Nice Story! I was playing back in the days myself, but my biggest success was making ~2.000$ total on stars over half a year.

I never played for big amounts live, only some rounds with friends.

What is the game called you are playing? It reminds me of the casino poker you normally play against the house.

My favorite games are Open face chinese poker and classic 5-card draw. Maybe we play few rounds some day?

Oh and I think you should have spend at least a little of your winnings on cocaine and strippers ;D