Robbie Strazynski

PokerListings boasts a number of great writers, one of whom is their International Editor, Dirk Oetzmann. After meeting him at a live event in the Bahamas, I naturally became more interested in his work.

I’ve always found poker writers who produce content in English despite it not being their mother tongue to be quite unique and talented. Dirk is no exception. I got to know him better after asking him a number of questions about his career, hobbies, and personal life.

I think you’ll enjoy learning about him, too, and thus develop a better appreciation for his great work.

Charity poker events are a dime a dozen these days, but they have the power to take on a special meaning when the charity’s founder comes to speak to the players in person.

In this post I recap my “charity poker event organizing history”, as well as the specifics of the latest one I put together. While the sums raises aren’t huge, the spirit of the events was incredibly positive and all the poker players came away feeling great about having been able to raise money for charity.

Even when I can’t seem to find my poker writing A-game, it’s no excuse to stop stepping into the batter’s box, as it were, and quit swinging altogether.

In this blog post, I talk a bit about why I haven’t been able to summon up the oomph to write much lately. I reflect on the road I’ve taken towards attaining poker world recognition and the weight that that position now carries with it.

I think you’ll find it interesting to read about the poker writing process I go through before clicking Publish.

Ever wonder what type of work goes in to being the Editor-in-Chief of PokerListings, one of the world’s top poker media brands?

We had the good fortune of getting an interview with Matt Showell, who serves as the site’s Editor-in-Chief and has been in poker writing for about a decade now. Beyond learning more about the work he’s done and is currently involved him, Matt was kind enough to tell us a bit about his personal life as well.

Hope you enjoy getting to know another great poker writer.

I’ve written a ton about my experiences this past summer at the World Series of Poker, and there’s still so much more to tell you all about.

Aside for all the poker I played in casino poker rooms, I also took the time one night to play in a local home game. The experiences were unforgettable and I want to tell you all about them, and why it was worth travelling halfway around the world to play in it.

I think a lot of recreational poker players and home game warriors will identify with what I have to say about the experience.

Haley Hintze is a no-nonsense poker writer. Over her 15-year career in the industry, there’s pretty much nothing that she hasn’t seen or written about. Having contributed to a number of different outlets and engaged in various different forms of poker writing, including live reporting, Haley has nonetheless kept a relatively low profile.

For that reason, we’re grateful that she agreed to be the next interviewee in our “Get to Know the Poker Media” series. It’s time to learn more about her and gain a better appreciation of the great work she’s done as a poker writer.

On the latest episode of the Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast (#270), together with my co-host Bruce Briggs, I interviewed Eric Danis, Head of Poker Content for the Global Poker League/Global Poker Index.

Listen to the entirety of Episode 270 of the podcast, which includes the interview with Eric starting at the 14-minute mark. You can also read the transcript.

In this post I reflect back on one year in front of the cameras as a PokerUpdate video presenter.

Sadly, the videos that Shimi “the Fish” Weiss and I produced have been discontinued. I let fans and followers in on some behind-the-scenes information, and more importantly, give thanks for the opportunity to have had a shot in the first place.

Next up in our ongoing “Get to Know the Poker Media” series is Lance Bradley, former Editor-in-Chief of BLUFF Magazine and current President and Editor-in-Chief of PocketFives.com.

A staple of the poker media for the last decade-plus, Lance takes us on a journey through his career as a poker writer and opens up a bit about his personal life.

Lance has plenty of interesting stories to tell and I’m sure you’ll enjoy getting to know him a little better.

More than just a review of two books written by George “the Engineer” Epstein, namely “Hold’em or Fold’em?” and “The Art of Bluffing”, this post tells the story of how to engineer success at the poker tables, as well as away from them. Here’s hoping you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed writing it up.

Mention the phrase “home game” to any recreational poker player and you’re sure to bring a smile to their face. Each and every poker fan has visions of fun poker nights with their buddies. But what table are you envisioning in that picture?

Depending on the stakes you play for, and how far along you are in your “home game journey”, you want to be sure you have the appropriate setting, and playing surface, on which to create those fun memories.

We’re happy to bring you an exclusive, very special interview with Traci Szymanski, the world’s #1 celebrity poker liaison. She’s done a tremendous job helping to promote poker to the mainstream over the years via exposing celebrities to the game, mainly at charity poker events. BIG celebrities!

Yet, Traci’s work has all been done behind the scenes, with the celebrities, charities, and big name poker players naturally taking the spotlight. Now, finally, it’s time for Traci to get some much deserved spotlight of her own.