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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

Nov 25, 2006

Giving After Thanksgiving Day Thanks Day

It's a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation. -- Roberto Benigni

Realizing the last Thursday in November on the calendars in the United States, I gave thanks for the many good things in my life without once mentioning poker. This omission was not the result of several losing sessions; it was not the result of a perceived crassness of giving thanks for something as pedestrian as poker. Though not an overly-sentimental emotional person, I do like to reserve my Thanksgiving thoughts for the most seriously good things in life - freedom, family, friends and food. Nothing mushy about that!

So I've instituted my own After Thanksgiving Day Thanks Day, which I might (or might not) make a tradition of my own. All of these thanks will relate in some way to poker. In the cases that involve people, I may or may not know them personally, but I don't know Garrison Keillor either and I'm thankful for him.

I'm thankful for Bill Rini. You can find Bill (I'm sure he won't mind my calling him by his first name.) all over the web but I visit him often at http://www.billrini.com/. Bill writes an upbeat, edgy blog spattered with humor, half truths (you will know) and solid information. His site is so well indexed that even if you get lost in it, you won't mind because it's so much fun. Of course the first room you'll want to check out in his cyber home is the Separated at Birth (Part I and Part II - hoping there will be many parts to come) alcove. With all the work this guy has on his plate, I'm surprised he has the time to do the research involved here but .... Except for the some of the Ads by Google (which I'm sure Bill would like to see go away) you're going to love it, I promise.

I'm thankful for online poker sites such as www.ultimatebet.com, which understand that people who live in the United States and want to play online poker can do just that. UB has obviously read the new bill that kind of (sort of) makes online poker a crime for Americans (probably punishable by getting a cell next to the guys from Enron). I'm sure Dog the Bounty Hunter isn't going to rush off to the Caribbean to haul the UB butts to court in Texas or Florida or wherever to stand trial for letting us sit in on a friendly game of poker.

I'm thankful for Poker Pro magazine, a relative newbie in the poker print media arena (out of Delray Beach, FL), with its first anniversary coming up in December. Not that I'm dissing any of the current and longer-in-existence magazines but this one has something many of the other magazines lack and that's a bunch of professional writers as well as professional poker players who write. Now, don't get your drawers bunched up by reminding me that super poker pundits like Michael Craig write for the oldest poker magazine. As I said, I'm not disrespecting them. I just like some news and some information and some entertainment and a not a lot of the writer in my reading material. Poker Pro doesn't seem to be afraid to express opinions that might turn off advertisers (the WSOP controversies) or to dig deeper into the psyche of the pros who might say one thing and do another. By the way, I am not a fan of the magazine's website (www.thepokerpromagazine.com).

I'm thankful for individuals and organizations who use poker to raise money for charity. A wide range of charities and helping-hands have benefited from people and groups who have hosted tournaments. From Diabetes research to, The Taser Foundation for Fallen Officers, from Breast Cancer awareness to MS research, from local Special Olympics to Hurricane and Tsunami relief. Even the online community has made itself available to host charitable events. Sites such as www.pokerworld.com and www.absolutepoker.com have supported charities by providing the venue for tournament competition.

I'm also thankful for all the poker bloggers who aren't afraid to let the world know who they are, who don't hide behind cyber anonymity.

Ah, but like the acceptance speeches at the various entertainment award ceremonies, I know I forgot someone or something here. If so, my apologies. I'll start keeping a log for next year's list.