I am looking to get a magazine subscription to one of the two listed. Is there a huge difference between the two of them? I am leaning towards cardplayer but would like some input from others who know more

When I looked into poker magazines a while ago, my conclusion was that neither were great, and I was better off reading the 2+2 forum*, and spending my money on a training site.

This week I wanted to buy a subscription to Card Player Europe

Don't think it's great for strategy etc

I'd buy it as amusement

Depending on how much fiber is in your diet, both magazines are good for bathroom reading..

and just lounging around on the porch (if you have one).


Although some will say that magazines are a waste of money since you can read them online or that forums have more to offer, I think they are nice to have and helps support the business of poker.

I think Cardplayer is more strategy based and (has a serious tone) and Bluff is a mix of strategy and poker life. Both are great.

You can check out these as well:

WPT Poker Magazine
Poker Pro Magazine
Online Poker Pro (which is from the publisher of Poker Pro)
Casino Player (has a mix of games: poker, blackjack, slots, etc)

I had em both. Basically to have something to read without staring into my computer.

Cardplayer is more strategy oriented, but the articles wont help you that much if your already a solid player, they help if you just started out.

Bluff has few stretegy articles and focuses more on the poker scene and lifestyle

If u are a TV poker fanboy then get Bluff. If u are more serious and focused
on playing and learning get Cardplayer.

Cardplayer can always be counted on to have the softest asskissing interviews that skirt almost any edgy issue-ex. they danced around JH's kidney problems when interviewing her just after she was comming back-no reason to do that-on the other hand the columns on poker strategy are in general better than Bluffs.
Buff IMO is a better read-Card Player free at most cardrooms anyway.

Both are good, IMO. I lean more to Poker Pro if I had to pick one magazine.

Kidney problems are not particularly public fodder imo. Skirting is if Russ Hamilton was not asked about UB cheating or somethin like that.

I prefer Card Player.

I enjoy reading Card Player when I pick it up for free at the casino, but I did not renew my subscription. The magazine is just one giant advertisement. There are so many "articles" in the magazine that are just a giant ad for a Casino/website/product that you later see advertised in the magazine. Sometimes they even have paid for ads that are laid out like an article with "advertisement" written in a tiny font on the top. It is so easy to miss that it is just an ad.

It is also pretty obvious that the person on the cover is often paid for by an advertiser. There were a few issues in a row where the player on the cover were all sponsored by Doyle's Room and they had "patches" photoshopped onto their clothing.

Card Player has a right to do this and I understand that this is where they make most of their money, but I will not pay for it. I will just pick it up for free and read Ed Miller's article.

Bluff employs Joy Miller, Card Player doesn't.

Get Bluff, if you want strategy there are plenty better mediums.

This.

I prefer Bluff, more entertaining