Robbie Strazynski
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poker, online poker, card games, casinos, gaming industry
Founder, Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia)
Poker media personality 🎙️
Translator, @elielezra1's 📚: amzn.to/2DF3CDS
I LOVE poker, Israel, & USA ❤️
Articles by Robbie Strazynski
The Most Famous Jewish Poker Players
Throughout the decades-long history of the modern game of poker, Jewish poker players have experienced notable success. As per Al Alvarez‘ legendary poker book The Biggest Game in Town, back in the early 1980s, Doyle Brunson once bet Hollywood star Gabe Kaplan at the World Series of Poker “Texans versus Jews”, meaning that there were plenty member of both “tribes” competing in the WSOP Main Event even in its formative years.
Our Top Poker Articles of 2012: A Cardplayer Lifestyle Retrospective
Poker at the Olympics With 2012 being an Olympic year (hello, London!), I explored the potential inclusion of poker as an Olympic sport, emphasizing the need for a shift from monetary rewards to a focus on competition and national pride. I proposed a format featuring both individual and team events, with tournaments in various poker disciplines such as H.O.R.S.E., awarding medals to top finishers and overall performers.
Interview with Francine Watson: The Creative Force Behind PokerStars' Video Production
As the Associate Director of Creative & Content at PokerStars, Francine Watson has played a key role in shaping the visual identity and storytelling approach of one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. From producing high-profile content to ensuring PokerStars remains at the forefront of poker entertainment, her influence is undeniable. Francine’s exceptional work was recently recognized at the 2024 Global Poker Awards, where she was honored as Industry Person of the Year.
Our Top Poker Articles of 2011: A Cardplayer Lifestyle Retrospective
Welcome to the second article in our retrospective series, in which we look back at some of the top poker articles we’ve published throughout each year we’ve been online. In case you missed it, here’s our first, where we looked back at 2010. We’ve now reached 2011, which was most notable in the poker world for Black Friday. On April 15, the US Department of Justice seized the domains of the world’s biggest online poker sites and forever changed the trajectory of our industry.
Our Top Poker Articles of 2010: A Cardplayer Lifestyle Retrospective
I’m not sure exactly why, but I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. That idea of looking back gave me the idea to do a full-on retrospective. More specifically, today we’ll be kicking off a 15-article series where we look back at Cardplayer Lifestyle’s “greatest hits”. We debuted online in November 2009 and continue publishing poker content to this day, over 15 years later.
The weather is heating up, and the action continues to soar during April on PokerGO. The tournament action continues with the PGT PLO Series, the U.S. Poker Open, and the Texas Poker Open. Cash game action includes the continuation of High Stakes Poker and No Gamble, No Future, while the Champions Club Cash Game Festival returns to kick off the Texas Poker Open.
What to do on Brazil during the SiGMA Poker Tour
In just a few days, the first stop of the brand-new SiGMA Poker Tour will begin in Brazil. For those planning to attend, we’d like to recommend some places, tours, and visits you can take to make your visit to São Paulo 🇧🇷 even more enjoyable. Here are some entertainment, leisure, and tourism options that you can take advantage of during a day off from poker or if you decide to stay a few extra days to explore the most populous city in Latin America, with almost 12 million inhabitants.
Play Poker With Bank Transfer, USDC: 2 New Deposit Options On CoinPoker
Leading crypto poker site CoinPoker has now added support for fiat payments in around 25 countries, as well as stablecoin USDC for all players.
HendonMob Announces Sweeping Changes to 2026 GPI Awards Ceremony
In a highly unexpected move that perhaps encapsulates the ever-evolving nature of poker, Global Poker Index (GPI) President Eric Danis has announced a series of groundbreaking changes to the 2026 GPI Awards ceremony. New Date and Show Structure, Same Host Recognizing that most nominees haven’t bothered making the effort to attend the ceremony over the last few years, GPI has decided to make a hard pivot.
The Festival Weekend Debuts at Tallinn’s Chesterfield Poker Club: Nine Tournaments, Guaranteed Overlays & More!
