You Should Subscribe to These Blogs

Been pondering the Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s report on the Gaming Associates’ audit of Absolute Poker a bit more. Got a chance yesterday to listen to the latest episode Keep Flopping Aces (the 1/10/08 episode) on which appeared Chuck Barnett, a member of the Board of Directors of Mohawk Internet Technologies and former administrator of the KGC. Worth a listen, but I have to admit I get a queasy feeling listening to Mr. Barnett “explain” the hierarchy of power over at Absolute & Kahnawake (home to approximately 60% of the world’s online casinos).

Am gonna keep pondering this one a little while longer. Meanwhile I will keep my eye on those threads on Two Plus Two regarding some funny business on Ultimate Bet. Might have to listen to PokerRoad Radio’s interview with mega-cheater JJProdigy from yesterday as well.

Oof. There’s that queasy feeling again.

Not gonna get into any of that today, though. No, I want to feel good. So instead of griping some more about the lawless applesauce that is online poker, I’m gonna invite y’all to click your way elsewhere across the intertubes.

I follow around a hundred blogs at the moment (all listed over there in the right-hand column). Obviously there will be days when I read some a bit more closely than others, though I do try to follow everyone’s ongoing narratives as well as I can. Thought today I’d take a moment to recommend three poker blogs that I think are especially well done. All are ones I only found in the last six months or so. And as far as I’m aware, none are among the oft-cited choices for “best poker blogs” one occasionally sees popping up on forums and elsewhere. But all should be.

Snoopy System

In addition to reporting from pro tourneys for Blonde Poker (and perhaps some other outlets of which I ain’t aware), U.K.-based Snoopy1239 keeps a high-quality personal blog where he writes about his experiences covering the circuit as well as his own play. Most recently Snoopy has been posting from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, detailing his encounters with several big-name pros in the Bahamas. (He cross-posts items like that both on Blonde & his blog.) Prior to the PCA articles were a dozen entries relating his own adventures at the 2/4 NLHE tables. Snoopy’s posts are well-written, convey a sharp sense of humor, and are insightful, too.

From the Desk of the Poker Philosopher

If you hang out a lot on Two Plus Two, you are probably aware of Foucault, a.k.a. Andrew Brokos, a.k.a. the “Poker Philosopher.” A frequent poster on the site, Foucault regularly writes shrewd, perceptive articles for the Two Plus Two magazine as well. He’s achieved some serious success both live and online, cashing in WSOP events and taking down major online tourneys. His blog features accounts of his own play, smart and helpful reviews of poker books, and occasional anecdotes from his experiences at debate camps and other intellectually-stimulating venues. He might also refer you now and then to neat sites like TED, where one can find eye-opening lectures on technology, entertainment, and design.

Poker Grump

Finally, go ahead and add the Poker Grump to your list of subscribed feeds if he ain’t there already. His blog, subtitled “All the Things I Hate About the Game I Love,” covers a wide variety of poker-related topics, though usually revolves around his experiences playing mid-level stakes in Vegas. His descriptions and judgments of poker rooms, dealer and player behavior, and other elements of the Vegas poker scene are uniformly well conceived and presented. If yr new to the Grump, a recent post, “Best of the Grump (so far),” is a great place to get acquainted.

While I’m at it, lemme also remind you about the other blogs where I sometimes appear.

There is PokerSift, where I’m blogging along with about 15 other interesting folks of different backgrounds. I started out cross-posting items both here and there, but beginning this week have decided to keep the content separate. So add that one to yr feeds. And I know yr already subscribed to Pokerati, where I’ll turn up once in a while amid the other poker news and fun stuff.

But enough of my musings for now. Go check out Snoopy, Foucault, and the Grump, why dontcha?