The latest evidence of poker’s continuing surge in popularity
can be seen in the immediate and continuing success of recently launched
Bluff Magazine, a print publication based in Atlanta GA.
In only its second issue, Bluff has exceeded 150,000 in circulation
to become the largest per issue circulation poker publication in North
America.
“I’ve never seen a new publication take off like
this”, publisher and co-founder Eric Morris said this
week. “I’ve been involved in the launch of several
successful magazines over the past nine years, and this kind of instant
success is unprecedented.”
An 84 percent news-stand sell-through rate on Bluff’s premiere
issue has opened the floodgates on newsstand demand. Bluff has gone
from 7,000 newsstand copies at launch to over 70,000 with its second
issue. Bluff is now carried by many of the major newsstand outlets
across the country including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walton Books,
Books-A-Million, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Albertsons (NYSE: ABS), and
Kroger (NYSE: KR).
Bluff can also be found in over 100 card rooms in 21 states and at
live poker events nationwide such as those produced by the fast-growing
Amateur Poker League.com.
What’s the secret to Bluff’s success? According to co-founder
and self-described poker junkie, Eddy Kleid, “Poker is
hot right now, and Bluff is providing the right mix of content to
pique the interest of a new generation of poker player. Bluff is not
just a compendium of poker strategy articles, it also focuses on the
excitement surrounding the dream of becoming a professional poker
player.”
With features such as “Poker Like a Rock Star” (a day
in the life of a hip 25 year-old poker superstar) and “Dan’s
Diary” (the ongoing saga of an aspiring professional who dropped
everything to give it his best shot), Bluff is the first pop culture
poker publication to hit the market. “I think part of
what makes Bluff so enticing is the fact that anyone can become the
next star on the World Poker Tour, it doesn’t matter how old,
tall, strong, or rich you are. Our goal is to get people excited about
this poker.”
Presently a bi-monthly publication, Bluff plans to become monthly
in late Spring 2005.
STOP PRESS: As we went to press the news was coming in that the publishers of Bluff Magazine will be on CNBC at 7:30 AM on January 4th, 2005 at 7:30 AM to discuss the popularity of internet poker.