Poker publishers say they're not bluffing

Poker publishers say they're not bluffing Startup magazines jump on craze that has found acceptance on 5 TV networks. By Michael McCarthy With a poker craze in full swing on television networks like ESPN and Bravo, publishers are moving to launch poker magazines before celebrities such as Ben Affleck take up some other game. A former dot-com executive on Tuesday is launching a national magazine called All In. The bimonthly magazine will sell for $4.99 at chains including Wal-Mart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Borders and 7-Eleven. Time Distribution Services will distribute the magazine, which hopes to reach 150,000 paid readers by mid-2005. The 100-page first issue includes a story by Phil Gordon, host of Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," about his game with New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady; tips from poker champs Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer; and a 25-page spread on the art of bluffing. Advertisers range from Samuel Adams beer and Crown Royal liquor to the Mirage resort in Las Vegas and online poker sites. Startup magazines have a success rate similar to new restaurants: About six out of 10 fail. All In (poker slang for a player putting the last of his or her chips into a pot) is the latest offering in a niche market that could vanish fast if the fad wanes. Bluff magazine was launched recently, but Card Player has been in the game since the late 1980s. Bhu Srinivasan, the 28-year-old former InfoSpace.com executive who owns 80 percent of the newest magazine, All In, says two test issues have gotten a positive response. "We're in a hot market that has just found mainstream acceptance. If poker can support TV programming on five networks, we know it can support a couple of magazines."