Hi everybody! It’s truly been a long time since I have written one of these. Recently I’ve really been getting the writing itch, and I’m hoping this blog will be a great place to scratch that itch, while continuing to share some of my experiences!
In 2018 I plan on blogging way more than I ever have in the past. I’ve decided to split my blog posts up into two sections: poker and lifestyle.
The poker blogs will almost exclusively focus on, well, poker(!). Where and when I played, how it went, hands I played, and some updates on the really cool things happening at BorgataPoker.com. For example, BorgataPoker.com is offering online satellites to amazing land-based events (i.e., Borgata Spring Poker Open with a $2700 buy-in and $1 Million guarantee; PP MILLIONS North America with a $5,000 prize package into the $10M CAD Guaranteed event in Montreal), great tournament leaderboards (MTT, Heads Up and SNG leaderboards), monthly freerolls, deposit match and other lucrative promotions are going on right in New Jersey!
The lifestyle blogs will be more focused on things that happen around the game of poker. The traveling, the poker world, the interactions, the tips and tricks of being a traveling professional. I really hope these blogs both connect with and entertain you! But before I get into 2018, let’s quickly review a recap of 2017.
It really was a year of ups and downs, of happy endings and of new beginnings. Luckily for me, it was largely an amazing, memorable year. I traveled all across the country doing what I love with the people I love – that really is living the dream. Personally I had a successful year on the felt, accumulating over $200k in live tournament earnings on a fairly condensed schedule, beginning the year at the PCA, coming in 2nd in a WSOP circuit main event (we’ll just forget that I had the guy at a 3 to 1 chip disadvantage playing for $100k, a WSOP ring, a winners picture with the incredibly good looking TD of SHRPO Tony Burns, and a seat in the WSOP national championship!), and ending the year at the Borgata Fall Poker Open in November. I truly enjoyed playing poker as much as ever with a fun, wild ride.
The coolest part of 2017 BY FAR was definitely being a part of Scott Blumstein’s amazing journey to becoming WSOP main event champion! Stay tuned to my next blog which will take a deeper dive into that RIDICULOUS experience. But before that experience, the Summer of ’17 was pretty amazing. I played some awesome tournaments in Las Vegas (WSOP), did some quality partying, enjoyed some of the finer legal things Vegas has to offer, and enjoyed the camp-like experience that the summer in Las Vegas has become every year. We had a nice group of buddies all living in The Meridian, an apartment complex right off the strip, and it was really a great time, having cookouts and little pool parties, or playing basketball together (in a little indoor handball court, but whatever!).
I have embraced poker, for poker is my life in many ways. It’s how I make my living and it means very much to me. But I do realize that at the end of the day, poker is truly just a game. The important things in life are the people that surround you. I’m lucky enough to say that I have had and continue to be surrounded by an amazing group of friends, and the best, most supportive family possible. There really isn’t a greater gift than that.
Good luck to everybody reading this!
~ Asher Conniff
