Evidently, poker playing is a mandatory part of road trips for the Philadelphia Flyers. Perhaps as a way to honor the legacy of Rick Tocchet, or perhaps so they can Robin Hood away some of the $52 million that's due Danny Briere.

Scottie Upshall is one of the team's most dedicated players, going as far as to torture himself by watching televised poker. Recently, the Flyers forward was at the Borgata Poker Open at the Borgata in Atlantic City, where the only thing more beautiful than the casino floor is the girl that's bringing you your drink. (Seriously, that place is the stuff that Maxim spreads are made of.)

According to Philly.com, the Borgata waived the $10,000 entry fee because Upshall agreed to split his winnings between the Wives Fight for Lives and Kids Forever Foundation. Which is something guys making $1.25 million should do.

Upshall faced some stiff competition, including 2006 World Series of Poker Champ Jamie Gold. The 700 Level (which hipped us to this story) reported that Upshall was maintaining his focus against these high-caliber foes as any poker professional would: By wearing "girls gold-plated headphones" at the table. 

This interview/open courtship with a Club WPT reporter explains it all:

The Philadelphia Daily News reports that Upshall did pretty damn well at the tables:

After 3 days of raising, folding and hiding behind Aviator sunglasses, Flyers forward Scottie Upshall bowed out of the Borgata Poker Open quite gracefully. According to the Flyers front office, Upshall finished 52nd out of 518 participants and raised $15,000 to split between the Flyers Wives Fight for Lives and his own Kids Forever Foundation. Upshall topped Jamie Gold, the 2006 World Series of Poker champion, and Roy "The Oracle" Winston, a renowned poker legend.

So we have Upshall and the Flyers playing cards. We had everyone from Ryan Malone to Mark Recchi playing in Vincent Lecavalier's charity poker tournament down in Tampa. Thus, Puck Daddy officially endorses the idea of replacing the shootout with one hand of Texas Hold'em between captains and alternate captains at center ice. Because that farce would resemble an actual hockey game about as much as the current made-for-television gimmick does.

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