Poker Articles

Letter from the Editor
By Amy Calistri

I am very pleased to report that I have accepted the position of Editor of PokerPages.com. While I have written for a number of poker publications, I have always felt like PokerPages was home.

Before I played my first home game, PokerPages was where I learned the basics of live play logistics and etiquette. When I first became interested in poker tournaments, PokerPages was the place I went to find tournament results from across the country and across the world. When I played in my first major tournament, I was met and supported by a group of players I had come to know online during PokerPages’ software beta test; people who remain my friends to this day. And when I first starting writing about poker, PokerPages was one of the first places to offer me an opportunity to be heard.

I have always appreciated PokerPages as a resource for players. But perhaps most important to me is that PokerPages has always maintained the philosophy that poker’s greatest assets are the players. Whether a player is a hardened tournament pro, a Friday night home gamer, an aspiring online phenomenon, or a newbie, PokerPages celebrates their quest for knowledge, enthusiasm for the game, and, of course, their victories. And I view my primary mission, as editor, is to continue PokerPages’ demonstrated three “R” legacy: recognition of players, respect for players, and resources for players.

Poker has experienced unprecedented growth over the last few years. Initially the rising tide of poker lifted all boats in the industry; there were no losers. The casinos, the media, the players, the writers, the bloggers, the online portals, and the online money sites all benefited from the public’s newfound fascination with our game. But as our “industry” starts to mature, it will see consolidation. Industry consolidation can be constructive. Ideally, industry survivors will tend to focus on improving customer satisfaction, potentially forging partnerships and alliances that strengthen their offerings. Industry participants that are undercapitalized, fail to deliver a customer-oriented quality product, or miss synergistic partnership opportunities, will be left behind.

While it is too early to call the long-term winners and losers in our industry, I hold a simple view about poker’s future. If industry participants focus on what’s best for the player, we will have a better industry. We will probably never experience this growth spurt in poker again. But if content providers, online money sites, tournament directors, sponsors, casinos, and television production companies focus on continuing to improve the experience and environment for players, we will have a strong industry that assures the steady growth of this great game.

I am very excited about my new assignment here at PokerPages. And I am especially looking forward to hearing from you, our readers, on how PokerPages can improve your experience, both here on the site - and out there on the felt.

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