While I’ve tried to avoid following any WSOP coverage this year, I found it quite amusing to read on Twitter the arguments from various poker bloggers about one particularly useless topic.

Should bloggers “order” flops when reporting hands? That is, order the cards from largest to smallest, and in some cases, even by suit, in order to improve “readability”.

What a bunch of bullshit.

What gives you, the humble, independent poker reporter, the right to decide the order of cards? You have no right! Your job is to accurately report what happens. Not manipulate it to suit you. The flop is the flop – it’s the way it lands. The dealer doesn’t move the cards around to make it easier for players to read. And neither should you.

If you, or your readers cannot read a flop, then perhaps you should stop fucking ordering them!

I’m quite astounded that some well known bloggers openly admit to ordering cards when they blog. Even defending the practice. You should be embarrassed. You are most definitely in the minority, and if you were working for me, I’d tell you to stop doing it. It’s not up for debate. It shouldn’t be done. Period.

To think you are above reporting action accurately just illustrates your inflated ego. You are not bigger than the game. It’s not about you. It’s not even about your readers. It’s about the game. Start respecting it.

I also read that some bloggers order hands so that they can identify if their work has been plagiarized. Again LOL. If it’s on the Internet, it will get copied. I would’ve thought you all would’ve been in the industry long enough to just accept that. It again emphasizes that some people are just too self-obsessed in this industry. I understand you wanting credit for your work, you must need it.

I wanted to post something in regards to the ending of my involvement with PokerNetwork so that people are aware of what’s going on, as I’ve had too many people ask why things aren’t being updated. I was going to do a bit of a “tell all”, but I’ll save that in the drafts for now. It may come out on my blog one day, but the timing today doesn’t seem appropriate while there are still changes afoot.

I just want to make it clear that as of about a month ago, following “Black Friday”, I am no longer managing PokerNetwork. This wasn’t my decision. I wasn’t happy about it. The current stagnant site is not of my doing. It makes me cringe to see plagiarized press releases, banners that are likely to induce an epileptic fit and spam filtering through the forums. I also am crushed to see the tournament database, players of the month awards and points rankings not being updated. I’m not surprised. It was a labour-intensive task that was unappreciated. Now, the history and tradition that was built up from 2003 will probably die.

I have more to write, and may do soon. But for now, I just want people to know that I have nothing to do with the poor condition of the site and it hurts me to see it more than anyone.