Robbie Strazynski

An interview with legendary stand-up comedian Norm Macdonald, which took place at the Atlantis Hotel and Resort in the Bahamas in January 2019.

We spoke about the Canadian funnyman’s decades-long love for poker, his reflections on his status as a celebrity and his career as a stand-up comedian, and what it means to have such vast influence and what it ought to be used for.

Walking through the Atlantis Resort ballroom on Day 1 of the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) the vibe was like almost nothing else I had ever seen at a poker event. Smiles on everyone’s faces, a 1,000+-strong field having an amazing time. What’s not to love?

PokerStars has managed to craft and innovate with a brand new event that has become an instant hit with everyone throughout the poker community, “recs” and “regs” alike. Here’s hoping this new event becomes a staple of the annual poker calendar!

Ryan Riess, Maria Konnikova, and Bill Perkins form our panel of poker experts this month to answer they question of how to best approach the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), which is set to be the most unique $25,000 buy-in poker event in history.

Based on their experience, each of the panelists provided some intriguing answers, and food for thought.

Upon learning the news that the World Poker Tour’s parent company will be merged into a new company called Allied Esports Entertainment, it has caused many in the poker community to wonder how this would affect one of their beloved brands.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska joined me in an hour-long conversation to explain how esports would bring more new people into poker (and vice versa) and how the infusion of new resources would help grow the WPT brand even bigger. After over a decade and a half, the World Poker Tour continues to shine bright, and their future looks even brighter.

While 320 lucky poker players are in possession of Platinum Passes that will have them participating in the biggest $25K buy-in poker event in history, many people will still be heading to the Atlantis Casino Resort in the Bahamas to watch the PokerStars Players Championship from the sidelines. That said, there’s still PLENTY to be getting excited about at the PSPC beyond the event itself. In this article, I list the top[ five things that I’m personally looking forward to.

The poker industry and community love it when big time NBA players make a trip out to the casino or a big poker tournament festival. Attracting crowds of onlookers as well as plenty of extra TV coverage, it’s a no-brainer that having more NBA players at the felt is #goodforpoker.

Here, then is a list of the top 7 current NBA players I’d love to see starting to mix it up at the poker tables in the near future.

Speaking with beloved Poker Life podcast host Joey Ingram about his beautiful act of kindness as the “Oprah of Poker,” facilitating the delivery of Platinum Passes to Arlie Shaban and recreational poker player Jeremy Hilsercop while simultaneously snagging one for himself.

We discuss how the poker story of the year developed and played out over Christmas Day 2018, as well as Joey’s plans for the PokerStars Players’ Championship and content creation in 2019.

A video interview with poker legend Eli Elezra to mark the debut of the English-language version of his autobiography, entitled: Pulling The Trigger.

We discuss Eli’s early life in Israel, service in the IDF, time working in the Alaska fishing industry, the golden days of Bobby’s Room, life in Vegas, and, of course, the book itself.

An attitude of gratitude will take you far in life and enhance your every experience. There’s a group of 18 very special people in poker who have impacted my 2018 in exceptional ways, and for that I am supremely grateful.

This blog post is my way of expressing my thanks towards them, and for the good they’ve brought to this poker site and into my life in general this year.

Some holiday traditions are truly beautiful, none more so than glorious customs of giving. For the eighth straight year, Bernard Lee and his children have put together and distributed personalized gift packages to families in their local area of Boston affected by homelessness.

Reading about the efforts of this great poker player and generous-spirited human being will warm your hearts, and perhaps inspire you to spread some holiday cheer of your own to those less fortunate.

When you look back at what you’ve done over the course of the year, some highlights naturally stand out. It’s with that in mind that I decided to compile a list of my 10 most favorite articles to have produced and published for Cardplayer Lifestyle in 2018.

Be sure to let us know which of these selections was your favorite to read and share with your poker-loving friends this year.

Home games are the epitome of grassroots love for the game. Good times, a fun environment, and right in your own backyard (or living room, basement, etc.) What better venue than a home poker game to invite women to in order to try and bring more ladies to the game?

There are plenty of great reasons to invite women to your next home poker game. Here’s a list of the top five we came up with.