After two years of weekly articles and seven-and-a-half years of being involved with PocketFives, I have made the decision to step back. I am blessed to be in a situation where I have enough going on, both poker-related and otherwise, that I have to prioritize my time enough that stepping away just makes sense for me. I will continue to play poker and have even been getting the itch to play a few more tournaments this year, so I may pop up in a few places I haven’t been in a while to take a couple of shots in major tournaments.

More importantly, though, my other business interests and endeavors have taken off to a point where I really need to dedicate more time and energy to them. I am also exploring some offers and opportunities within the poker community as the US market begins to open back up.

I am extremely grateful and appreciative of the flexibility that poker has offered me to explore these other avenues while also being fully involved and immersed in the poker world. I would encourage almost any successful poker player to look beyond poker and take advantage of what the game offers to expand his horizons and explore life and business outside of poker.

PocketFives has been great to me from the start, bringing me in as a totally unknown in the poker world and allowing me the opportunity to grow within the industry while also continuing my personal development as a player. I hope and expect to continue to be involved with the company and the individuals behind it for a long time to come, just for this specific point and time, I am at a point where stepping away makes sense for me. I wish them all the best.

One of the great things about PocketFives has always been that the owners and operators are also part of the community have helped build and nurture. As such, my relationship with them is in some ways symbolic of my relationship with the community as a whole. I have been able to meet and form lasting friendships and business relationships with many people through the PocketFives community.

The value of this type of network is easy to overlook and underestimate, but looking at my personal growth within the poker industry and in business in general, it is hard to overvalue what the PocketFives community has meant to me.

Thanks to all of you for reading and commenting over the last two years and for many of you for being involved the whole time I have been in the poker industry. This is not a true farewell, as I am not really going anywhere and fully expect to turn back up just as much, or even more than, I have over the last few years, but for the time being a small break is in order.

Wishing you all the best in 2014 and signing off for now…

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 for poker media businesses. 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.

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