Twitter-Mania …
This blog is going to be a little different than some of my previous entries. I wanted to talk about the Twitter phenomenon and how that has impacted my life but also get some feedback from you as well. So, I hope you guys participate in this and give me some feedback.
If you aren’t already familiar with Twitter, it’s a free social networking and micro blogging web site. Tweets as they are commonly called, are text based posts up to 140 characters long. You can follow somebody else by clicking on their profile and clicking “follow”.
If you follow me at all, you know that I Tweet regularly. (or at least I try to) 
I also post poker updates when I am playing in a tournament through Twitter. I can update my tweets directly from my blackberry phone, so it’s easy for me to post updates on big hands or chip counts. And occasionally, I snap a photo and post that as well. It’s a way for me to send and receive message.
I was just curious how many of you reading this blog use Twitter and what are your overall thoughts about it. I personally think it’s the single best social networking tool. I chat more with fans and friends via Twitter than I ever have through email, Facebookor MySpace. I don’t know why it’s more conducive to back and forth chatter but it really is. Other people tell me they feel the same way.
I actually came across a YouTube clip of Ashton Kutcher on Larry King Live and he was talking about the benefits of Twitter. If you don’t know the back story. Here it is. Ashton Kutcher was on his Twitter account one day and he realized that CNN only had 25,000 more subscribers or “followers” than he did. He thought that was pretty amazing because never before in the history of mankind did a single person have the type of following as a major news network.
Ashton thought it would be amusing to issue a challenge to CNN and see who could get to a million subscribers first. Subscriptions are “free”. You don’t even need to do a friend request like you do on Facebook or MySpace. You simply find the person you want to keep tabs on and click follow. However, the person on the other side does have the freedom to “block” you. Most people don’t actually block anyone. And celebrities and news organizations almost never do.
Back to the Ashton Kutcher challenge. Well Ashton did beat CNN to 1,000,000 subscribers and Larry King invited him on his show to congratulate him on his victory. The part I found intriguing about the challenge was the significance of Ashton Kutcher having more followers than CNN. In the past, celebrities never really had a way to defend themselves against gossip, rumors, etc. Except for the occasional press release or interview.
Twitter comes along and gives everyone an opportunity to have a bigger voice. Not just celebrities, but really anybody. In the interview with Larry King, Ashton mentioned how much more in touch he was with his fans. He would find himself messaging back and forth with some guy in Iowa that he had never met before in his life. It was a completely different level of connection. And Twitter gave him the ability to say exactly what he wanted to say throughout the day, completely unfiltered. If a media outlet quoted him wrong. He could tell his 1,000,000+ followers instantly that the news story was wrong.
On a lesser scope, I’ve kind of experienced some of the same stuff. I find that I’m much more connected to everyone. I can keep people posted daily on stuff that is happening in my life. I try to avoid the really silly updates like what I am eating or what I am watching on TV. Sometimes I don’t really have anything to post but I still try and keep from boring you guys to death!! I don’t know. Maybe you guys want to know that stuff? LoL. Let me know!! But as much as I can, I try to post interesting or noteworthy stuff on my Twitter. Some of it is just silly or uninteresting and really depends on my mood. But most importantly, it’s my voice. It’s what I want to say and tell everyone that particular moment of that day.
There is a downside to all of this social networking, however. I know people who have become kind of addicted to Twitter. They spend more time on Twitter posting tweets than they do living their life. I was talking to a friend of mine who has a Miley Cyrus crush. Don’t ask!!! Lol. And he mentioned to me that Miley Cyrus had 2,000,000 followers at one point on Twitter and quit recently, because she was getting very addicted to it, posting as many as 40 tweets per day and she was accumulating stalkers and news organizations that were quoting her Twitter account as gossip news stories. Basically using what she posted on Twitter against her. Eventually it became too much for her and she posted a 1 minute Rap on her YouTube account, explaining why she quit Twitter.