Tallinn, Estonia is set to host the upcoming inaugural “The Festival Weekend,” powered by Betsafe, from April 23-26. The event will take place at the city’s Chesterfield Poker Club, marking The Festival’s return to Tallinn since 2022. About the Venue: Chesterfield Poker Club Situated in the heart of the Estonian capital, the Chesterfield Poker Club has quickly become a central hub for the city’s thriving poker scene since its opening last year.
Raise to Ten: A Run It Once Training Initiative for Casual, Ambitious Poker Players
When it comes to poker training, there are so many different options out there these days. While many of these provide valuable resources, they tend to mainly be geared towards serious poker players who spend a lot of time playing and studying. Options for recreational players are much more limited, perhaps in part because they are often not seen as a “valuable enough” market.
My Second Once-in-a-Lifetime Tournament Poker Vacation
This was the second time I decided to take a poker vacation in Las Vegas to just play low stakes tournaments. Three years ago, I wrote about how it would likely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fortunately, I was wrong. The pull of tournament poker in Las Vegas was just too tough to resist! This time I played almost exclusively at the Horseshoe, which in my view is the current mecca of low-stakes No Limit Hold’em tournaments in Las Vegas.
PokerStars Open Philadelphia Set to Kick Off New Live Series in North America
PokerStars is expanding its footprint in the United States by bringing its new PokerStars Open series to the City of Brotherly Love. The 2025 PokerStars Open Philadelphia is scheduled to take place from April 21-27 at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia.
Meet all the 888poker LIVE Glasgow champions
The 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival took place from March 13-23 at Grosvenor Casino Merchant City. A number of events were contested on the schedule, with the £250K GTD £888 buy-in Main Event attracting a total of 407 entries. That meant a total prize pool of £320,000 — well exceeding the tournament’s guarantee, which was par for the course with pretty much every other tournament at the 888poker LIVE festival in Scotland’s largest city.
How do online casinos make a profit from table games?
Casinos are one of a small number of businesses that are considered by many to be “recession-proof”. Now, that doesn’t mean that if somebody sets up a casino, they can immediately turn it into a globally successful enterprise. However, it does mean that there’s a business model and framework that results in profit, especially when it is correctly executed. House edge and “the house always wins” are two of the most common terms in casino gaming.
In Glasgow for a Poker Trip? Try Our 8 Favorite Non-Poker Activities and Attractions
Poker trips are always exciting, but they’re always better when you take some time to explore the host city. I’ve traveled to Scotland’s largest city to cover the 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival, and while there’s plenty of action to be had inside Grosvenor Casino Merchant City, it would be a shame to not step outside and experience Glasgow itself (and beyond).
6 Observations about 66 Minutes of Playing in My First Ever 888poker LIVE Tournament
Hot on the heels of my first ever tournament cash last month, and in line with my main poker goal for the year of putting in more volume, among the many things I planned to do while attending the 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival was to actually play in one of the tournaments. New experiences at the poker tables are fun to have and write about, plus there’s always that distinct possibility that I might make it into the money and earn another flag for my HendonMob page.
Interview with 888poker LIVE Events Manager Joaquin Vidales
Joaquin Vidales started working for 888poker in January 2022. After a short while, he assumed the role of Live Events Manager with the company. In a nutshell, his job is to make sure that the development and production of 888poker LIVE events actually happens. He is the individual who chooses “what’s best for 888poker to do”, including where the live events should be held, which venues and companies to partner with, and more.
Interview with Grosvenor Casino Merchant City General Manager Debbie Johnston
Hosting a major poker festival is no small feat, and when I sat down with Debbie Johnston, General Manager of Grosvenor Casino Merchant City, it was immediately clear that her passion for the game and the event extended far beyond the usual marketing talk. You could see it in her face and hear it in her voice. Her enthusiasm for running a live poker event and her excitement about hosting an 888poker LIVE festival in Glasgow for the first time were absolutely genuine.
