How I Got Started in Poker

I started playing poker seriously in August of 2004. Yeah, I played with my dad as a kid, but it was basically 5 card draw and party games like Follow the Queen. I guess you could say that I was part of the "Moneymaker phenomenon", but I have always been one not to get caught up in fads.

I definitely didn't start playing because I thought it was cool. My wife Jenni and I had recently had our second child and I wanted to start having more social interaction with friends that had become harder to keep in touch with. ESPN was airing the WSOP and it caught my interest. I thought it would be fun to host a poker game with friends at my house.

So I sent out an email to a bunch of people I knew and had my first official home game. I can't remember exactly what we played...probably like .10/.25 NL Hold'em buying in for about $20. But of course, the competitor in me didn't want to go into this game unarmed. So, I did the nerdy thing and started reading as many online articles as I could find about the game. I mostly concentrated on understanding starting hands and the basics of position. So of course, as all my friends are limping in to see the flop, I'm the only one folding waiting for good cards in good position. Anyway, long story short is that I probably played 5 pots all night and maybe won one of them. But damn if I didn't have a good time. I was bitten by the poker bug and the fire inside me was blazing. I wanted to read every article possible and learn everything there was to being a winning player.

As my interest in the game grew, I found it to be something that filled my competitive desires. I wrestled in high school and a year in college and after that, there was a void in my life. I was good and had a lot of potential, but I never was able to push myself to the point of being one of the best. I certainly had the skill and I definitely had the desire and work ethic, but I placed mental roadblocks in front of myself throughout my wrestling career. As I started playing poker, I realized that it could be something that I did for myself and that I could use it as a way to realize my full potential in something that I was passionate about. So now, I have made it my mission to become one of the best. I know that it won't happen over night, but the great thing about poker is that I can play it the rest of my life.

My First Good Read

At least I hope they're good. I don't really expect an audience other than those of you who I've pointed this way. If one builds, that's great too.

My plan for this blog is for it to be a place for my random observations on poker and life, and to track my progress on the way to my goal of winning a WSOP bracelet. As my insight into the game of poker grows and interesting (or random) thoughts pop into my head, I'll document them here. I believe that the process of writing is one of the best was to explore the channels of one's brain in order to find nuggets of brilliant thought.

I hope you join me on my journey to find one. :-)