Introducing Chris Tessaro
Hi guys,
At Betfair, we've teamed up with Chris Tessaro and he'll be writing a regular poker column for us, providing us with his funny and informative glimpses into the world of poker.
Not sure who Chris Tessaro is exactly?
Read on, as he explains all below...
"I am not a top ranked poker professional, although, at times I have the ego of Hellmuth and the volatility of Matusow, mixed in with a little of Negreanu's chattiness and Laak's unpredictability. I do NOT have any of the skills of those players, or the three hundred or so ranked players below them.
I am not an online poker savant, and have only multi-tabled buffet lines. I can play up to and including four tables of online poker at one time, although it's an extremely safe bet that I would be playing at least three of them very badly. When Tom 'durrr' Dwan or Sorel 'Imperium' Mizzi sign into an online game, they induce fear. When I sign in, I induce indifference. This is assuming, of course, that I can remember my password. I often forget it. I tried going with something simple, like 'donkey' or 'fish' but it seemed like everyone in the chat window knew my password because they would keep shouting it at me while I was playing!
I am not a 'phenom' at anything. Annette Obrestad is a phenom. I have not burst onto any scene with a vengeance. I once had Montezuma's revenge, which caused me to burst into bathrooms with a vengeance, but I don't think that qualifies. I arrived in the poker world slowly, and carefully. And I did it pre-Moneymaker, so I guess that makes me a veteran.
I am not the next big thing. I may be the next medium sized thing, but those rarely get the publicity of the big things, and, despite my Hellmuthian ego, I'm actually okay with that.
I could go on and on listing all the things that I'm not, but I think you get the drift. If you're reading my blog for strategy, you've come to the wrong place. But, if you're looking for a good read on poker, written by someone who knows just about everybody in the poker industry, then you're on the right track.
I started writing about poker just before Moneymaker blew the poker world open. I have been playing the game since I was about 12 years old, playing cash games in the basement of a golf course club house. I've always done well at the game, but never spectacularly well. But I love the game (I'm playing online as I write this).
I love poker for a variety of reasons. First, and foremost, poker, in any form, provides you with a way to measure yourself against others. I remember talking to the aforementioned Hellmuth not that long ago, and asking him about his obsession with winning WSOP bracelets.
His response was that poker to him was all about who had the most skins on the wall at the end of the day. And poker at any level, in any format, provides you with that measuring stick. Are you the best in that hand, the best at the table, the best in a cash game, the best in a tournament... it's a constant series of way posts that allow you to clearly see your progress.
And sometimes that progress can be backwards. That's another thing about playing this game: even the best lose at times. So poker gives you the opportunity to see how well you handle adversity. In fact, we all know that ability is actually a coveted one in gambling: the fortitude to resist going on tilt.
I also have a wonderful affection for the cerebral part of poker. It's my favourite part of the game. Figuring out the odds, the outs, trying to decipher the line, and the texture of the cards: I love ALL of that. Sure, it's easy to play your pocket aces and make money. But the ability to decipher the story another player is attempting to tell you with his play, put him on a hand, and be right...well, that's magical to me. Not that I do it very often: I'm just as likely to call a bet, and find out I was nowhere CLOSE to correct. But I still love trying.
And last, but not least, I love the social aspect of poker. Whether playing online, or sitting down at the Main Event of the WSOP or the WSOPE, we all share a common bond: we're all poker players. And that gives us a common thread from which to draw.
I've met some absolutely amazing people sitting at a poker table. I've become best of friends with someone... for three hours. And then moved to a different table, and found a new friend. The poker community is riddled with wonderful personalities. Eccentrics, romantics, sceptics, and believers: all part of the fabric of poker.
And, for that very reason, I find myself here. To share some of the stories I encounter along the way. From the old Texas road gamblers, to the internet whizz kids. From bad beats beyond belief to prop bets providing comic relief. I've been lucky enough to interview, chat with, and know a little of everything and everyone in the world of poker. I will do my best to share that with you. My observations, my little slice of life from the world of felt tables and clay chips.
I hope you read with as much enjoyment as I write. Come on back any time......
Read more about poker strategy and keep up with the latest news from Chris.
