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What's happening?

One more tourney after all
February 8, 2012

In recent weeks, the PokerBond has been quite busy lobbying and talking to important people. And for upcoming weeks, we have planned one or two additional meetings.

Also, I have been busy working on our new site - that we had planned for early February, but that will be slightly delayed. Don't expect anything overly fancy, but rather a solid & no-frills collection of information + updates.

In addition, I myself am more & more starting to get interested in national politics. This week, I have for the first time witnessed a local council meeting. (In Tilburg, where I have met & talked to some local politicians.) Part of successful politics is knowing laws, legislation + reading documents - and this is exactly what I have been doing in recent times. Also, I have read "Rien ne va plus", a book that is rather critical towards the Dutch monopoly on alleged 'games of chance' - more specifically, on the writer's former employer Holland Casino. My exact views on this book will follow at a later time.

Speaking of Holland Casino: despite having quit my active poker career, I have chosen to play one more live tourney - this time the closing tourney of the Light Town Poker Series in Eindhoven. It should be obvious that this is not in the first place because I miss the green felt so much (I do), but because as spokesperson of the Dutch Poker Federation it is imperative to stay close to the action & talk to players. So, those who want to share their views or ask questions: you can find me in HC Eindhoven this Sunday.

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Back In The Ring!... At least, for a day
January 25, 2012

I've been back in the ring - at least, for a day. At the Dom Classics in Utrecht, I decided to attend & play one live tournament. Of course, this was mostly to 'be there', and to talk to players on behalf of the PokerBond - so I could ask them their views & wishes, and also inform them on our latest activities.

I opted to play the €500+50 opening event. And after my usual bad start, it was again one of those (for me, rather typical) plodding events. Shortstacked throughout the event, I survived two all-ins: one with AK vs an overplayed AQ from a likeable pro player, and another one with AA vs AK. It took quite a bit of time to actually eke into the money, but I managed to -barely- make it. In fact, I had high hopes to maybe fight my way into a top-3 finish. (Not all that farfetched, given that the money was rather shallow, and just one or two double-ups could catapult a shortie into a big stack.) But in the end, I had to settle for my trademark result: the mincash.

Good thing: it was highly enjoyable to be back! Now that I am a bit less serious at the table, maybe a bit more 'likeable' and definitely much less of a threat, I receive strictly positive feedback from fellow players. Just like my latest tournament (in Venlo, late November 2011) everyone was so nice & kind to me - plus, almost without exception highly interested to hear the goals of the PokerBond. Superb! Because that's exactly the positive reinforcement we need in our ongoing fight for the goals + interests of the Dutch poker community.

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The New Year
January 14, 2012

The new year has been underway for quite some time - and I have yet to play my first hand of poker! Today, someone asked me: "Rolf, don't you miss it? You have been playing poker for so many years, and for 7 or 8 years even on an almost daily basis. Never feel like you should be going back?"

The truth is: no, I guess not. I am extremely focused to perform to the best of my abilities in my new role as spokesperson of the Dutch Poker Federation. (In Dutch: "PokerBond".) The past two or three weeks, I have hardly left my house, simply because I have been reading a bunch of files, and also because I have been online assisting my webmaster (content-wise) in building our new website.

Nice stuff! After all, when I am in the Hague talking to politicians, lobbyists or policymakers, I want to be known as someone who knows not only the present, but who is also familiar with the past. Say, what has always been my strength in poker: seeing the long-term perspective in every conceivable aspect of the game. This so I can make better decisions than those who don't know how to put current developments into perspective.

I'm not there yet, far from it. I still have an awful lot to learn! But with the new books I have acquired (on legislation in general, and also on Dutch gaming tax) and all my newly acquired knowledge from recent months because of studying files and talking to important people, I hope I will be able to represent the interests of Dutch poker players to the maximum of my abilities. With all the important political decisions that will take place in upcoming months and all the faith that people/players have put in me, I guess working & focusing as hard as I'm doing right now, should be considered the only appropriate thing.

Same as in poker, I guess: it takes quite a bit of study, focus & discipline to become merely a break-even player. And again, the same as in poker: in my current role as representative for the PokerBond, breaking even is simply not enough.

I guess it will be an additional one or two more weeks of strictly studying + working for me. After that, the time has come to release our new & improved site. Then, we will schedule another meeting of the Advisory Body. And finally, it's time to put all our efforts into practice, once the real political decisions will start to take place in my home country.

Exciting months ahead, that's for sure! Even when for now, the actual (active) poker will continue to play just a small, and rather marginal part.

More happenings

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