POKER

I started playing poker (Texas Hold'Em) a few years ago when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker. I have always enjoyed playing card games with my family and had recently been winning money playing Blackjack. So starting to play real poker wasn't too much of a stretch, but I had a LOT to learn.

Here in San Antonio there was a league called Bar Poker and it's played at several bars in the city. It was a really fun league even though it was played in bars and you have to put up with the cigarette smoke and loud jukeboxes.

I started out well in the league, making the final table my first night playing (beginner's luck). Since then I've made quite a few final tables and played in a few tournaments. I'll document my major accomplishments below.

BarPoker started to decline with the economy in 2008, and another league started up here, called the World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League. It's similar in function to BarPoker and offers prizes as well, but not the moneytary prizes BarPoker offers. The major prize in this league is a $10,000 seat in a World Series of Poker event.

I won my way to the 2008 WPT APL Championship event in Orlando, FL. It was a lot of fun, and even though I didn't win the tournament I did really well. There were over 315 entrants and I went out about 30th. I'm not sure exactly where I went out, but it was in the last few tables. Drat!

At the tournament I also played in three charity tournaments, and did pretty well in all three, but didn't make the final table. The first and second tornaments I went out holding pocket Kings but my opponents both made trips on the flop (Queens and Jacks respectively) to knock me out. Ouch. The second tournament was for the Children's Miracle Network and was for a little girl named Emma who has had four open heart surgeries in her four years of life. It was a great tournament and Emma was a joy to meet. So full of life! Here are some pictures of Emma at the tournament. I'm in the third picture. Emma was signing autographs and having a great time.

Well, the WPTAPL is no longer here in San Antonio. The league has morphed into the Best Poker League In Texas. Same people, different prizes.

More news... I'm now dealing for a local Casino Entertainment company called Casino Fun Inc. So far it's been a real learning experience but also a bit of fun.

Other Major Successes

• 1st Place - Tesoro / United Way Charity Poker Tournament (August 2009)

Best Poker League In Texas Major Successes

• 1st Place - Semi-Annual Points Championship (August 2009)
• 16th Place - Semi-Annual Regional Championship (August 2009)
• 1st Place - Monthly Championship - Stetson Bar (June 2009)

World Poker Tour APL Major Successes

• 30th Place - 2008 WPT APL National Championship (April 2009)
• 2nd Place - San Antonio Regional Tournament (February 2009)
• 1st Place - Venue Championship - Stetson Bar (December 2008)
• 2nd Place - Venue Championship - Stetson Bar (November 2008)

BarPoker.com Major Successes

• 2nd Place - Quarterly Tournament (2nd Quarter 2008)
• Quarterly Points Leader - Tie (1st Quarter 2008)
• 1st Place - San Antonio Invitational Tournament (February 2008)
• 6th Place - Quarterly Tournament (2007)
• 4th Place - Quarterly Tournament (2007)