We spoke with Robbie Strazynski, founding father of Cardplayer Life-style and the Combined Recreation Pageant, to debate his journey from poker fanatic to business determine. Throughout our dialog, he shared his ardour for poker, how he started with a weblog as a facet venture, and the way that advanced right into a revered platform.
He additionally shared the inspiration behind launching the Combined Recreation Pageant, which returns to Las Vegas from November 3-7 as a part of the North American Poker Tour.
Key Highlights
- Strazynski based CardPlayer Life-style as a facet venture in 2009, which later grew to become his full-time profession in 2017.
- The Combined Recreation Pageant was born from Strazynski’s ardour for blended poker video games and need to create a community-centered occasion.
- Combined Recreation Pageant IX, going down in Las Vegas, is partnering with PokerStars as a part of the North American Poker Tour (NAPT).
- The competition prioritizes money video games over tournaments, setting it other than typical poker festivals.
Interview with Robbie Strazynski: Beginnings, Friendships, and Poker Journey
Be a part of us for an unique behind-the-scenes take a look at Strazynski’s journey by means of the poker world.
Robbie Strazynski is a well known determine within the poker media. He’s achieved a bit of little bit of every part, however he’s finest identified for Cardplayer Life-style together with his insightful articles that cowl all areas of the poker universe.
Inform us a bit of about your self. How did you get entangled in poker, podcasts, and article writing?
I’m 42 years outdated and married with three children. I used to be born in Los Angeles and moved to Israel after highschool, simply earlier than turning 17. I’ve a life-long love for poker, having discovered the sport as a baby and having been enjoying house video games recreationally for over 20 years.
I based Cardplayer Life-style in November 2009 on a whim as a ‘nights and weekends’ facet gig pursuit. I favored poker and knew tips on how to write.
—Robbie Strazynski
Getting concerned in poker media happened regularly. I based Cardplayer Life-style in November 2009 on a whim as a “nights and weekends” facet gig pursuit. I favored poker and knew tips on how to write. I caught with it and, over time, was lucky sufficient to have gained and grown an viewers.
I made a decision to give up my job in March 2017 and make a go at being self-employed within the business, which fortunately led to different alternatives reminiscent of internet hosting poker podcasts, and many others.
Fortunately, I haven’t seemed again since and am grateful to be doing one thing I like a lot for a residing.
When did you create Cardplayerlifestyle.com? How is it completely different from different poker websites?
Whereas the positioning was based in November 2009, I really feel prefer it took a pair years till “I hit my stride with it.”
It was at that time that I began understanding my viewers higher and producing content material extra frequently. Naturally, issues ramped up considerably in March 2017 as soon as working the positioning grew to become my full-time pursuit.
Cardplayer Life-style has at all times been independently owned and operated. Whereas I work with many freelance contributors, I don’t have any workers.
I even have the flexibility to make use of a considerably completely different, unconventional income mannequin than most different poker media websites (as I solely must assist myself and my household).
Whereas that every one, by definition, means I run a smaller operation, I feel the positioning “punches above its weight” and, by means of having persistently produced high-quality content material, enjoys a optimistic reception within the business and amongst poker followers.
You appear to attach deeply with poker gamers by means of your podcasts and writing. Is there one particularly that you just developed a friendship with?
Properly, the quick reply is that I’m lucky to have the ability to name Poker Corridor of Famers Eli Elezra and Linda Johnson, in addition to Girls in Poker Corridor of Famer Jan Fisher, three of my closest associates who I first met by means of poker.
The longer reply is that I’m a pure extrovert who enjoys assembly and talking with individuals.
Touring to quite a lot of stops all over the world to cowl stay occasions has given me the chance to fulfill tons of poker gamers, and having hosted poker podcasts for a decade has given me the possibility to get to know so a lot of them on a deeper stage.
I’m fortunate to rely a whole lot of poker gamers amongst my associates.
You translated Eli Elezra’s biography. What curious factor did you study?
As talked about, Eli has turn out to be certainly one of my closest associates. Our relationship first actually flourished whereas I used to be engaged on translating his biography.
Having spent a lot time with him over the previous few years, I’ve been most impressed by his temperament at and away from the poker tables.
I can’t ever bear in mind seeing Eli lose his cool whereas enjoying; that’s the mark of a real skilled poker participant, by no means letting his feelings get one of the best of him and persevering with to play his ‘A sport’ no matter how the playing cards play out.
Away from the felt, Eli is without doubt one of the most joyous individuals I do know.
Fairly actually, his WhatsApp standing is “at all times joyful.” That’s an unbelievable option to stay life and a top quality that I attempt exhausting to emulate each on and off the felt.
Combined Recreation Pageant: What’s New and Easy methods to Take part
The ninth installment of the Combined Recreation Pageant is about to kick off in early November. We spoke with Robbie about the way it differs out of your commonplace poker sequence.
