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How Twitter is changing the face of poker

It’s a very simple concept, almost too simple. What are you doing right now? But, from this one question, Twitter was born. Jack Dorsey came up with the basic idea, had the first prototype built in two weeks, and launched publicly in the summer of 2006. The idea and service grew so fast that Twitter Inc. was founded in May 2007 and the phenomenon began.

Twitter allows its members to send messages 140 characters in length or less via the web, instant messenger, or your phone. It gives people the same updates as FaceBook and MySpace does, but without all of the other information. Instead of “Friends”, you have “Followers”. If you are following somebody, you will receive all of their “tweets”. You can even send messages directed at specific people by just adding @ and their username.

The fascinating thing about Twitter is that you can follow as few or as many people as you like and keep up with all of their updates. Celebrities of every sort are “twittering” on a regular basis. You can follow Sean Combs (@iamdiddy) and read his constant motivational posts. Shaquille O’Neil (@THE_REAL_SHAQ) posts regular updates and some funny Shaq photos. Soleil Moon Frye (@moonfrye) constantly reveals what her family is up to.   Super couple Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) and Demi Moore (@mrskutcher) were two of the first celebrities to utilize Twitter and have a massive following. Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) has joined in on the fun and regularly updates how many followers she has while her show airs. Even Dave Smiley and The Smiley Morning Show (@smileyradioshow) here in Indianapolis has Twitter feed now.

At this point you are probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with poker? Once again, the answer is simple, Twitter is slowly infiltrating the poker world. Well, maybe not that slowly. Twitter is allowing poker fans across the world to get instant access to almost anything and everything poker.   From their favorite bloggers and reporters to real-time updates on what top pros are doing on and off the felt, the poker world of Twitter is growing.

You can currently find a number of poker players on Twitter. From long time pros Phil Hellmuth (@Phil_Hellmuth), Annie Duke (@RealAnnieDuke), and Liz Lieu (@LizLieu) to newer stars and personalities like Adam “Roothlus” Levy (@Roothlus), Michele Lewis (@michelelewis), Lacey Jones (@LaceyJones), Tiffany Michelle (@TiffnyMichelle) and 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event Champion Annette Obrestad (@Annette_15).

One player has taken his “Twittering” to the next level. 2004 WSOP Main Event Runner-Up David Williams (@dwpoker) goes beyond just giving random poker updates. You can follow him on a daily basis and keep up on the life of a poker player in Vegas. From morning messages to pictures of the best $200 steak you will never eat, David’s Twitter is always a good time. It looks like people are enjoying them too. In the last few days alone, David’s followers have nearly doubled and he adds more every single day.

Twitter has an even deeper impact on the poker world though. In the past, you could go online to a number of sites to follow the action during any specific tournament. You could get chip counts, hand histories and photos from the event. You still can do that and the coverage provided is great. However, you can only follow whatever players they posted info on. With Twitter, you can follow your favorite player and get their specific updates in real time, straight from the source. From their current chip count to the bad beat that took them out, the information is now right at your fingertips, literally.

Will Twitter replace poker tournament reporting? No, it won’t. However, with huge events such as the upcoming World Series of Poker, it allows readers the specific content that they desire without having to wade through updates that mean nothing to them. Even a small time player who might satellite into the Main Event, and would never get coverage from an online poker source, will now be able to relay their status to family and friends immediately.

The Twitter effect ripples can already be felt in the media world. No longer do you have to navigate five or six different sites to read your favorite reporters blog. If you follow them on Twitter, you will see the minute they post a new story and can link directly to it from their post. Some of the best bloggers and reporters in the poker world have already made the move to Twitter. They include long-time writers BJ Nemeth (@BJNemeth), Brad Willis (@_otis_) and Pauly (@taopauly), who constantly update their Twitter with all of the latest poker goodness. The Wicked PR boys (@snakewicked and @wickedbecool) are Twitter regulars. You can follow Alex Henriquez (@alexhenriquez) and his sports blog from SiTV. Even the boys from the best poker show that has nothing to do about poker, Scott Huff and Joe Stapleton from Two Jacks in the Hole (@huffstapes), have a Twitter feed.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Twitter poker revolution has started. My suggestion is, find me on Twitter (@WhoJedi) and start following. It won’t be long before more and more poker personalities join the fun, and I have a feeling that the fun has only just begun. So, what are you doing right now?