For those of you that are new to this blog, StackTown, I thought it might be helpful to provide this post as a way of giving you some background information about me and the purpose of this blog.

About me

Firstly hello, if you've made it this far then I'd like to take the time to introduce myself. My name is James and I'm an addict...I mean poker player. Although sometimes the boundary between the two can become a little blurred.

I've been playing poker for about 3 years with moderate success at the cash tables. Nothing crazy, nothing major in the grand scheme of the poker universe. I'm a winning player, just, and am happy to grind it out for the love of the game.

Over those 3 years though I have gone through a whole raft of different poker playing stages. I started as a fish obviously, moved to recreational player, then to a serious join Card Runners type player, a even turned semi pro before eventually moving back to just being a recreational player. This is where I have found my niche at the virtual felt. I play for fun, I play for competition and I play to make a few pennies here and there. I know it won’t change my life but then again that’s not the objective.

It’s my love for the game that has really driven me though, the more I learn about poker, the community that surrounds it, the highs, the lows, the swings and roundabouts if you will, the more it pulls me in deeper. It’s that journey that has led me to this point. The point where StackTown comes into being!

The reason is that one of the main and reoccurring themes I have discovered in the course of my 3 years in the game, is that way to many players take the game too seriously! Lighten up people, after all if you can’t have fun then what’s the point? I’d say that about anything so it’s just as relevant here. Also there are way too many unsung players, those that play recreationally or the little known bedroom pro’s that make their living from the grind. You always hear about the Ivey’s or the Dwan’s, the Hansen’s and the Matusow’s, but what about Joe Poker? Joe Poker that probably plays more hands in a year than Ivey but takes home 1/10,000th of the money?

About StackTown

This is where StackTown comes in.

StackTown is here to look at the lighter side of poker. The funny, the ridiculous, the downright insane.

I aim to bring a little humour to the game and find enjoyment where maybe others thought there wasn't any!

I also want to bring the game back to the recreational player or the bedroom pro that doesn't have a sponsorship deal, hasn't won a WPT event or any of the million WSOP bracelets available these days. To that end I will be calling on many of you to help raise the profile of grass roots poker, give some airtime to the 10/20c grinder from Woking or Little Rock, or anywhere else for that matter.

Poker is the peoples game and the peoples game it shall remain!

About the name

If i’m honest, I was reading a magazine and there was a feature on alternative social networks. One of the networks was called elftown and it made me laugh.

I quite like the community connotations of the word ‘town’ so decided to include it in the name of this site. After throwing around a few poker related terms with the word town at the end I settled on StackTown!

I think it says it all, but then again I would!

Where you come in

I hope this blog will show a different side to game that so many of us love or love to hate. If it sparks debate, garners a little chuckle or maybe just infuriates then happy days! In any case, if you do enjoy my writing then I would ask for you to consider supporting my efforts, whether it be by commenting, giving your opinion, emailing posts to friends, or simply adding me to your blogroll.

Every little bit helps.

I'll be posting as often as I can so please check back frequently or even subscribe through Feedburner or another reader. My Feedburner feed is here.

Yours sincerely

James