it was Jungleman.
Yes, we live in truly weird times. Between the pandemic, COVID outbreak, and the latest societal shift after the George Floyd murder by Minneapolis police, the entire world seems to have shifted dramatically over the last ninety days. You can toss the Jungleman into the mix. After all, what's a crazy and insane 2020 without a reference to the Jungelman.
Born as Dan Cates, the young Cates took on the persona of 'Jungleman' at the virtual poker tables. It did not take very long before Jungleman became one of the premier players in the online realm. But it's the crazy stories about Jungleman... both first-hand, second-hand, and third-party... that helped solidify the Legend of Jungleman. Whether it's delving into drugs and liquor like any 20-something would do in Sin City (but with a much bigger and balla bankroll to get really weird and twisted), to the stories about Jungleman playing in nose bleed games in the farthest corners of the world, to Jungleman the playboy, who has up-until-recently adopted the Dan Bilzerian mode of living (high balla lifestyle with a bevy of bikini-clad model-types).
Of course, sticking around Bilzerian also made Jungleman vulnerable because he apparently ghosted online poker accounts and pretended to be a high-stakes fish/donk/donor, when in fact, it was the one and only Jungleman himself dragging virtual pots. Bill Perkins dropped the not-so-subtle hint in a tweet when he mentioned how the poker world would get flipped upside down of they found out a "Top 7" all-time player was involved in a cheating/ghosting scam. While the poker world speculated who it could be (after pulling up Hendon Mob), Bilzerian swooped in with the tea. He outed Jungleman in an Instagram post (that has since vanished).
Jungleman tried to respond and gave a Lance Armstrong type of excuse (sort of like everyone else is doing it, so I just went with the flow). Maybe it was a time to step away. Burnout is a legit affliction in the poker world. And it's always wise to remove yourself from the public eye whenever you do something silly and stupid... and get caught.
With the poker world upside down anyways with everyone into lockdown and quarantine, live brick-and-mortar poker rooms were shuttered and live poker tournaments were shutdown. Even the WSOP postponed their summer fiesta of poker.
Jungleman was just like the rest of us... stuck in quarantine... but he had already began to modify his lifestyle to be a home-body for the first time in his adult life instead of living out of his suitcase like most pros do. Then it came to a point when he said, fuck it. I'm gonna quit and be an actor.
This isn't quite like the time Michael Jordan quit basketball to play minor league baseball. But it's sorta close. Maybe it's more like your favorite reality TV star thinks they can strike it big in Hollywood. Because let's face it, the Jungleman one-man show has been playing out live in front of us (at first via 2+2 and now on social media) since he made his initial splash on the scene more than a decade ago.
But after a ghosting cheating scandal that rocked the poker world (it really doesn't take much, but nothing brings together the community than a good ole fashioned cheating scandal [e.g. Russ Hamilton, Mike Postle]), Jungleman wisely decided to step away from the tables and take some steps to think about the current state of his life, and moreover, the future direction of his life.
Jungleman learned domestic things like how to cook and operate a dishwasher. He also started journaling and taking care of his body. He also revealed, in ###NOTREPLACE3### that he wanted to jump head first into the acting world. He took comedy improv classes and felt okay humiliating himself, but he also loved the psychological aspect of acting. After taken some classes, he might of found his calling. And now, he wants to study some more.
Maybe Jungleman can become the next great character actor like Clint Howard (Rom Howard's brother), or maybe he can become a bona fide action star like the Hemsworth fellas. Or maybe, he can join the mumblecore indie film movement. Who knows? One chapter ends, a new one begins. Get ready for another wild adventure with Jungleman... oh, sorry,... with Dan Cates. Get that head shot ready, bruh!
Dan 'Jungleman' Cates, arguably one of the top online poker players since the start of the glorious online poker boom at the turn of the century, decided to take an indefinite break from poker and pursue acting and improv in wake of a potential ghosting cheating scandal, that was initially brought to the public's consciousness after Bill Perkins hinted at cheating scandal involving a "Top 7" player. And of course, Dan Bilzerian confirmed it was Jungleman.
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