Even during the Kanye West and Taylor Swift debacle at the MTV Music awards. Later that night, news organizations were pulling tweets off of Kanye’s twitter account posting his response to what he did earlier that night. I’m not nearly as famous as Kanye or Miley but I kind of understand why Twitter can be a distraction or how it can possibly be used against you. So, I kind of have this love/ hate relationship with Twitter right now. I like keeping in touch with my fans. I like keeping people updated on stuff. But I also have had a couple of negative experiences with some people who might pursue me a little “aggressively” and because of the public nature of Twitter, it’s hard to screen them out.
I also have to be careful about posting too much personal information on my Twitter. I am still a very private person at my core but because of Poker persona and my relationship with my Sponsors, it’s also important that I stay connected with people and stay visible. And I do enjoy it, mostly. So how many of you are using Twitter? How many of you like it? How many of you dislike it? I would love to have this conversation with people if you want to do that. Post your comments below. I want to know what your thoughts are.
I also want to let you guys know I will be in Vancouver, B.C. next week for the BC Poker Championships. I went last year and stayed in a Penthouse Suite with Lacey Jones, Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho. We had a ton of fun and even went out a couple of nights to Vancouver to party with close friends. Daniel Negreanu won that event and we celebrated with him afterwards at a private party. Lots of big names came out to play in the event at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C. in 2008, so I’m hoping a similar field will come out in 2009. And if you follow me on Twitter, I will keep you posted on chip counts and tournament updates. So, stay tuned!!
Cheers!
Tags: ashton kutcher, bc poker championship, celebrities, challenge, CNN, larry king, liz lieu, poker tournament, river rock casino, social network tool, twitter, vancouver, youtube
November 13th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Liz —
I stand by the advice I gave you back around the time of the WSOP — If you’re worried about stalkers, then send out your tweets in the past tense. Don’t tell people where you’re going, but only where you’ve been. That way, you’ll always stay a step ahead of the crazies.
I *love* having you on Twitter. You don’t have to tweet a lot, but even once every few days is enough to remind me where you are in the world and what you’re up to. It’s much nicer than the old days, when I only got to see or hear from you during the WSOP or the occasional WPT event.
I never needed to know every minor detail of your life, but it’s always nice to hear when you’re doing your good work overseas, or seeing TwitPics from your photoshoots, or just reading your “Good Morning, Twitter Peeps!” Always brings a smile.
Since I don’t live in Vegas or Los Angeles (like most of the people in the poker industry), Twitter allows me to feel more connected than I otherwise would between WPT tournaments. And for that, I am thankful.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Nice post about how you think about twitter and the usage of it. I’m myself on Twitter (and yes, following you too), I find it great when I get updates from people from the various big tournaments but also just the more ‘down to earth’ tweets.
Even the blonde jokes from Dolye Brunson where great
I do tweet a bit, sometimes about poker, sometimes some iPhone related things or just whats on my mind.
Since I started using Twitter I have been blogging less and less but good to see that not all have it that way
PS. http://twitter.com/SamNova
November 13th, 2009 at 2:14 am
I use Twitter selectively, but do enjoy it. One of the more positive things is that you and I have had short Twitter chats regarding poker, my divorce and our tattoos. I’m not a famous poker player (yet!) as you are, but you gave me your support as a female in this sport, etc. While maybe not technically friends because we hadn’t officially met, I always look forward to hearing from you and believe that you are actually reading what I write. I have made a couple actual real-life friends because of shared activities because of Twitter. On the negative side, I had to read (along with the rest of the Twitter world) how much the slut who slept with my husband enjoyed herself when she spent the night in my house when I was out of town. (Both she and my ex are blocked now of course.) I am still careful what I write and my tweets are private, meaning I have to OK a person before they can follow me, but in the year or so I have been on Twitter it has overall been a positive experience.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:52 am
hi,
enjoy reading ur tweets alot and think you have it about right myself.. nice to keep uptodate wih what some of my fave players are doing.. i dont tend to notice you tweeting much about cash games eather live or online you are playing/have played in and just kinnda an overall idea how they are going for you would be cool, to hear about,
gaz
November 13th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Liz:
I followed you since a certain poker writer’s fascination with you (shout out to Pauley) and enjoy your adventures around the world. I don’t “tweet”too often, but it’s great following important people involved in my 2 favorite things, poker and NFL football. The amazing thing is the real time updates such as the elections in Iran when the gov. tried to shut down the atrocities occuring. Or of course the WSOP. Keep up your tweets and god speed in everything you do.