“Listen, here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.” – Mike McDermott, Rounders “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” – Ancient Proverb Poker players intent on driving their graph upwards are hard at work looking for the game’s spots. While money trees don’t exist, they can always tell when someone is green at the table and they’re happy to see the poker fish at the felt.
CoinPoker And New Crypto Wallet ‘Best Wallet’ Team Up For Poker Freeroll Tournament
Crypto poker site CoinPoker often joins forces with upcoming DeFi and Web3 communities to run exclusive freerolls for players, including the likes of Bitcoin.com, InsideBitcoins and more. This Friday, a $1000 GTD freeroll is the next such promotion, this time for members of the Best Wallet community.
5 Things I'm Looking Forward to at 888poker LIVE Glasgow
As I prepare to attend and cover the 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival next week, I’m excited both for the poker action I’ll be witnessing (and taking part in!) as well as for the vibrant experience I’m sure to have in Scotland’s largest city. Having covered and attended numerous live poker events over the years, there’s always something special about experiencing a new destination through the lens of both poker and culture.
The Universal Method for Retelling Poker Hand Histories
During a break at a live stop, in line for a coffee or a bathroom, you’ll hear lots of poker players retelling their bad beats or working out how they could have played their hand better. “So I raise with pocket queens and the guy re-raises me. He’s pretty tight, so I call. Flop is ace something something. He bets again and I call. He bets on the turn again, I call. On the river, he goes all in. Have to fold right?” Cool story, Hansel.
2025 888poker LIVE Glasgow Preview
The 888poker LIVE tour is making its inaugural stop in Glasgow, Scotland, from March 13-23, 2025. This festival promises an exciting array of poker events, culminating in a £250,000 guaranteed Main Event. I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be heading to Scotland’s largest city to cover the 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival in person. It’ll be the first time I’ve attended and covered an 888poker LIVE event in over five years, the last being in Madrid back in 2020.
The SiGMA Poker Tour debuts in Brazil
In a few weeks, the all-new SiGMA Poker Tour will debut in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The first stop will take place from April 9 to 14 at the Monte Carlo Poker Club. Attendees will be able to take part in a Main Event with a massive $250K guaranteed prize pool, take part in VIP events, enjoy luxury accommodations and take advantage of networking opportunities.
PokerGO Monthly Preview: March 2025
It’s a month of on PokerGO in March that includes the continuation of the newest seasons of High Stakes Poker and No Gamble, No Future. Tournament action doesn’t slow down either as PGT Mixed Games concludes before the inaugural Super High Roller Bowl: $100k Mixed Games.
The first ever Costa Rica Poker Festival ended recently and among the event champions was a Latin American poker legend who managed to win in his home country: Humberto Brenes. He proved that he is still going strong at 73 years old and after almost 40 years of playing poker. Humberto’s first results were in 1987 in Las Vegas and in 1988 he managed to finish fourth in the Main Event won by Johnny Chan.
Chris Moneymaker Teams Up with Faded Spade for Exclusive Collectible Playing Cards
Poker fans and collectors, get ready for something truly special! Chris Moneymaker, the Poker Hall of Famer who changed the game forever with his unforgettable victory at the 2003 World Series of Poker, is teaming up with Faded Spade, the premier brand in high-quality playing cards, to release his first-ever Chris Moneymaker Collectible Playing Cards.
In 2024, Dominick French achieved a record that will be very difficult to beat: he earned cashes from live tournaments in 4⃣8⃣ different countries. Of the 365 days of the year, he spent 300 of them in hotel rooms. For this incredible milestone, he won the FlagHunter ranking that The Hendon Mob maintains every year and received an award at the Global Poker Awards in Las Vegas.
CoinPoker, the trailblazing blockchain-based online poker platform, has unveiled an exciting new partnership with Ryan Depaulo, a poker player known for his entertaining and unconventional style. This collaboration aims to bring Depaulo’s dynamic personality and creative content to the CoinPoker community, offering fans and players a fresh and engaging experience on the platform. Meet Ryan Depaulo: The Relatable Poker Star Ryan Depaulo isn’t your typical poker pro.
