Poker Blogs

The word “blog” originates as a condensation of the words “web log.” Blogs are essentially Internet websites containing regularly updated entries of commentary, descriptions of events, news, gossip, personal anecdotes, and other items such as graphics or video. Normally, blog entries are displayed in chronological order with the most recent entry on top. Since the rise in popularity of poker, literally hundreds of new poker blogs have arisen on the Interwebs, some of them sponsored by professional players and major poker sites, some from the mouth of poker celebrities themselves, and others based in fan appreciation.

Many poker blogs provide commentary or news on the latest happenings in the poker world, such as the WSOP; others function as personal online diaries. A typical poker blog combines text, images, news, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to poker. The opportunity for readers and poker enthusiasts to leave comments in an interactive format is an essential part of many poker blogs.

Micro-blogging is another type of poker blogging which consists of poker blogs with very short posts. With the advent of video blogging, poker blogs have taken on a new face; now a poker blog can simply be an online location for any bit of media related to poker.

Very few personal poker blogs rise to fame and the mainstream, although some quickly garner an ample following. There may not be any singular instances of poker blogs that sway public opinion per se, but as a group, they can be somewhat influential. The collective community of all poker blogs has come to be known as the poker blogosphere. Since all poker blogs are on the internet by definition, they are seen as interconnected and socially networked. Discussions across all poker blogs, or those common to the poker blogosphere, are often used by the non-internet media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues related to poker.

There is actually money to be made in blogging. It is common for poker blogs to feature advertisements promoting poker sites, and in fact, the revenue generation potential for a well-visited poker blog has led to the birth of "fake poker blogs," in which a company will create a fictional poker blog as a marketing tool to promote their site.