gkraider
November 13th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Liz,
Love the tweets. Keep it up. No, we don’t need to know what you’re eating for breakfast… unless it’s something really Fear Factor-esque. I use Twitter for a variety of reasons. It helps me keep up with friends from my old hometown and still feel connected to what’s going on there since I’ve moved away.
But on a larger scale, it’s great for instantaneous information as long as you’re careful to double and triple-check anything you read. Also, as far as celebrities (poker and otherwise) goes, it gives us “ordinary” folks a closer look into what’s going on in the things that we’re interested in, whether that’s poker or anything else. It does make me wonder, though, where the line is for how many followers is too many followers. With a few hundred or a few hundred “followers”, there can be a level of interaction… with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers, I think the personal touch is diminished.
So, yeah, stay at it and keep us updated particularly on poker tournaments. It’s always better to get an instant first-hand account even if it’s a limited view, rather than waiting for the (possibly non-existent) summary tomorrow or next week.
twitter.com/keithsmith
November 13th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Hi Liz, nice post. I think you really have a good thing going on Twitter. I take care of the Chilipoker Twitter account and I still remember the moment you joined, we were probably one of the first Twitter account to follow you!
2382 Tweets later, 2707 followers and 93 lists later…
You surpassed us on Twitter in every way…
Well done!
We have some catching up to do…
Have a great weekend.
November 13th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
BJ -
Your advice back then was clearly noted and I’ve been doing just that for quite some time now (as you’ve probably already noticed) :). But only during my personal travels. I feel that if I were to do that with all my updates then I’m pretty much taking away the main purpose of using twitter. But from what I’ve noticed so far, along with a few recent issues i’ve had to encounter .. Both method gets the same result. The crazies aren’t call “stalkers” for nothing right? :).
Now with your tweet updates … I wish I could be as clever with words as you are! All your tweets have some kind of kick to it so it’s never boring. I’m also glad to follow your updates with poker and especially your whereabouts .. just make sure to post an update before u cruise off on another road trip with your dog .. hehe
You are among one of the few writers that I feel very fortunate to have met and became friends with. You have always given me your full support and friendship that is truly genuine, and for this I really thank you!
November 13th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Samuel Nova -
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate my fans and friends who follow me and I feel a natural need to give tweets that are more ‘down to earth’. It makes it a little more interesting, allowing all my twitter peeps to see another side of my life other than just poker.
A lot of my friends play poker so its always nice to get updates on how they are doing, but I enjoy reading their tweets even more when it is about random things going on in their lives, shows we are all in the same boat.
November 13th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Trisha Peña-
Thanks you for the comment lovely lady, you are a strong lady, and we seem to have had similar experiences. I really respect any female that has the strength and determination to succeed in poker. And even though you’ve had to face and deal with one of the most painful experience that anyone has to go through. You didn’t allow it or them to bring you down but instead you’ve shown so much strength by still maintaining a positive outlook. You are a WINNER Trisha! Remember .. My words still stands with what I have said to you in one of our personal chats on twitter. I’m all ears!
November 13th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Gaz-
Hi … I’m glad to hear that you do enjoy reading my tweets .. even though I’ll be the first to admit, I’m pretty bad at keeping my updates consistent :). There are several reasons as to why I don’t often post updates on my cash, online, and tournament plays.
1- Whenever I sit down at a poker game and playing for big money, I want to focus 100% on my game and avoid any distraction that could possibly throw me off my game.
2- Posting updates on how certain hands have been played out could be a big disadvantage for any player. It could give away a tell on the style of play and the players level of aggressiveness on a certain day.
