Looking back can often show you the path that lies ahead

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s over. After 36 issues, literally hundreds of pages of strategy, and more rage-ups than Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow combined, I am leaving the magazine.

When I joined PokerPlayer back in August 2005 it was as part of the launch team and my concept of poker was somewhat, ahem, less sophisticated than today. I thought I knew how to play. I didn’t. In fact, the panic of being £50 down in my first week of office games forced me to start a meticulous ledger of results that I continue to keep to this day.

Over the last couple of years I’ve had the pleasure of picking the brains of the Brunsons, Greensteins, Goodwins, Hansens and Raymers of this world, and in turn tried to squeeze their oh- so-precious tips into PokerPlayer’s strategy section. I really hope it has helped your game.

It has certainly helped mine (my ledger tells me that I’ve got an ROI of well over 100% in office games), but I suppose if you can’t improve when your job entails interviewing some of the game’s greats then it never will.

So after nearly three years writing about what you should do at the table I thought it was high time I put my money where my mouth is, quit the day job and give the game a thorough thrashing. Okay, I admit that ‘technically’ I’m leaving to become a freelance writer – and I’ll still be a regular PokerPlayer contributor – but I think we all know what I’ll be doing most days.

Listen and learn

Looking back at where you’ve been can often show you the path that lies ahead, so I decided to pinpoint the key piece of advice I’ve been given since we started PP. Surprisingly, it’s nothing to do with fast-playing Aces, check-raising flush draws or spotting quirky tells.

It’s something that has been echoed by every single pro that I’ve ever quizzed. Never ever stop learning. It’s that simple. If the giants of the game can admit there’s always a new edge to be found, then so should you and I.

Whatever level you play at, and no matter how high or low your poker ambitions, cling onto that mantra and your poker cloud will always have a silver lining.