That (First) Cash Just Looks So Sweet
A typical tradition among restaurant owners and some other businesses is to frame the first dollar bill they make upon setting up shop. Even the great Scrooge McDuck, of fictional cartoon fame, fondly recalled “me number one dime!” on many occasions. No matter how successful an enterprise one ends up growing, there’s just something uniquely special about the first time you’ve made money.
Detailed Analysis of the Most Gambling-Obsessed States in the US
Play Casino has compiled a list of the most gambling-obsessed states in the US, based on per capita gross gaming revenue (GGR), highlighting regions where gambling is a significant economic and cultural activity. GGR includes revenue from casinos, sports betting, and online gaming where legal, adjusted for population to show intensity.
Mixed Game Festival X Day 2 Recap: Remembering Miami John
Following the successful kickoff of Mixed Game Festival X, which was marked by the traditional pizza party to get the ball rolling and a full 12 hours of dealer’s choice play across two cash game tables, players descended upon Resorts World in Las Vegas on Day 2 to continue where they left off. The focus of the second day of the festival was on the $300 O/E tournament (Omaha 8 + Stud 8), an event that was played in honor of “Miami” John Cernuto.
How to Steal Pots with Flop Continuation Bets
Continuation betting (cbetting) is the most common pot stealing play you’ll make in poker, especially on the flop. A well-placed cbet pressures your opponent into folding, even if you don’t have a strong hand (which is most of the time). But how do you make your cbets more effective and maximize your fold equity to win more pots? Here are 8 key strategies to help you win more pots with flop cbet bluffs. 1.
8 More PokerCoaching.com Coaches & the Skills They’ll Help You Master
About five years ago, my fellow Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor Mike Patrick wrote an article entitled 10 PokerCoaching.com Coaches & the Skills They’ll Help You Master. Well, Pokercoaching.com isn’t just still around; they’re THRIVING, having added tons more content to their poker training library as well as a number of new coaches to their active roster.
Poker Raffles Q&A Interview with Des Duffy and Leigh Wiltshire
The poker world is no stranger to innovation, but every once in a while, an idea emerges that fills a much-needed gap in the industry. Enter Poker Raffles, a UK-based platform co-founded by Des Duffy and Leigh Wiltshire, designed to offer recreational players the chance to win seats to major live poker events for as little as £1. Instead of grinding online satellites or breaking the bank with hefty buy-ins, players can now simply purchase a raffle ticket and hope their name gets drawn.
How Ego in Poker Can Ruin Your Career at the Felt
Among the many commonalities between life and poker, the paraphrased Solomonism “Pride comes before the fall” holds fast. Pride, overconfidence, an inflated ego, arrogance — however you put it — can have, and generally has had, disastrous consequences for many poker careers. In other words, too much ego in poker can be your undoing. This is no gripe with good self-esteem and mental health but rather the self-sabotaging effects of irrational decisions informed by undue optimism.
At the end of 2024 we published an article listing the best poker books that were published that year and one of them was “Poker Pioneer”, the biography of a true legend of the game: Tom McEvoy. Working together with Brad Smith, the pair produced a book that is one of the four nominees in the “Best Poker Book” category of the 2024 Global Poker Awards, which will be presented on February 22 in Las Vegas.
CoinPoker Ambassador Patrick ‘Pads’ Leonard Wins Big at 2025 PGT Kickoff
Patrick Leonard, a longtime well-respected name in the poker world and an ambassador of CoinPoker, has started off his 2025 campaign with an electrifying victory. Competing in the PokerGO Tour (PGT) Kickoff Series, Leonard emerged triumphant in Event #2, a $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em tournament held at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. Outlasting a field of 96 skilled players, Leonard walked away with a first-place prize of $124,800 and 250 PGT points.
After a thrilling race to the finish line, Yunkyu Song was crowned the 2024 World Poker Tour Player of the Year. A grueling 12 months at the felt saw him earn the coveted title of WPT Player of the Year. To find out how he did it and how the WPT Player of the Year award has developed over the years, we spoke to World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska.
