You might be a poker aficionado, but we here at Poker Bonuses are experts at reporting on the game. Poker media are everywhere. You might not think of us as front-line reporters of news, but we really are. Each poker information site you visit every day is in a competitive frenzy with one another to break news and provide in-depth commentary. We know what it takes to succeed. After all, you managed to find your way to PokerBonuses.com to read this article, so we’re doing something right. Let’s take a look at the high-stakes world of poker media.

Each site desperately tries to differentiate itself from others. Whether it’s news, interviews, strategy, or promotions, it’s a battle for supremacy. We here at PokerBonuses.com are top-tier when it comes to providing news and promotions. We do an excellent job at providing strategy, but we also understand that us telling you how to play a hand is different than Doyle Brunson doing so. Therefore, we pick and choose our spots carefully.

Supplying poker news is perhaps the most competitive part of our industry. Major live tournaments are chalk full of media outlets providing coverage. They range from Bluff and CardPlayer to mainstream outlets like USA Today, the Associated Press, and Las Vegas Review-Journal. In addition, you’ll find PokerNewsDaily, PocketFives, and a host of others searching for in-depth stories. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has full services for media, such as high-speed wireless internet, food and beverage, end-of-day notes and results, and access to event winners. The World Poker Tour (WPT) also does an excellent job, as do most major live tournaments.

Access to interviews in the poker world is usually very simple. However, sites differentiate themselves based on their content. For example, everyone has asked Barry Greenstein how he got started in poker. However, very few have dared to ask about his infamous “LOL Donkaments” outburst on GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” The proclamation raised money for charity, which is what makes Greenstein one of the game’s true heroes. Asking Greenstein about the incident would likely generate traffic from people searching for the term “LOL Donkaments” on Google, further separating a site from the pack.

In addition, the world’s media outlets search long and hard for the “scoop.” This isn’t just a poker phenomenon; mainstream outlets also desperately try to find stories to break. One per month might be considered a success for some sites, while others shoot for one per week. In my experience, finding a scoop requires several years of building relationships with industry insiders and then politely asking for the chance to break a story. You’d be surprised at how many sources will grant access to a scoop if you just ask. A scoop gains a site a considerable amount of credibility both with its readers and search engines, the latter of which is bolstered by incoming links to the story.

The 16 hour days of WSOP tournaments and other major events is as much of a grind for poker’s media as it is for its players. I’ve pulled six 16 hour days in a row and, believe me, it’s difficult. Truly staying on top of a tournament requires as much focus and concentration from reporters as it does from players. Stories that these strained writers produce have to be error-free and intriguing, which can be a challenge when approaching your 12th straight hour on the job. However, the industry tends to move in spurts, allowing for downtime in between major events like the WSOP (May through July), Full Tilt Online Poker Series (four times per year), the European Poker Tour’s Monte Carlo Grand Final (April), and the WPT Championship (April).

The next time that you read your favorite poker information site, know that a considerable amount of behind the scenes work went into making it a true success.