Christoffer Karlén has spent years immersed in the poker world, but not in the way many people might expect. While plenty of players study charts and hand histories to improve their game, Karlén believes one of his greatest teachers has been journalism.
Covering tournaments, interviewing players, and spending countless hours on the tournament floor has given him a perspective that no strategy book could provide.
“I can’t describe how much journalism has improved my poker game,” Karlén said ahead of the PartyPoker Tour’s London stop.
“I’ve read plenty of poker books over the years, but talking to players, listening to their thought processes, and seeing how they approach different situations has taught me far more.”
For Karlén, reporting and playing have become inseparable. Every interview offers another lesson, every tournament another opportunity to understand how the game’s best players think.
From the tournament floor
Having travelled to multiple PartyPoker Tour stops, Karlén has watched the series develop into something distinctive.
“I’ve covered a lot of poker festivals, but the PartyPoker Tour has a really special atmosphere.”
Rather than focusing solely on the poker, he is quick to point to the people behind it.
“The crew has become like family. You see the same players travelling from stop to stop, the ambassadors, the staff, the regulars. Every event feels like a reunion.”
That familiarity is one of the reasons he enjoys returning. Between tournaments, there is always time for conversation, shared meals, and catching up with players whose stories continue long after the final hand has been dealt.
The £150 Mini Main
One aspect of the tour particularly stands out for Karlén: accessibility.
For just £150, players can enter a three-day Mini Main Event complete with professional live reporting, experienced dealers, and a festival atmosphere usually associated with much larger buy-ins.
“You don’t really find that elsewhere.”
He believes events like this provide the perfect introduction for recreational players looking to experience live tournament poker for the first time without intimidating stakes.
The ambassadors also play an important role.
Whether it’s Glenn Brown, Natalie Bromley, Joe Beevers, Barney Boatman, or Sam Acheampong, players have the opportunity to meet familiar faces in an environment that remains welcoming rather than exclusive.
Advice for first-time players
Asked what advice he would give someone attending their first PartyPoker Tour stop, Karlén didn’t hesitate.
“Assume you’ve already spent the money.”
His point wasn’t to encourage reckless play, but to remove the pressure that often stops people from enjoying the experience.
“If you’re constantly thinking about the buy-in, you won’t appreciate everything else that’s happening around you.”
Instead, he encourages players to arrive early, talk to people, soak up the atmosphere, and remember why they entered in the first place.
“Have fun.”
It’s simple advice, but one that reflects his own philosophy towards poker.
The hand I still remember
Like most players, Karlén has one hand that has stayed with him. It came during an early live tournament in Sweden, where he had just doubled up with pocket tens before immediately being dealt pocket jacks. Still riding the adrenaline of the previous hand, he made a decision he now laughs about.
“I shoved for about 35 big blinds.”
His opponent folded pocket tens face up.
“I should have played it much cooler,” Karlén admits.
Although he survived that hand, his tournament ended not long afterwards.
“The jacks… they’re always memorable.”
Writing first
Although poker has taken him around Europe, Karlén admits writing remains his greatest passion.
“I’m a writer before anything else.”
Perhaps that’s why he pays such close attention to the people behind the results.
When asked what he was most looking forward to in London, he didn’t immediately mention prize pools or final tables.
Instead, he spoke about stories.
One player in particular.
“I’ve watched Jamie Staples on Twitch for years.”
“So every time he’s playing a PartyPoker Tour event, I’m hoping something interesting happens while I’m nearby.”
So far, the timing has never quite worked.
“Every time I get there, he’s folding.”
Maybe London will finally provide the hand he’s been waiting to report.
London awaits
The PartyPoker Tour returns to London from July 4-12, bringing together recreational players, seasoned professionals, and travelling regulars for what promises to be another memorable festival.
Karlén will once again be there with notebook in hand, looking for the stories that unfold away from the headlines as much as those that make them.
After all, as he has discovered over years of reporting, some of poker’s most valuable lessons don’t come from the cards themselves. They come from the conversations that happen around the table.
- Images courtesy of Nunzia Esposito / VibeLive
