Robbie Strazynski

There’s plenty to keep a beginner poker player occupied at the tables, but there’s also some valuable essentials to master before even sitting down at the felt for the first time. From the rules and table positions to what stakes to play for, a beginner poker player needs to be properly equipped when starting out at their first poker session.

Looking for some bright ideas as to what to treat yourself to this holiday season? Are you searching for the perfect gift to get your significant other or a friend who absolutely loves poker?

We’ve compiled a list of great poker-themed holiday gift suggestions that we’re sure will bring you and your loved ones some joy and good cheer to mark the end of 2018.

Over 250 people, celebrities and notable poker names among them, gathered together to raise $300,000 for the LA Police Memorial Foundation. The night’s honoree was KISS rock ‘n’ roll legend Gene Simmons who was recognized for his stellar longtime support of the charitable organization.

Read our report of what went down at the event, the “who’s who” list of attendees, the surprising tournament winner and his shocking gesture after claiming top prize.

Lukas Nachtman isn’t just in poker for the business aspects; he loves playing the game and having fun as a recreational player. His passion and experiences looking for live poker rooms to play at in Europe drove him to become the CEO of PokerList.

In this interview, we learn about Lukas’ personal poker story as well as how the app has developed and flourished since inception. An interesting read about an individual who’s just as passionate about his poker as his business.

The 2018 Malta Poker Festival was a big hit and much of that can be owed to the efforts put in by its founder Ivonne Montealegre. With two decades of experience in the poker industry, she’s had an incredible career that we explored in this interview. We also talk about the ingredients that helped make the inaugural Malta Poker Festival such a resounding success and the hard work and effort put in by so many people behind the scenes to pull it all off.

Practically everyone in the poker world has heard of the Hendon Mob and visited the website, which serves as the industry’s largest database of tournament results. There’s a hardworking team of great people that “makes the Hendon Mob happen,” producing and working with the database to ensure it best serves the millions upon millions of players and fans constantly hungry for poker stats.

At the inaugural Malta Poker Festival, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with the majority of the Hendon Mob team, including Eric Danis, Roland Boothby, Hans Kleinsman, and Wesley McKenzie, getting to learn more about them and what they do. Now’s your chance to do the same.

Professional poker players Lena Evans, Maureen Bloechlinger, Jamie Kerstetter, and David Lappin form our panel of poker experts this month to answer a common question among recreational players, namely when it’s appropriate to move up in stakes.

Beyond explaining the mathematical components to the answer, they also collectively tackle the psychological issues at play, as well as point out the important role of timing and game selection.

The inaugural Malta Poker Festival is just a couple days away and I’m very excited to be heading there. In addition to playing some great poker, there’s plenty else to keep busy with on the European island nation, so here’s my list of what I’m looking forward to doing.

A massive 320 people will have had their lives changed forever once PokerStars’ PSPC Platinum Pass promotion has been completed in a few weeks. Watching it all unfold throughout 2018 has been astonishing, with incredible stories emerging about the players fortunate enough to have won the coveted prizes.

Beyond simply putting butts in the seats for the PSPC in the Bahamas and injecting $9 million into the $25K buy-in tournament’s prize pool, PokerStars’ year-long efforts have successfully generated a huge wave of positivity for poker. It has been a landmark promotional undertaking that ought to be applauded and greeted with industry-wide goodwill.

At just 24 years old, Will Shillibier is already a well-known commodity in the poker community, having done live reporting from dozens of destinations all over the world.

Possessing a true love for poker, Will wears his passion for the game on his sleeve. Over time, he’s crafted for himself a unique voice that’s both appreciated and enjoyed by readers of his writing. Let’s learn more about him in this latest installment of our ongoing Get to Know the Poker Media series.

Over my time at the 2018 EPT Barcelona, I took a number of pictures to help me remember the great times I had there. I’ve curated them through multiple Tweets and pictures and have also published a video highlight clip to help capture what the entire experience was like.

I hope you enjoy experiencing the trip “through my eyes” and that it’ll perhaps convince you that attending Europe’s largest annual poker festival in Barcelona is a worthwhile proposition.

Next up in our ongoing Get to Know the Poker Media series is Jason Glatzer. I usually send out the interview questionnaires via email and do the back and forth online, so it was thus quite special to be able to chat with Jason in person and hear his answers in real time.

I hope you enjoy getting to know him better, in the latest installment of our ongoing series chronicling the lives and careers of poker’s finest media members.