Some of you reading this might cringe at the potential fallout from making the following statement;

There is no such thing as luck.

Is there good timing and bad timing? Sure. What there isn’t is the force 95% of humanity seems to cater to when playing poker. Whether they’re trying to hold off on exposing their cards until the other player does, whether they’re bringing a lucky orange to the table, whether they’re making sure they’re the first one to see the turn, carrying a rabbits foot, or hopping on one foot while singing ‘Jesus was a Cajun’, they’re completely fooling themselves and are completely full of crap.

See, this one little four-letter word has two meanings: the aforementioned force that people cater to and the timing mentioned above. The problem as I see it, however, is that with one word having two definitions, the line that connects those meanings has been blurred to the point where they’reconsidered one and the same. That means everyone and their sister blames everything on luck. It’s incredibly dumb.

I’m so sick of reading blogs where the author says ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, I just got unlucky’ week after week after week. It’s so incredibly dumb and its such a huge trap; a self-fufilling prophecy. You have the excuse to lose, so you’re ok with losing because it’s not your fault you’re losing because luck is always there to blame. As a poker player, I should love this phenomenon because hey, its profitable. As a person with an overabundance of empathy, I drive me nuts. I’d be tearing my hair out if I had any to tear.

Don’t fall into the trap. Don’t ever blame luck and your path will be clear. Without the crutch, one has no choice but to walk, and when you’re forced to account for yourself, you’re going to start acting in a more productive way to end the embarassment that comes from inconsistency. You’ll actually learn from your mistakes and not make them again. Crazy enough to work.

Gary@wisehandpoker.com

Hey all,

OK, the vacation is over. Not that it was a vacation per se, I’ve just been dealing with a lot of off-site stuff and I’ve been more or less buried up to the eyes in it. We start with the WPT next week and have a lot of other goodies coming soon, so keep your eyes on the ball, we’ll get there.

Hope everyone’s enjoying the weekend, til tomorrow,

Gary

Hey guys,

Just a quick note to point out pokerinwurope.com’s coverage of the World Heads Up Championships. This isn’t to be confused with the NBC tournament; this one features most of Europe’s finest, or at least did. Marcel Luske, Devilfish and Surider Sunar are amongst those already eliminated. Hope everyone’s having a good week,

Gary

I was having a great talk with Pete Radonjic last night (most of my great talks seem to happen at 3AM)with all topics being poker but the focus shifting frenetically. There were some relevant things said that I wanted to share, especially on one particular subject.

Pete, who’s going to be writing for us soon, has known me for a long time. One thing he knows to be true is that while I enjoy playing games, I enjoy looking at them at the next level a lot more. By the next level, I’m talking about everything beyond the pieces that make a game a game; the people, their relationships, what draws them to the game, history, culture…you name it, it fascinates me, but the reasons I’m so inclined must be saved for another day’s blog.

“You’re the guy that’s going to save poker history”

Pete and I share the view that a part of the majesty of competition comes from its recorded past. If professional poker’s ever going to transcend the ‘look-at-the-pretty-celebs-playing-poker!’ phase and become a real contest in the hearts and minds of the world, celebrating its past, present and every link in between is going to be a part of that. The only obstacle to that is a simple one: Poker players.

Poker teaches us to fend for ourselves against all comers. I’ll grant, business does that too, but somehow, it feels a lot more intensifies in the poker world. If you go on to twoplustwo.com, home of largest poker forum on the internet, you’ll see owner Mason Malmuth taking these not-well-veiled shots at every other outlet in the industry. He hides behind the veneer of ‘It’s not good poker writing’ while failing to understand not all poker media is going to be strategy-based in the new world of television and fame. He won’t be happy until the boom has passed, everyone’s lost interest and he can go back to writing college-level texts again. A lot of the same holds true for the other biggies in the industry.

