Regular readers may have noticed that I haven’t published a new post here in a while. While there are a number of reasons for that, one of them is that the WSOP Main Event was going on. Not being there in person, I’ve been following the proceedings on the bigger poker sites out there. The sheer amount of content they churned out was absolutely astounding and, as I did last year, I’d like to once again give a huge thank you to all the live reporters and poker writers who made this summer’s WSOP so entertaining for me as a fan. With all of that said, there are five articles that I’ve read over the last few weeks that have stood out to me as exceptional.

I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight them below and explain why I enjoyed each one. Needless to say, I highly recommend that you give them all a read. So, then, in chronological order:

Stages

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that this has been the most-read poker article that’s been written this summer. Brad Willis, poker’s wizard of wordsmithery, truly outdid himself with this piece on the PokerStars Blog. Some stories go way beyond poker and Willis did justice to this one as only he could. In case you haven’t read it yet, I’m not going to spoil it for you. Just be sure to grab your tissues and be prepared to share this incredibly moving article with everyone you know.

Ali Eslami Sneaks Back Into Amazon Room For a Main Event Edge

Penned by Bluff Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lance Bradley, this article’s title simply demands a click-through. What sort of edge? Was Eslami caught cheating?

Hardly.

I loved this piece in particular because it showed the “human” side of poker pros. Grinders though they might be, and as many hours as they may have put in working on their games on and off the felt, even they understand the importance and significance of “taking a step back” to take in the atmosphere that is the World Series of Poker. An event of the WSOP’s magnitude is simply overwhelming even for the most experienced of poker players. Eslami’s exploits drive home the point that poker players, recreational and professional alike, shouldn’t miss the forest for the trees.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Poker Media

So you know how I was thanking the poker media people at the outset of this article? They don’t get nearly the appreciation they deserve for the hard work they do. Steve Ruddock (a member of the poker media himself) took us behind the scenes, as it were, to meet some of the best poker writers in the biz and asked them about their road to success.

If you enjoy reading about poker on a regular basis, you owe it to yourself to get to know more about the people who work so hard to bring you the news, stories, and entertainment you crave by reading this article over at Titan Poker.

What Poker Can Teach us About a Lack of Solidarity?

One of my favorite poker writers (and a Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor), Lee Davy is known for not pulling punches with his opinions. This CalvinAyre.com article challenges poker players on their principles. As many of you are probably aware, there’s a huge fight going on among advocates and opponents of online poker regarding its legalization in the United States. Chances are that if you’re a visitor to my poker site, you’re not in favor of any sort of poker prohibition whatsoever.

Whether you like to play in land-based poker rooms or prefer online poker rooms – and, moreover, if your freedom to choose whether or not you want to gamble at online casinos is important to you – you ought to read what Lee has to say. A word to the wise: be prepared to seriously consider where you’ll next be anteing up at the felt.

Main Event Needs New Identity to Attract New Players

Anyone who has been a fan of poker since the Moneymaker boom (or beforehand) has borne witness to how much things have changed, specifically at the WSOP Main Event. In this beautifully argued piece, veteran gambling reporter  of theVin Narayanan Casino City Times takes a hard, long look at the evolution of the world’s premier poker tournament over the last few years. He suggests that the time might be ripe for WSOP organizers to take a critical look at the marketing of the Main Event, openly asking “what should the narrative be?”

As recreational players, if your interest in playing in the Main Event and watching it broadcast on TV has waned significantly, you’ll probably give a big thumbs-up to Vin for putting your feelings into words.

Did you read another amazing poker article this summer that I didn’t mention? Let me know about it in the comments below or on our Facebook page. I’ll be happy to take a look!