For the first time in over five years, I won’t be spending much time at the World Series of Poker. In years past, I was usually out there for a majority of the Series and felt like I was connected and part of the inner circle. This year, I won’t be heading to Vegas until early July when a majority of the events are complete and the feel of the Series changes as everyone shifts into Main Event mode.

All of those years of being around poker and the WSOP have left me with a lot of friends who are still in Vegas, both working the Series and playing events, and though I am not there, my interest in what is going on is still fairly strong.

My personal schedule and commitments keep me from spending too much time following the action, but a couple of times a day, I scroll through my Twitter feed to keep a rough idea of what is going on at the Series. It seems almost every day there is a storyline compelling enough to make me want to check back the next day and see what happened.

A few weeks back, I mentioned that as much as I have enjoyed the WSOP and being out there each summer, I am at a stage in my life right now where being in Vegas all summer is not the right fit for me.

As the Series ramps up, I have felt the urge to be out there playing tournaments every now and then, but am even more convinced that I have made the right decision to continue to focus on other things and forego the larger tournament schedule this year. I’m still playing plenty of poker, just more on my schedule and not while racking up a tab for a place to stay and a rental car while I am in Vegas.

Thanks to smartphones, Twitter, great poker media coverage, and players who take way too long to make decisions, I get to stay relatively up-to-date on what is going on at the WSOP. While I can enjoy reading the coverage and pulling for my friends who are doing well, I am more than happy with my decision to be where I am.

I am a little nervous about coming into the events I am going to play cold, though. In the past, I have been around the Rio and very comfortable with everything going on, but this year, I’ll be coming in on the tail end while everyone else has had a full month to settle in. While I may be a little fresher and won’t have any burnout issues, I definitely won’t be in the groove that many of the players I will be up against will be in.

I’m doing what I can to mentally prepare for tournaments when I get out there. I’ll make sure to spend some time around the Rio the day before I start playing to get the feel for things and acclimate myself at least a little before I hop in and start playing. Other than that, I am looking forward to a few more weeks of following from a distance before heading out myself to take a shot.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.