The Energon Pub

Mercurynews.com- What exactly do poker tournaments and Transformers have in common besides some Double Dealing? Henry Orenstein...

Who is Henry Orenstein you might ask? A Holocaust survivor turned toymaker, turned inventor, turned 80 year old poker tournament champ, Orenstein is credited in the early 80's with convincing HASBRO to market and produce Transformers toys in the U.S.

Besides being so important to our community and the history of our toys, he has also invented the idea for the hole card camera, used when televising poker tournaments to show observers the cards that the players have in their holes, allowing us to know what they know without the other players in the game knowing, and allowing commentators to better analyze play. For this invention he is being enshrined in the 'Poker Hall Of Fame'.

You can read the short article here.

Read more about Orenstein by clicking the above link.

Thanks to Scaleface for also digging up that he patented rub sign technology!!! Whoa!

I was just checking out patents with his name on them. Seems he patented the "Toy with encoded identification element" - or as we call them "Rub Symbols!"

The patent even shows the Autobot face and had a clear outline of Topspin (Diaclone Attack Robo).

And now you know, and knowing is 1/2 of 1/4 of the conflict....


"...TRAANSSFORMERS..."

Scaleface wrote:I was just checking out patents with his name on them. Seems he patented the "Toy with encoded identification element" - or as we call them "Rub Symbols!"

Sweet find Scaleface! Nice bit of work there.

Interesting stuff.