Poker in Vietnam: Hanoi
You might think that Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam wouldn’t have much of a poker scene. After all, you might figure, poker, with roots in the United States is a game emblematic of capitalism. Thus, Hanoi, the capital of one of the most populous communist countries isn’t likely to have much in that regard. Right? Wrong. Hanoi is home to not one but several poker rooms. I visited four of them on my latest poker trip. It has a great poker scene.
CoinPoker To Run Chinese Themed Poker Promotion ‘Lunar New Year Series’ With $8888 In Added Value
Fresh off its Winter Series and the Cash Game World Championships, CoinPoker is set to begin another round of poker promotions for 2025, starting with a Chinese poker themed event to celebrate the Lunar New Year. There’s a combined $8888 in added value up for grabs, with something for both tournament and cash game players. CoinPoker Lunar New Year Series Schedule From Jan 27 – 31st tournament players will find five daily tournaments, each starting at 12:05 GMT.
2025 partypoker Tour to Kick Off in London in April: Antonio Sapio Talks Plans for the Future
partypoker has just made a splash in the poker world, having announced its return to staging live poker events. The 2025 partypoker Tour will launch in London this April, with additional confirmed stops in Manchester and Glasgow. Two more destinations will be announced later in the year, also to take place somewhere in the UK. In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the new partypoker Tour, including tour dates, tournament details, and how you can qualify online.
The Business of Poker Travel: How Pros Maximize ROI on the Road
Travelling the world for poker is a dream for many in the poker community. Attending a live stop, whether that’s in Prague, Jeju, the Bahamas, Brazil, or one of many US cities, the opportunity to score big while seeing what the world has to offer is just one of the many perks that come with playing poker. In a sense, poker travel is the nuts. The majority of poker tournaments are “open.” Any poker player can catch the next flight, pony up the entry fee and go for glory.
Interview with Ian Simpson Winner of 2025 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event
I’m joined for this interview by Ian Simpson, fresh off his incredible win at the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event, where he took home €62,000. Not only is this a huge personal achievement, but it also marks the first time an 888poker Ambassador has won one of the company’s own live events. Ian battled through a tough field of 403 entries in the €888 buy-in event, endured a grueling 12-hour final day, and emerged from a two-hour heads-up duel to claim the title.
How to start playing poker before working your way up to the pros
For some players, it’s enough to try poker online purely for fun and as something cool to do after a long, hard day at their regular job. Other players, though, have bigger ambitions and aim to work their way up to playing professionally. The chance to earn a living doing something you enjoy is pretty awesome, after all, as is the glamour and potential financial rewards of being a poker pro.
Bridging the Mixed Game Poker Gap Between Recreational Players and Poker Pros
For over three years now, our Mixed Game Festival series has been a haven for poker enthusiasts who relish the thrill of low-stakes mixed games. Now, as we gear up for Mixed Game Festival X, scheduled for February 16-20, 2025, at Resorts World Las Vegas, we’re taking things to the next level, thanks to the sponsorship of the PokerGO Tour (PGT).
The GTO Way to Plan Your Poker Schedule for the Year
When it comes to planning your poker schedule for the year, it’s critical to consider not just the events you want to play, but also the must-plays, balancing your bankroll considerations along with likely travel expenses and other factors. Must-plays are poker tournaments that the poker community hivemind considers absolutely mandatory.
4 Insights From Every Poker Showdown
Showdowns are where you learn the most about each poker player. If you watched, and can remember, the action of the hand from start to finish, you can replay the hand in your mind and learn a lot about how a player thinks. You see the exact hand they called with preflop, the strength of hand they check-called with on the flop, the hand they check-raised 3x with on the turn and the hand they shoved with on the river.
World Poker Tour Announces Schedule for First Half of Season 23
Hot on the heels of its end-of-the-year World Championship festival, the World Poker Tour has an eye towards the future, having announced seven scheduled events – across its Main Tour and Prime Tour – for the first half of 2025. Spanning four continents, the WPT will be returning to a number of destinations it has previously visited, with the goal of doing things even bigger and better than in the past.
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