If the WSOP and WPT had gotten together, shaken hands and said ‘let’s be the american and national leagues’, would there be anything left to ponder regarding the direction of the game? Probably not. if poker players could unify enough to create one world body with one set of rules, one mode of enforcement and unified data collection, would the records of poker be more than a jumbled mass of occasional data? Probably not. These are things that would help poker make the shift from leisure activity to seriously-taken copetition; statistics would provide the proof the cream always rises, while one uniformed poker world would focus those attentions of the planet on the best in the world

With every person in the industry accustomed to defending themselves against nine assailants and viewing everyone as a potential victim/enemy, they’re going to treat the other facets of life the same way. Lie, cheat steal, do what you have to to keep what’s yours and take what was once theirs. It’s a mentality that works beautifully for poker, but it doesn’t exsactly do wonders for communal harmony.

Am I the guy who’s going to change that? It’s a daunting task, much more than the mere collection of historic documents. I’m an outsider looking in…well, maybe over, and I recognize there’s too much there for any one person, but if other zealots like Pete are willing to roll up his sleeves, maybe I can at least function as the spearhead (feel free to make any ‘dull spear’ jokes here). Now all I have to do is convince poker players they need saving

Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com

Hey all,

I’ve been crazy-busy organizing writers, reading and writing, etc etc etc, but I just wanted to drop in, say hey and point out that Meng pust posted a new blog entry and I think it’s a really good read.

I finally got on Bluff radio last night. I think I choked a little bit when I overprepared for one topic then got asked about another, but hey, that’s showbiz. It’s sounding like it could become a regular thing, so I’ll hopefully get a chance to redeem myself. Hope everyone’s having a good week,

Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com

Hey all,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I’ll be interviewed on Bluff Radio tonight. If you want to listen, head over to www.bluffmagazine.com and you’ll find me pretty easily. Also, Bluff’s doing a great job with their coverage of the Mirage Poker Showdown, be sure to check it out while you’re there.

Also, just a reminder, we’re going to be launching a mass of content starting June 1, and my writers are all feeling like horses at the gate, so things are really going to be heating up. Thanks to everyone who’s helped us get this far; it only gets better from here. Nut rivers,

Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com

Hey guys,

Getting an early start today. After seeing the Todd Brunson-Shawn Sheikhan feud on High Stakes Poker, I sent Todd a few questions asking about their history. Thought you’d like to see the answers;

HI, Hope you like my answers

- How long have you known Shawn?

5 or 6 years

- Do you remember the first time you met him?

Yes, Everyone was talking about some new live one who showed up the day before, Sean showed up, talking like a rapper and I thought, what a goofball.

- What is it about Shawn that you dislike (or do you?)?

Sean is very abrasive and tries to run over everyone. He thinks he’s better than everyone and that can get irritating. He always wants special attention and cries when he doesn’t get it.

- What do you think about Shawn’s game?

Sean actually plays better than most people give him credit for. He talks and acts goofy but that’s just Sean. It generally doesn’t carry over into his game. After saying that, Sean is somewhat gutless and lacks the backbone to bluff in key situations.

- Is Shawn’s personality enough of a detraction that you don’t want him at your table?

I love Sean at my table. He aggravates everyone and can people on tilt. He’s also an easy target to make fun of, so from a purely entertainment standpoint Sean is a Godsend.

- Were your interview comments about him on HSP candid or were you asked to play it up for the camera?

Not only were my comments not solicited by the producers, they actually had to re shoot that part of the segment because the entire crew broke out laughing at my predictions for Sean. I refused to say anything negative about anyone else on the show, either about their play or about them as people. They got to Sean last and after so many ‘no comments’ I guess I really caught them off guard with my comments.

- What is your proudest poker moment?

probably after winning 13.5 million in a day and a half in what was at the time the biggest poker game ever played. A lot of people had a piece of the action so it felt good to do so well for all the people who put so much faith, and money, on me.

- In one word, tell me why you play poker.

money

- Favorite poker TV show?

High stakes poker on gsn. However I’m sure the show I’m producing will take it’s place next year when it’s complete.

- How has your life changed in the last three years other than writers pestering you for interviews?

I’m recognized and asked for autographs and pictures daily. I never would have guessed poker players would achieve such recognition. It’s great poker has finally gotten its due.

- Who is the best poker player in the world?

That’s tuff to know but I will say this, he or she can most likely be found in the top section of the Bellagio most evenings.

- Best woman player?

Jennifer Harmon hands down. She’s the only player to consistently beat the big game at the Bellagio.

- Which game (limit, no-limit, ring, tournament, Hold’em, Omaha) is the truest test of skill?