What makes this occasion completely different from different poker tournaments?
Most festivals and sequence you’ll discover on the yearly poker calendar are comprised solely of a slate of tournaments. Whereas we typically incorporate a match or two into our schedule, the Combined Recreation Pageant’s major attraction is money video games.
Apart from that, the overwhelming majority of poker performed is Texas Maintain’em, whereas we cater to blended sport lovers and supply vendor’s alternative poker and non-Maintain’em tournaments.
Our purpose is to develop non-Maintain’em poker variants organically by providing a brilliant low worth level of entry, with $4/8 mounted restrict money video games.
I’ve no intention of stopping to arrange and host Combined Recreation Festivals, and I’ll proceed working to enhance what’s on supply with every new version.
—Robbie Strazynski
Plus, many well-known poker execs and business personalities usually cease by to splash round and assist the initiative. It provides all gamers who attend the possibility to play with “poker celebs” for low stakes and luxuriate in and seize particular shared experiences collectively.
As well as, we name ourselves a “competition” as a result of there’s a lot greater than “simply” poker on supply.
Usually, we’ll embody pizza events, e-book signings, poker trivia competitions, tutorial seminars, merchandise giveaways, and extra as a part of our schedule of occasions. These are the sorts of parts that make an occasion actually really feel festive!
How can individuals take part? Is it open to anybody?
Anybody and everyone seems to be welcome to hitch us at our Combined Recreation Festivals! Our $4/8 vendor’s alternative tables are filled with super-friendly people who find themselves more than pleased to welcome new gamers and clarify all the sport variants being performed.
Simply seize your self a $100 rack of $1 chips and prepare to have the time of your life!
And somewhat than have to fret about immediately shedding your total stack of chips for those who make a mistake, get unfortunate, or get outplayed, like in Maintain’em, mounted restrict poker is rather more forgiving, and also you’ll sometimes get much more “bang to your buck” at our tables.
How has the occasion advanced, and what makes this yr’s competition stand out from earlier ones?
After we held our first one three years in the past at Westgate Las Vegas, it was mainly the manifestation of an thought I had.
I had by no means hosted a stay poker occasion earlier than and didn’t know if it will work. Fortuitously, tons of individuals got here out to indicate their assist!
We attracted dozens of individuals over three days, then 124 individuals for our first HORSE match with a PokerStars Platinum Cross for the winner. That winner ended up being 2004 WSOP Major Occasion Champion Greg Raymer, which was just about the absolute best end result from a advertising perspective, haha.
We’ve since run the Combined Recreation Festivals at two different Las Vegas venues, the Bellagio and Resorts World, in addition to one cease internationally at Malta’s Portomaso On line casino.
Our “core product” stays the low-stakes vendor’s alternative money video games.
Nevertheless, now we sometimes have 5 days of motion (as an alternative of 4), together with a stalwart group of secondary sponsors —reminiscent of Pokercoaching.com, D&B Poker, RunGood Gear, and PokerGO. Their assist allows us to offer a lot of further worth, prizes and merchandise to the gamers.
It’s clear that “the concept has legs,” and I hope to run many extra Combined Recreation Festivals within the years to return, with them persevering with to develop larger and higher with every new incarnation.
Our ninth competition primarily stands out from earlier editions because it represents the primary time we’re formally partnered with PokerStars and their NAPT (North American Poker Tour), which I’ll elaborate on beneath.
What does the partnership with PokerStars and the NAPT add to the expertise?
For starters, it creates the potential for extra new gamers to attempt blended video games and be a part of us for the primary time. That giant group of poker lovers coming in to play on the NAPT would be the “passersby foot site visitors” that will get firsthand publicity to what the Combined Recreation Pageant is all about.
I think about that some of us can be a lot intrigued by the loud, fun-filled, pleasant ambiance at our tables and wish to give our vendor’s alternative video games a attempt.
Furthermore, we’ll have three co-branded blended sport tournaments included into the NAPT schedule at Resorts World Las Vegas: $550 H.E.R.O.S on November 7, $5,300 8-Recreation on November 8, and $550 8-Recreation on November 9.
We’ve had gamers come from Canada, Mexico, Israel, the UK, Japan, Malta, and lots of different European nations be a part of us (the Combined Recreation Pageant).
—Robbie Strazynski
Naturally, many of us who would’ve “simply” come out for the money sport play from November 3-7 will fortunately stick round a bit longer in order to partake within the tournaments as properly. Plus, I think about a few of them will probably take a shot at a few of the different tournaments on the NAPT schedule, too.
Equally, some gamers could also be intrigued by the blended sport tournaments on the NAPT schedule however hesitant about making the journey. The primary few days of vendor’s alternative money video games may function an additional attraction, convincing them to e-book their flight and lodging.
