Daily 3-Bet: Shak Ban, Merson Sweat, Swaggy P. Hellmuth

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Today in the 3-Bet we find poker high-roller Dan Shak getting slapped with a futures trading ban, Greg Merson's rise to fame celebrated in a new book about success and Phil Hellmuth throws up the NorCal shrug in a pic with Marshawn Lynch.

1) Shak Slapped with Futures Ban, $400k Fine

We have no idea what this really means in context or in relation to his bottom line but high-stakes poker "hobbyist" Dan Shak has been slapped with a ban and stiff fine from the Commodities Future Trading Commission (CFTC).

Good thing poker is going well.

 

Currently in Montreal (being bounced from the Party Poker Premier League, no less) Shak has reached a settlement with the CFTC, according to Reuters, for trying to "manipulate oil markets" back in 2008.

Shak and his fund, SHK Management LLC, must pay $400,000 in civil penalties for "banging the close," or "flooding the market with orders in the final minutes before the day's close to sway prices."

Shak also was barred from trading in regulated crude oil markets and received a two-year ban from trading "naked futures."

He reportedly shut his hedge fund back in 2011 and his expanded presence around the poker circuit seems to indicate he was moving away from trading anyway. Still got to sting a bit, though. More from Reuters here.

2) Greg Merson Has Made It

By any definition in the poker world, Greg Merson is a success.

What making it looks like.

 

It takes some luckboxing to win the Main Event, sure, but Merson was a winning player long before that.

And, remember, he won a $10k tournament just before the Main Event started to give him back-to-back bracelets including that $8.5m Main Event win -- which may be one of the most underrated feats in poker history.

Add in a struggle and recovery with drug addiction and Merson ticks off all the boxes to be featured in a new book called Success - By Those Who've Made It.

Written by Paul Stenning it features 21 "inspirational stories and secrets to success" from luminaries including Merson, tennis player Tomas Berdych, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jason Newsted of Metallica fame, driver Mario Andretti and more.

We don't know much about Stenning's poker pedigree but it is great to see a poker player mentioned alongside much more traditional athletes and celebrities.

We're intrigued, anyway. Check the book out here.

3) Hellmuth Meets Marshawn Lynch, Throws Up NorCal Shrug

This just truly gives us great joy on many levels.

PIC: @KJulius10 NFL baller from Seahawks @MoneyLynch and me in Owners room at GSWarriors game... http://t.co/lkFnbPAmlC