Is it blogging or blagging?

Author: Simon Dexter

As is the case with all Bank Holidays nowadays, most people end up supplementing their statutory break either by using some legitimate holiday entitlement or throwing a sickie. Your correspondent did the former this week and ended up playing a few games of poker and finally finding time to read through the words of wisdom to be found in several poker blogs. What an experience.

There’s little chance of side-lining Doyle Brunson when it comes to blogging and his “Doylism of the Day” frequently offers everything from a fascinating examination of our emotional impulses to a critique of Renaissance architecture, or even his alternative thesis on why our moral code has imploded. Or rather, it doesn’t. This week’s ‘Doylism’? Get this: “If I could give the younger generation one gift, it would be the ability to laugh at yourself.” Thanks, Doyle.

Okay, how about Gus Hansen’s efforts? Here’s a guy who’s won more than million at the poker table, is 27th on the all-time money list and has been a pro since 1997; his blog must be running over with advice and insight, surely?

Actually, Gus prefers not to talk about poker this time, preferring instead to focus on airport security (I kid you not). You see, Gus travels a lot, so why are his laptops x-rayed at McCarran Airport and not at Heathrow? Why are his squash racquets checked in London and not in Vegas? Aha! Gus offers us some valuable insight: “Maybe they just have more squash-racquet killings in UK than in the rest of the world.” Brilliant.

You could only feel sorry reading Daniel Negranu’s blog: “It’s 1:15am here now and it’s past my “new” bedtime. Lately I’ve been in bed by midnight and at work by either 9am or 10am and tomorrow is no different. In fact, it’s going to be like that for me up until I leave for Europe again at the end of the month.”

My favourite comes from Roy “The Oracle” Winston and his advice for table selection: “There may be several games that are open and picking the “right” one can be part of having a winning session,” declares The Oracle. “For instance, one table you are looking at has several players that you know to be solid and sometimes cause you trouble, while another table has an easier line up. Unfortunately, it is usually not such an easy decision but it still pays to examine your options.” Roy, thanks from the bottom of my heart – you made going back to work so much easier.