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Robbie Strazynski

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Oct 4, 2015, 2:39 PM

On this Simchat Torah, just dance, no matter how much it hurts

Even when the urge is to weep, Israel must fulfill the religious obligation to rejoice

Sep 7, 2015, 10:07 PM

Not Labor Day; just another — special — day of labor

I legitimately forgot it was Labor Day. For the first time, ever. 17 years ago, "Israel" meant Jerusalem and the Kotel, Eilat, the Dead Sea, museums, historical sites, ruins, and graves. It meant hotel rooms, nice restaurants, and funny blue Telecards...

Oct 31, 2014, 4:03 PM

The Hidden Pain of Lech Lecha

"וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ." "And Hashem said to Avram: 'Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, from your father's home, to the Land that I will show you." –Breishit 12:1 This was the...

Jul 13, 2014, 1:19 AM

About Those Few Israelis “Unaffected” by the Rockets and Sirens

So we're supposed to keep on going about our daily lives as normal. G-d help me, I'm trying. My kids, thank G-d, still somehow have no idea anything is going on (no sirens have blared where we live, thankfully). I'm trying...

Apr 6, 2014, 5:11 PM

The Case for Legal, Regulated Kosher Poker in Israel

Last year, over Pesach, I composed a holiday-inspired post on my poker blog entitled Let My People Go… and Play Poker in Israel. The main thrust of the article was that the Israeli government should act to legalize and...

Jan 8, 2014, 10:55 AM

When it comes to mobile gambling apps, bet on Israeli technology

Gambling on a cruise ship (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Israeli tech has made big gains allowing people to place their bets on-the-go

Dec 18, 2013, 2:33 PM

Israel: Online gambling’s silent hi-tech powerhouse

Gambling on a cruise ship (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Robbie Strazynski says Israel's makeup explains why it holds such a large market share

Jan 23, 2013, 10:44 PM

The Case for Having a “Sunday” Once a Month: A Post-Election Day Plea

Everywhere you looked around yesterday you saw it. Everywhere you went in the country, it was omnipresent. It obviously got plenty of media coverage as it mobilized Israelis nationwide. Naturally, today people couldn’t stop talking about it either. And...

Oct 10, 2012, 10:58 AM

Where’s the Simcha? Where’s the Torah?

My first memories of Simchat Torah were recorded as a wide-eyed, "clueless" kid. Not truly understanding much of what was going on around me, I recall images of our shul's rabbi excitedly singing atop the shoulders of the tallest...

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About Me

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Robbie Strazynski has been living in Israel since 1998. He's the founder of Cardplayer Lifestyle, one of the world's top poker blogs, the co-creator of the Poker Notes Live mobile app, and co-host of the Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast. His full-time job is as the Head of Content Strategy for a publicly-traded Internet Marketing company, which operates a number of top online casino, poker, and sports betting sites, including PokerUpdate.com. He currently resides in Ginot Shomron with his wife and 3 children.