There is a concern at the moment that the blonde poker forum is sliding in a downwards direction. Infighting, people getting the wrong end of the stick, bitchy posts here and there becoming bitchy posts everywhere. Far removed from the nicey nice nirvana-esque world where everything is a bit too fluffy and a bit too good, that was the forums persona elsewhere on the UK poker scene.
This post isn't meant to tell anyone off, to admonish any one person's actions in particular. I'm as guilty as anyone for bitchy posts, or posting unhlepful, unfunny tat. A few long time posters have quit, (or quit for a bit, but come back coz they're addicts) and there is becoming a real danger of a complete breakdown in the community spirit here on blonde that charcterises it so. I've even considered leaving the forum myself, and probably would have if I wasn't such an internet wierdo.
I'll now pause my self-important rant and talk a little about last Sunday. When the PRO came out in force in the build up to the final table of the $50k guaranteed (on Tribecca) the support of all those big named blonde posters whom I've been fortunate enough to lift a glass with in the past, as well as those with whom I've not yet had the pleasure, it made all the difference in the world for me.
I usually don't think of myself as an MTT player. When I'm in a good position, doing well, and when the stakes are high, I never feel too comfortable. All too often, this is reflected in my play. I curl up into a tight weak little ball, and adopt a defensive strategy that would make a Swiss hedgehog look proactive.
Now I don't know if it's because the PRO set me at ease, leading to less adrenaline pumping through my mouse, or if I was shamed into playing as a proper player should coz folk were watching, but I made the moves when I had to and that saw me good to the final. Hey, I wouldn't even have entered the competition were it not for a post on blonde asking what big multis everyone was playing that evening. The whole experience reminded me why I fell in love with the forum to begin with.
Ok, so I donked out in 9th place, but I really wasn't too bothered with that. The $1.7k prize makes a huge difference to someone playing off a $5k roll. I just smiled at the irony that I could do no wrong till the tournament was reduced to a single table, I obviously need more practice at the ol' STTs.
You certainly couldn't tell me on Sunday that "the forum is going downhill."
The mood of the place today though, it got me thinking. (Here's where the hippy crap I'm spouting really starts to take a cheesy turn.) If we were all a bit more understanding of each other on really contentious issues, instead of trying to catch those out who disagree with, to be right all the time. I'm a culprit of this all the time, I don't even believe in half the stuff I write, just love a bit of debate
The mods are as guilty as the non mods are as guilty as myself in bringing about all this. The odd bit here and there is healthy. but if we indulge ourselves too much, we are in danger of driving away new members, as well as long standing ones who have helped make us what we are. I'm not suggesting we all hold hands in a field of daisies, but I think we owe it to what we have all (not just the mods) created here to preserve the positivity a bit. Before you hit that post button, have a final think if it'll upset anyone.
I've had a final think about this post, it might make me look all twatishly self aggrandised and completely up my own arse, but that's ok. It didn't stop me the other 8,000 times I clicked on post.
Let's keep blonde blonde for all the blondites everywhere.
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