November 13th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
gkraider-
Thank you for your kind words. I can’t say I know much about NFL football, but I’m glad that you enjoy following my poker updates :). Although I have quite inconsistent with my updates. Hehe. I travel constantly, I too find twitter a great tool to allow me to follow the news around the world, so like you I find real time updates a great help.
November 13th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Keith Smith-
Happy you love my tweets; glad you don’t want to know what I had for breakfast, because it’s definitely not Fear Factor-esque! As you know I travel all around the world so like you I use twitter for a variety of reasons, especially to keep connected to my friends from home.
The media creates the word ‘fame’, and actually you “ordinary” folk are no different from me, away from the poker table I am as ordinary as you. I try to highlight this in my tweets, allowing people to see a more natural side to me.
I do agree with you regarding the number of followers, twitter is a social network site, by having millions of followers that bridge is burnt. I think a lot of people, famous or ordinary do fall into that trap, and it becomes a game to see who can get the most twitter followers, sometimes self-importance overrides the original reason why they started it in the first place.
I’ll try my best to keep everyone updated as much as I could during my tournament plays. But no promises though ..
hehe .. cause when I’m in my zone at the table .. everything is blocked out completely except for what’s in front of me at the time… which is the 8 or 9 players at the table.
November 13th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
JP-
Heya .. thank you for the wonderful shout out. I really appreciate it! I still remember when I first joined twitter and was trying to convince a lot of my friends and also associates to join .. they all gave me this weird look like .. Are you kidding me?!? LoL .. And look now .. Just about everybody is using twitter nowadays.. and of course I got to enjoy a few good laughs at all my friends :-D.
Your doing a fantastic job yourself! Keep up the great work!
Have a wonderful weekend! I’ll see you on twitter
November 13th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Well liz one thing I gotta say about you and twitter, other than lacy and yourself and Annie duke a little bit, most twitterers who are in the public eye rarely, if ever, respond to anyone who isn’t in a like position. You joined twitter around the same time i did, I think you were like my 50th follow, and you’ve always responded to questions or comments I’ve sent you; even now when u have eleventy thousand followers. Not just me, but all of my twitter poker buddies (tricia for one, carse for another). There are people in the poker world and poker media world who are constantly bragging about their thousands of followers and how they ‘keep in touch with their fanbase through twitter’, but they aren’t actually doing that. They are keeping their followers updated, which is fine, but you actually ‘get’ twitter and social media, and use it to interact with the people who support or cheer for you in two way conversations. In *real* two way conversations, light or trivial as they may be. I believe that you more than anyone in the poker world have harnessed the power of twitter in a way to not just tell your fans how great you are, but in actually creating fan respect, and allowing people to see you as a live human being rather than just the poker pro final tabling or sweating quin do at the APT. THAT has power, and that has earned you my respect as a savvy business person, and a friendly person, not just as a smart poker player. I think that the fame foisted upon poker pros the last ten years by nature comes with some bad elements (stalkers, creeps, timewasters) and the fact that you’re a young and very attractive woman probably adds to that. Will twitter itself exacerbate that issue? maybe, maybe not…but the I would think the good is outweighing the bad on that front, isn’t it?
Anyways, blah blah blah i’m rambling…maybe see you next week i’m gonna try and come down and sweat u. As I mentioned in my tweet, i’m not playing the event this year, but I want to come down and watch for a bit if i can.
November 15th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Good morning Liz, I joined Twitter back in June because it seemed like the thing to do because everyone was talking about it. Five months and 25 tweets later, I just can’t seem to get into it like everyone else but it is a great tool.
As for your tweets, I think they are great. I do not need to know every detail as a lot of things do not matter and some are just to personal. I love the “Twit Pics” when you show us how fast your driving…LOL and your “Good morning Twitter Peeps” which always seems to put a smile on my face.
The Stalkers/Crazies will always be out there so just be careful on what you post. Keep doing what you’re doing because you put a smile on someones face everyday. Take care and have a wonderful day…:)
Alan
November 15th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I think I have a twitter account but forgot the password-lol
Gl in Canada-Hope you have a fabulous time!
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:14 am
Helpful info you have displayed here thanks.