Introduction

Hello Blogger World!
I suppose you'd like to know a little bit about me in this first post - why I'm qualified to write about poker, what I'm all about, and what the blog is going to be about. Isn't that what first posts usually entail? We'll answer this one in parts:

Why I'm Qualified to Write About Poker
Really, it doesn't matter if I'm qualified or not. Anything you read or listen to should help your game one way in another even if it's wrong because you should be thinking critically while you process information about poker. I will occasionally be writing strategy tips which I think are probably suited for intermediate players (i assume this will be most of the readership). Barry Greenstein once noted that he considers reading poker books a good investment of his time even though he disagrees with most of the material because it helps him think about his own game and it shows him how other players, most of whom read these books, are thinking nowadays (a vital attribute for a winning player).

If it matters, I have been playing recreationally for four years, about 15-25 hours/week, starting at 2/4 limit hold'em and eventually beating 15/30 games for the first 2 1/2 years of my poker career. I recently switched to 1/2 and 2/5 no limit hold'em and have been beating the game consistently for roughly $26/hr. I have recorded exactly two losing months out of a sample size of 48 and am a big lifetime winner in small to medium stakes holdem.

What I'm All About:
I am a 23 year old kid from Chicago who is out of a job and tired of looking at the job market. I have been a tournament reporter/freelance poker writer for two years, covering the WSOP and interviewing the biggest names in poker.

I have taken time off in the past to play as my primary source of income, and I started doing so again about a week ago. I expect to make a pretty meager income while I do this (my hourly figure is skewed because of game selection - if I play on weekdays it will lower considerably), but I can safely say unless I score big in a tournament, or start taking some shots, I will expect to make between $20-40k this year.

I am a poker fanatic; I listen to podcasts all day, read everything I can get my hands on, and lurk regularly on the poker forums.

I am not an online specialist. I hate online play, I think I am being cheated every time I play, and I am disgusted at how tough the games are getting. I still play because I am a sicko and I have money I can't get off the sites, although it is dwindling slowly but surely.

I am probably not in this for the long run. My past experience has taught me that poker is a great hobby but a terrible job.

What The Blog Will Be About:

It will be about whatever I feel like writing, poker-related. If you like my writing, non poker-related life posts can be found at my other blog, http://www.xanga.com/anonymousliar. It will be a little strategy, some poker stories, stories about life as a grinder, etc. I think it will be interesting for people to follow the life of what many desire; playing full-time in small to medium stakes as a pro/semipro.



I hope you all find this journey an interesting one.