What Makes For A Good Poker Blog?

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What makes for a good poker blog? That is a tough, tough question. I struggle with that question daily when I try to decide whether or not to spend some time composing a post or if I should just say “the heck with it,” and delete the whole site. Unfortunately for those poor souls who come here looking for a bit of wisdom, I just can’t bring myself to pull the plug.

I have thought about what makes a good poker blog though and here are the ten things I’ve come up with:

1. Don’t Bore Me! There’s nothing worse than someone who posts hand history after hand history. Most people aren’t looking for advice when they post hand histories (that’s what 2+2 is for). They tend to either want to relay their bad beats or their brilliant moves. In most cases, the bad beats weren’t that bad and the brilliant moves weren’t that brilliant.

2. Be Humble! There’s nothing as humbling as going back and reading your own posts a year, two years, or three years after you’ve posted them. That guy you blasted on your blog for being a total fish, you now realize had played the hand perfectly. That bad beat you just had to share when you called with KJ in MP after a raise and re-raise isn’t something you would even admit to today. Unless you’re a world class pro, chances are you’ll be eating some crow if you don’t remember to be humble.

3. Be Interesting! I’m willing to wager that most poker bloggers have a life away from the tables. Share a little of yourself! I’ve gotten as much enjoyment out of reading Joe Speaker’s non-poker musings as I have from anything he’s written about poker. BG’s rants (even when they’re about me) are better than most of the poker stuff others write. I’m going to be a little cruel (and egotistical) here and say that of all of the poker bloggers out there, only 10% - 15% know enough about poker to teach me anything I don’t already know. Chances are you aren’t one of them so try to be interesting in some other way. Make me care about you as a human being. I want to care. I want to tell people, “Wow, I read this great post today.”

4. Be Honest! Honesty is hard to fake and when you’re not being honest you’re rarely fooling anybody but yourself. I’ve read posts where people have described the battles that they wage within themselves to become better players. Some bloggers have admitted to serious character flaws that prevent them from advancing. I enjoy those posts. Not because I take any joy in the trials of others but because those people are being genuine. I can’t help but want to care about them. Often I see elements of myself in their writings and their posts take on a personal dimension that is both uncomfortable and gratifying at the same time.

5. Stand on the Shoulders of Those Who Have Come Before You! Some of the most interesting posts I’ve ever read have been from poker bloggers who have cited a well known poker author and then described how they’ve applied what they’ve learned from that author to their own game. HDouble’s posts dissecting Abdul’s writings have literally generated Eureka moments for me and have had a substantial impact on my game. I’ve borrowed from many poker bloggers to fuel my own posts. If I disagree I write about why I disagree. If I agree I analyze why it is that I feel the original author is correct. Take what others have written and make it real. Tell a story.

6. Leave comments! One of my pet peeves is someone who tells me they read my blog daily and I’ve never seen them leave a comment. How the heck am I supposed to discover your blog if you don’t even go to the trouble of commenting on my blog about something you’ve enjoyed (or hated, or disagreed with, etc)? It’s like the poker saying; you gotta give action to get action.

7. Attend a WPBT event! It doesn’t even need to be a WPBT event, get out there and meet some other poker bloggers. Most of us don’t bite and you just might be surprised at who has been reading your blog.

8. Post Frequently! There’s nothing I enjoy more than someone who satiates my poker blog addiction. While I do get frustrated with poker blogs that post trash simply so they can post something, I give extra credit points to those who can post a something interesting on a frequent basis. You don’t have to blow my mind every day but I’m a sucker for someone who can work up the courage to say something new and interesting every day.

9. If You Can, Be Humorous! I can’t speak for everybody but I love people who can sprinkle a little humor into their writing. You don’t have to be a poker prodigy if you can make people laugh.

10. Always Be Prepared! AlCan’tHang could call you any time, day or night, and ask you to do a dial-a-shot. That comes with the poker blogging territory. If you aren’t within arms-length of alcohol 24/7, you just might find your poker blogger status revoked.

Poker blogging is hard work. You’re likely to lose sleep, your family, and even your hair doing it. But if you keep the ten tips above in mind, you too can become a poker blogger!

And if PokerStars happens upon this . . . this is my entry. Give me the jacket!!!

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