Well Played. Good Game. Good Luck.

So after almost six years as the European Bureau Chief for Card Player I find myself writing my final editorial before I step down from my role and move on in my career.

Over the years I’ve written and published more than 3,500 poker articles and drafted and distributed something in the region of 500 press releases but since Black Friday I’ve known that the time would come when I’d move on such was the impact of the underhand shenanigans that corrupted the top end of the industry.

It’s been a fantastic journey and I want to thank Card Player for giving me the opportunity, and freedom, to do the job as I saw fit. I also want to thank my former staff writer Rebecca McAdam for her valuable contribution and all the columnists and freelance writers and photographers who played their part in the success of the magazine during my tenure.

For me, there were many, many highlights: interviewing Doyle Brunson in Bobby’s Room at Bellagio, breakfast with Mike Sexton, sharing a cab with Jennifer Tilly, hanging out in Monte Carlo, touring historical poker sites in Dublin with Padraig Parkinson and Jesse May, watching Marty Smyth win the pot-limit Omaha world championship, conceiving the World Strip Poker Championship, producing the Devilfish Chocolate Rain video.

But the main highlight was simply the people and the stories they had to tell. The highs and lows, the good and bad, the lucky and unlucky. If ever there was a perfect metaphor for the vagaries of life it is this beautiful but unpredictable game of cards.
So thanks for everything poker. Maybe I’ll see you again some time. ♠