Robbie Strazynski

While on vacation in the U.S. this summer, more than once I found myself wishing I could go and play poker at the nearby land-based casinos. With that said, my trip was meant to be a family vacation, with “poker nights” at the bottom of my priority list.

Still, for a guy who founded the Cardplayer Lifestyle blog, you’d think he’d find the right time and place to carve out a poker session or two, right? Here’s a story that I’m sure many poker lovers out there can identify with.

Hang around poker long enough and you’ll meet some fascinating people, both playing at the tables and documenting the happenings at the felt. One such fascinating person is Kim Yuhl, who has done some great poker writing for PokerNews over the last couple of years.

In our latest installment of “Get to Know the Poker Media”, we invite you to learn more about Kim and her life away from the poker world; hope you enjoy.

When watching ESPN’s WSOP Main Event broadcast, it’s impossible to ignore the sheer amount of information that the commentators seem to know about all the featured poker players.

This article gives you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at precisely how all of that information gets compiled and then delivered to the commentary teams.

Heading into the summer of 2017, I was happily looking forward to the first three weeks of June, during which I’d be attending my second World Series of Poker. I had no plans to attend the Main Event and I certainly had no idea what was in store for me just a few weeks hence: the opportunity to work for Poker PROductions.

I hope you enjoy reading the story of how it all happened; it’s a fun one!

Think back to the most fun you ever had playing poker. Nice, eh?

Well, I recently had an experience that fits that description, playing in $4/$8 Dealer’s Choice mixed games with a group of like-minded poker lovers in the heart of Las Vegas.

I tried to capture the experience in words (and pictures), but to truly understand the joy we had, you have to experience it yourself firsthand. Hopefully, reading this account will encourage you to do just that.

On my recent trip to Las Vegas to attend the WSOP for the second time, I made sure that a visit to Poker Central headquarters would be a part of my itinerary. After having met some of the good folks there, I came away indelibly impressed.

Here, then, is the story of the people who work so hard at Poker Central to bring you top-notch poker entertainment 24/7.

Anyone who has ever been to the WSOP knows the sounds and sights of the Rio’s hallways. Along with the throngs of poker players bustling about, there are numerous salespeople hawking items to passersby. It turns out that many of them are Israeli.

These people are more than just vendors though. They’re hardworking people, each with their own stories. Being American-Israeli myself, I decided to get to know them better and bring their stories to light. Perhaps you’ll look at them a bit differently after reading this article.

I’ve often “lurked around”, watching Daniel Negreanu play at live poker events. I’ve also particularly enjoyed the Kid Poker documentary produced about his life. The reason? Well, frankly I’ve just found him to be an inspiring individual.

Eventually, after hanging around watching him for so long, you have a “story” like this one that you want to share with people.

James Taylor is the man responsible for producing Daniel Negreanu’s daily vlogs at the 2017 WSOP. He was kind enough to grant us an interview during which we got an exclusive behind-the-scenes picture and description of the work involved in putting together the final product we see each day.

We hope you enjoy listening + a transcript is provided for your convenience.

The wait is over! After years of only having been able to purchase WSOP-branded goods and paraphernalia in person at the temporary souvenir shop set up at the Rio each summer, poker fans can now order WSOP-branded merchandise online all-year-round, right from the comfort of their homes.

Visit shop.wsop.com today to place your orders!

Pretty much any and every poker fan, no matter how casual, recognizes the name Doyle Brunson. The unmistakable cowboy hat sitting atop that ever-smiling face; poker’s living legend truly is one-of-a-kind.

I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to be introduced to Mr. Brunson. I’d just like to reflect on and share what that was like. In a nutshell: incredible. I’m grateful for a memory that will last a lifetime.

It would take a very unique set of circumstances for me to ever consider “hitting and running” at a poker table. As fate would have it, the stars aligned for a very unique set of circumstances, which led me to play poker, though I hadn’t planned on doing so.

I’m glad I did, as my one-hand session left me with a story I’ll never forget. I figured it’s something you’d all enjoy, so I’ve decided to share it with you.