Concerning extra seasoned gamers, the very fact of the matter is that it’s nonetheless comparatively uncommon to seek out blended video games being unfold in a poker site.
Our competition brings collectively gamers from all around the United States and past (we’ve had gamers come from Canada, Mexico, Israel, the UK, Japan, Malta, and lots of different European nations be a part of us).
With a number of money sport tables working at varied stakes ranges (as much as $20/40), it creates the right storm of parts for blended sport lovers to take pleasure in.
Throughout the competition, there are some distinctive prize giveaways, together with the chance to earn NAPT seats by means of money sport play. Are you able to inform us extra about these prizes and the way they improve participant engagement?
PokerStars is giving us the chance to offer away a seat within the $550 H.E.R.O.S. and a seat within the $550 8-Recreation. For each hour of blended money sport play somebody logs from November 3-6, they’ll get an entry into the drawings, which is able to happen at 7 pm on November 6.
This promotion thus serves as a direct tie-in to offer our money sport gamers further worth in addition to assist fill a pair seats on the NAPT match schedule. Plus, by definition, the extra hours somebody logs on the money sport tables, the higher their possibilities of doubtlessly profitable one of many match seats!
Poker is usually related to Texas Maintain’em. What do you assume must be achieved to encourage extra gamers to check out blended video games?
Texas Maintain’em notably takes “5 minutes to study and a lifetime to grasp”. There are dozens of non-Maintain’em poker variants, and every of them takes a bit of time to study.
It may be intimidating to sit down down at a desk and should study a dozen new video games (or extra) for those who’ve by no means performed them earlier than.
On the Combined Recreation Pageant, we decrease the barrier to entry by internet hosting the lowest-stakes money video games attainable. You’ll be able to comfortably sit for hours on the identical $100-$200 chips stack. And, once more, all our gamers are extremely welcoming. We’re joyful to reply any questions new gamers may need.
Plus, we’ve got a free in depth Combined Recreation Poker Information out there on Cardplayer Life-style, replete with an in depth itemizing of extra assets by way of which to study all of the video games. Everyone seems to be welcome to learn up and do some studying forward of popping out to attend our occasions.
On the finish of the day, there’s no substitute for expertise. People simply should be keen to take the time to study and to observe. Rapidly sufficient, the magic of blended video games will enable you fall in love with and wish to play them each likelihood you get.
—Robbie Strazynski
Lastly, we’re grateful that our internet hosting venues are fortunately keen to unfold the blended video games within the first place. All their sellers are extremely skilled throughout all of the variants and assist make the video games pleasing for all of the gamers in attendance.
On the finish of the day, there’s no substitute for expertise. People simply should be keen to take the time to study and to observe. Rapidly sufficient, the magic of blended video games will enable you fall in love with and wish to play them each likelihood you get.
The place do you see the Combined Recreation Pageant heading within the subsequent few years? Do you intend to broaden internationally or collaborate with different poker excursions?
For those who had instructed me at our first Combined Recreation Pageant that three years on, we’d be working our ninth one, partnering with the PokerStars NAPT and occupying a rising, beloved little area of interest within the poker world, that will make me positively swoon with pleasure!
Rome wasn’t in-built a day, and I’m simply so grateful that our occasions proceed rising and attracting gamers to the felt. I’ve no intention of stopping to arrange and host Combined Recreation Festivals, and I’ll proceed working to enhance what’s on supply with every new version.
Las Vegas has been the positioning of all however one competition, as that’s the place it’s to date been best for all the required parts and parts to return collectively naturally and supply gamers the absolute best competition expertise.
I actually hope to have the ability to “take the present on the street” to different locations across the US and the remainder of the world. Slowly, however absolutely, I consider we’ll get there.
Help Combined Video games by Supporting the Combined Recreation Pageant
I’ve identified Robbie for a number of years, and I used to be working with him at PokerUpdate when he determined to make Cardplayer LifeStyle his profession. What he’s been capable of accomplish is exceptional and the fruits of a devoted and pushed media skilled.
The success of the Combined Recreation Pageant is an additional testomony to Robbie’s dedication to poker and his love of each the sport and its gamers. I’ve little question the sequence will proceed to achieve success.
For those who take pleasure in blended video games or wish to give them a attempt, the Combined Recreation Pageant IX is the right option to get your begin. With low-stakes money video games, low buy-in tournaments, and fabulous prizes, it’s the good mixture of enjoyable and worth. And also you by no means know which execs could present as much as rub elbows.
Sources
1 Cardplayer Life-style Web site: https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/
2 Combined Recreation Pageant IX Announcement: https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-news-2/mixed-game-festival-ix-announcement/
3 Combined Video games Poker Information: https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-tips-strategy/mixed-games-poker-guide-an-overview/