Each game is different and requires a different set of disciplines. It would definitely not be tournament because there is simply too much luck involved. If you take the best tournament players and put them in live games they get eaten alive, look at high stakes poker. They are used to playing against rank amateurs not seasoned pros.

- What would you like people to say/think when they hear Todd Brunson?

Damn he’s good

I just posted this on rec.gambling.poker and thought it should go up here too;

Hey guys,

Last week, I made a post here begging poker writers to come out of the
woodwork, and the response has been great. My site, wisehandpoker.com,
used to have one writer, me. Now we have eight, but I’m still having
demographic issues.

I need a woman, one who’s interested in poker both as a player and as a
viewer. Guys are guys and we’ll write with aggressive, male-idiot
vigor, but I want to balance things out a little and give the ladies a
writer they can relate to a little more directly. She doesn’t have to
be Jen Harman at the table; I understand she’s the only one. What she
needs to be is capable of writing entertaining content about those
things in the poker world that will appeal to her sisters of the felt
(could be a blog title…).

I also need a dealer. An experienced one. Preferably from Vegas, but
beggers, choosers, etc. Wisehandpoker.com doubles as the hub for our
business providing online content, and I want to be able to offer a
‘view from the other side of the table’ feature. Could you go out and
do this on your own? Sure, but we’ve worked (80 hours a week…) hard
for the last year to establish our connections and reputation in the
industry and that umbrella should help you get the exposure to really
get noticed, or better yet heard. I want the low-down, deep, dirty
grime that the dealers see while the players are blinded by stacks of
chips.

Ok, I’ve flowered this up a bit, but this really is a good opportunity
for the right people. If writing about the game you’re here to read
about interests you, drop me a line at g…@wisehandpoker.com and we’ll
discuss what I have in mind. Non-dealer/women can still apply. Thanks
for reading, nut rivers,

Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com

PS: For those of you who contacted me last week and haven’t heard back,
don’t give up hope; things have just been uber-crazy of late in the
good kind of way.

I’ve travelled beyond exhaustion. Today was incredibly hectic, with my partner (who I generally refer to as business to my poker) returning from two weeks away and the day seeing us address many of the tasks that had piled up in his absence.

Amongst the duties of the day were a number of phone calls to writers. Today, he, I or both of us spoke with the following: Meng Ji, Ryan Gustafson, Mike Johnson, Johnny Kampis, Pete Radonjic and Mike Thicke. Pretty impressive huh?

Who?

OK, you don’t know these names yet, but they’re going to help me change the face of Internet poker. Along with the Nagler brothers, Dave and Adam, these guys are writers, and they’re going to ply their trade here. We’re going to write more about televised poker, and poker history and poker culture and anything else in the game, more than anyone else on the net. Articles by the truckload. We’re going to be the content kings of the world.

These guys are all going to blog, and in between entries, we’re all going to start writing player bios, book reviews, episode summaries, tournament reports, poker news, feature articles and anything else we can wrap our minds around. I’ve chosen these guys from the applicants (sorry ladies, none of you applied! Call me) because they know the game, they love the game and they can write like Phil Hellmuth can bitch. This is going to be good.

I’m pumped. I’m ready. I want to turn the poker world on its ear. We’ve experienced a revolution that’s taken poker from game to culture, competition to entertainment, and we’re going to celebrate all that and everything that led to it getting here. Sure, we’ll do the occasional strategy work, because that’s a very real part of this world, but that’s not all there is to it, and we’re going to do everything in our power to bring you every ounce.

OK, I’m awake now. It’s only 12:15AM, so I have a few more hands in me. The day’s coming soon where I can actually sleep. Glory hallelujah.

Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com

Hey all, sorry I’ve been playing absentee landlord for the last few days. We’re in the process of expanding our staff and content repertoire and that’s keeping me more than busy, but should also eventually take a little of the load off.

I want to thank everyoe who’s e-mailed me about the site in recent weeks. Some of you may not be aware, but wisehandpoker.com acts as a hub for our content-provider business (this is why you can find us on pokerlistings.com), and that aspect of the company is growing rapidly. I’ll get this here blog back on track tomorrow. Thanks for your patience, nut rivers,

gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com