Does the world really need another poker blog?

Does the world really need another poker blog? Probably not; there is an abundance of good writing about the game over at 2+2, PocketFives, and Noted Poker Authority, just to name a few of the sites I frequent. That said, I spend a lot of time playing and thinking about this game, and I’d like to share some of my ideas and observations with you. If it helps you, as a fellow poker player, to improve your game, then it was worth it. If it helps you, as a non-poker playing acquaintance of mine, to better understand the game and my fascination with it, then it was worth it. And most importantly, if writing about poker makes me a better and more thoughtful player, then it was definitely worth it.

As you can see from the title, a core component of this blog will consist of question and answer pieces. These will vary from the mundane (“How do I read the board in Pot Limit Omaha?”), to the logistical (“What are some good restaurants to check out near Foxwoods?”), to the strategic (“In what situations do you like to re-raise with AK pre-flop versus flat calling?”), to the philosophical (“How can one derive satisfaction and meaning from playing poker for a living?”). I hope that readers will send me questions, and I will also look for good questions in online forums like Yahoo! Answers, where I’ve seen many poker questions asked and few good responses given. Finally, if there’s a topic that I think would make for a good blog post, I will just go ahead and write the question that leads into it, too.

For those who don’t know me personally, I used to be a schoolteacher, and that side of me enjoys educating people about all sorts of things, including poker. I try not to educate about poker or lecture at the table, since it’s bad form and will sometimes come back to bite me in the very same session, so I figure the internet to be a better place to share whatever wisdom I’ve gained. There was a time when professional poker players shunned those who would disclose the secrets of their trade, but now that we are in the age of the hole card cam and hundreds of poker books are on the market, I think we can all agree that sharing knowledge and talking strategy with others is good for the growth and continued health of the game.

Finally, I’ve decided to create this blog to have something tangible for myself that will record the evolution of my thinking about poker. One of the drawbacks of poker as a career is that you do not produce, create, or impact anything. At the end of the year, I would like to have more than just a bigger bankroll to show for the time I’ve put in, at and away from the tables, working on my game. With this blog I hope to produce something that will be of value to myself, to my friends and family who want insight into my world, and to my fellow players who seek to improve their games.