At Betfair, we've teamed up with Chris Tessaro and he'll be writing a regular poker column for us, providing us with his funny and informative glimpses into the world of poker.
Not sure who Chris Tessaro is exactly?
Read on, as he explains all below...
"I am not a top ranked poker professional, although, at times I have the ego of Hellmuth and the volatility of Matusow, mixed in with a little of Negreanu's chattiness and Laak's unpredictability. I do NOT have any of the skills of those players, or the three hundred or so ranked players below them.
I am not an online poker savant, and have only multi-tabled buffet lines. I can play up to and including four tables of online poker at one time, although it's an extremely safe bet that I would be playing at least three of them very badly. When Tom 'durrr' Dwan or Sorel 'Imperium' Mizzi sign into an online game, they induce fear. When I sign in, I induce indifference. This is assuming, of course, that I can remember my password. I often forget it. I tried going with something simple, like 'donkey' or 'fish' but it seemed like everyone in the chat window knew my password because they would keep shouting it at me while I was playing!
I am not a 'phenom' at anything. Annette Obrestad is a phenom. I have not burst onto any scene with a vengeance. I once had Montezuma's revenge, which caused me to burst into bathrooms with a vengeance, but I don't think that qualifies. I arrived in the poker world slowly, and carefully. And I did it pre-Moneymaker, so I guess that makes me a veteran.
I am not the next big thing. I may be the next medium sized thing, but those rarely get the publicity of the big things, and, despite my Hellmuthian ego, I'm actually okay with that.
I could go on and on listing all the things that I'm not, but I think you get the drift. If you're reading my blog for strategy, you've come to the wrong place. But, if you're looking for a good read on poker, written by someone who knows just about everybody in the poker industry, then you're on the right track.
I started writing about poker just before Moneymaker blew the poker world open. I have been playing the game since I was about 12 years old, playing cash games in the basement of a golf course club house. I've always done well at the game, but never spectacularly well. But I love the game (I'm playing online as I write this).
I love poker for a variety of reasons. First, and foremost, poker, in any form, provides you with a way to measure yourself against others. I remember talking to the aforementioned Hellmuth not that long ago, and asking him about his obsession with winning WSOP bracelets.
His response was that poker to him was all about who had the most skins on the wall at the end of the day. And poker at any level, in any format, provides you with that measuring stick. Are you the best in that hand, the best at the table, the best in a cash game, the best in a tournament... it's a constant series of way posts that allow you to clearly see your progress.
And sometimes that progress can be backwards. That's another thing about playing this game: even the best lose at times. So poker gives you the opportunity to see how well you handle adversity. In fact, we all know that ability is actually a coveted one in gambling: the fortitude to resist going on tilt.
I also have a wonderful affection for the cerebral part of poker. It's my favourite part of the game. Figuring out the odds, the outs, trying to decipher the line, and the texture of the cards: I love ALL of that. Sure, it's easy to play your pocket aces and make money. But the ability to decipher the story another player is attempting to tell you with his play, put him on a hand, and be right...well, that's magical to me. Not that I do it very often: I'm just as likely to call a bet, and find out I was nowhere CLOSE to correct. But I still love trying.
And last, but not least, I love the social aspect of poker. Whether playing online, or sitting down at the Main Event of the WSOP or the WSOPE, we all share a common bond: we're all poker players. And that gives us a common thread from which to draw.
I've met some absolutely amazing people sitting at a poker table. I've become best of friends with someone... for three hours. And then moved to a different table, and found a new friend. The poker community is riddled with wonderful personalities. Eccentrics, romantics, sceptics, and believers: all part of the fabric of poker.
And, for that very reason, I find myself here. To share some of the stories I encounter along the way. From the old Texas road gamblers, to the internet whizz kids. From bad beats beyond belief to prop bets providing comic relief. I've been lucky enough to interview, chat with, and know a little of everything and everyone in the world of poker. I will do my best to share that with you. My observations, my little slice of life from the world of felt tables and clay chips.
I hope you read with as much enjoyment as I write. Come on back any time......
Read more about poker strategy and keep up with the latest news from Chris.