A Tribute to Lou Krieger

By Tim Ryerson | January 10, 2013

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” – Albert Einstein.

Lou Krieger was a master of explaining it simply. I say was because sadly, Lou passed away in December after a courageous battle with cancer. He will be deeply missed.

For those who don’t know, Lou Krieger was the author of 11 books about poker, including “Hold’em Excellence: from Beginner to Winner” and “Poker for Dummies” – perhaps the best selling poker book in history. He was the longtime editor of the widely circulated US publication, Poker Player Newspaper. Lou also hosted a popular weekly internet radio show “Keep Flopping Aces” which ran on the Rounder’s Radio network, and later on Hold’em Radio. In short, Lou was a giant of the poker world.

Lou first started writing for Pokerology.com in late 2009. It was always a pleasure to read his many written assignments – always on time, always on point. It’s what you’d expect from such a pro. Lou loved writing about poker and I loved reading his articles.

Just over a year ago I asked Lou if he’d be interested in making some poker strategy videos for the soon to be re-launched Pokerology.com (which re-launched today…. a bit later than planned). Lou thought it was a great idea. It soon became clear to me that we would need to work together to record the videos. We were never in the same room, because I live in London, England and Lou was in Palm Springs, California. The internet was our saviour. I supplied the hand histories and we recorded the video on my computer while Lou watched remotely. The audio was recorded on Lou’s computer, which I later synced up and edited. It’s complicated even thinking about it, but it worked.

We recorded frequently. I spent many a Tuesday afternoon (early mornings for Lou) on Skype. It was great. I particularly enjoyed our little chats before and after each recording. Even when Lou was diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, he wanted to continue with our weekly sessions. He was always upbeat and positive, friendly and kind. I will remember Lou fondly. He was a class act.

Lou was also a big supporter of Pokerology.com. He was full of encouragement and enthusiasm for the project and he played such a key role in helping to develop the site. Although Lou has left us, he has left much behind. There’s more to come too. Lou’s voice will continue to be heard here at Pokerology.com for a while yet.

Lots of kind words have been said about Lou in recent weeks. Lou’s good pal Nolan Dalla penned a lovely tribute, titled ‘Remembering Lou Krieger’. Another fine tribute is ‘Missing Lou Krieger’, and there are many more. Lou had a lot of friends.

I’m not much of a writer so I’d like to pay tribute to Lou in the way I shall remember him. This past weekend I spent a few hours going through the video archives and I’ve picked out a few of my favourite bits to share. I hope you all enjoy this compilation. It includes just a few of Lou’s many words of wisdom and his lovely turn of phrase:

Thanks Lou!

By Tim Ryerson

Tim is from London, England and has been playing poker since the late 1990’s. He is the ‘Editor-in-Chief’ at Pokerology.com and is responsible for all the content on the website.

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4 Responses to “A Tribute to Lou Krieger”

  1. Barb ODell
    August 13, 2014 at 3:51 am

    Hi Tim.

    I’m a fairly new player just beginning to really study to learn.

    Enjoyed your tribute video.

  2. Chuck Decker
    October 14, 2014 at 11:47 pm

    Hi Tim, Sorry to here about Lou. Sounded like a good guy. Enjoyed the video and looking forard to all the rest of knowledge to be gained from your site. I just registered and made a pot of coffee so I can dive right in now. Thanks, CCD3 From PA.

  3. Hammer Blaisdell
    January 30, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    Hi Tim,

    I’m a poker novice, and found your site while trying to become a better player. I’ve looked at umpteen poker sites, but find yours to be among my few favourites. I think this is partly (perhaps mainly) because of Lou. HIs writing is crisp and extremely well done. His video commentaries are exactly what I need to better understand the intricacies of the game. I’m sorry to hear of his passing, but am heartened to know he was able to do something he loved. It sounds like you had a terrific friendship. Thank you for your site, and sorry for your loss. Hammer

  4. Hammer Blaisdell
    January 30, 2015 at 7:03 pm

    I’m a poker novice, and found your site while trying to become a better player. I’ve looked at umpteen poker sites, but find yours to be among my few favourites. I think this is partly (perhaps mainly) because of Lou. His writing is crisp and extremely well done. His video commentaries are exactly what I need to better understand the intricacies of the game. I’m sorry to hear of his passing, but am heartened to know he was able to do something he loved. It sounds like you had a terrific friendship. Thank you for your site and I’m sorry for your loss. Hammer.

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