"I'm all in!"
"I'm all in
[yeah] I've got the ace-jack with the ace of diamonds and I ain't holdin' back
I'm all in..."
(source)
Any fans of Texas Hold'Em out there? Come on, I know you're there. Don't be afraid to speak up!
I haven't actually found any articles on poker on this network (I probably missed them) so I decided to write up a few sentences from the back of my head.
Let me go all the way to the beginning. As I said, it was 2008 - I was just finishing high school and I was (still) mostly into computer/PlayStation games, outdoor sports etc. Now, my (male) classmates back in the day had a routine every day between classes - they gathered up around a table and started playing a card game. Back in the day, a was a huge introvert and it annoyed me that they were playing and having fun because I had no idea what they were playing and what were the rules - but I still didn't ask to be included. After a few months of misery, I decided to finally get involved - so they introduced me to Texas Hold'Em poker. It became like a drug addiction for me...
(source)
Not so long after that, a few of us gathered at my friend's apartment. At the time I already knew the basics, but I was still not even an amateur quality player. Anyway, after a few hours, I was winning most of the hands. Of course, at the time I thought that I was really good at this, but it was just beginner's luck and I was dealt some pretty strong hands. Who knew, if I was outplayed back then I might have never learned to love the game of poker the way I do now...
A couple of months in and I have joined my first freeroll tournament in an actual casino here in Zagreb, Croatia, my hometown! Wow! The excitement, the nervousness, the sweat, and the shaking - I really felt like I was on another planet at that time, like I was playing against the top pros in the world. The reality was that I played against people twice my age (I was 19) that had some extra time and money on their hands and they knew a few things more than me when it comes to poker. The most important fact - they acted casual and they played casually. No matter how I tried, I just couldn't hide my inner feelings. I can only imagine how many tells I had back then. That was their biggest advantage. But, I still considered myself a smart person and most of the time I played tight. That fact paid off after a few games because I managed to finish 4th one time - one place short from a money finish and earning $30. If I somehow managed to do it I would have felt like I won a cool million. Honestly. The excitement I felt for finishing fourth against the "big guys", wow... Consider the fact that I was still a teenager back then and that, basically, until several months ago, I 'hated' poker.
(source)
During the course of my new "career", I have also started watching poker online, on Youtube. One of the shows that intrigued me the most was already mentioned High Stakes Poker, with legendary Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza as hosts. I can't forget to mention that I won an online freeroll tournament on NoIQ poker (I don't think that site exists today), winning a huge (for a student) $65. Of course, it didn't take long for me to lose all my winnings on cash games and blackjack tables - I was so convinced I could earn thousands and, of course, I started thinking greedy instead of using common sense and logic. But, that's what gambling does to you, I guess.
Anyway, back to HSP. Tom Dwan was an upcoming star back then, a fresh face that started his career online with his legendary nickname, "durrrr". He was battling with the legends - Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Patrik Antonius, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, and my personal all-time favorite - Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu (also my namesake).
(source)
Seeing these guys play, even if it was only on low-quality Youtube videos, truly inspired me, fulfilled me and amazed me. I really started loving No Limit Hold'Em like it was something I will be doing for the rest of my life. Gabe Kaplan's legendary commentary was priceless - not only he had an incredible sense of humor, but he was also a very intelligent person and had a really high poker IQ and a 'feel' for the cards and decisions. I have to say, out of all the players, I would have to choose Gabe as a person that I would like to meet in real life if I had that chance and pleasure. He truly seems like a great guy and a proper gentleman.
So, exactly 10 years have passed since those "glory days" and, as usual in life, my college education and the need to survive and do what your parents and friends told me had lead me far, far away from poker in general. What can you do? When you're in Croatia, you can't really expect to earn money playing poker, coming out of nowhere from what many people think (rightfully) is a 3rd world country. "You have to finish college, you have to earn a degree, get educated, get a 9-5 job, get married, have kids..." Die and wither away, I'd like to add. Note to self and note to everybody younger than 25 - don't EVER listen to your parents. Do what you love - in today's world you can always adapt and learn how to monetize it! For young, healthy and smart people it is a waste of time to work meaningless, mediocre jobs for horrible bosses until you're old and tired and lose the will to live. Anyway, I might have missed the point here, I'm not talking about poker anymore and I sound a bit frustrated - I'll get to the point now, sorry, guys.
Once again, if anyone likes/loves poker, any kind of poker, please comment below - I would like to share opinions with you! And if you're a person who's living a life doing what you love - you can comment too! Show the people that it IS possible, no matter what everyone says!
Anyway, after years and years without poker I have randomly found an old HSP video on YouTube and there it was again - the ignition! The fire inside that I felt 10 years ago. It is amazing to feel that after so much time has passed. What I can say is the biggest change is definitely my understanding of the game and the players. Being 29 and 19 definitely isn't the same. My level of education and general knowledge now is completely different than back then when I had more interest in getting drunk and playing video games than in learning and reading. But that's OK, that are just different stages of life. My biggest strength is that I love to learn. Anything. I cannot spend a day without learning and reading about something new in order to improve my knowledge and skills. That's why I can appreciate the poker, especially high stakes, much more than I did back then. Everything makes sense now and the players amaze me even more, and so does Mr. Kaplan.
(source)
This story was supposed to be about poker and yet I started babbling about education, teenage years, growing up and life in general. Maybe I should try and sum this all up. In poker, like in everything else someone plans to do in life, you have to learn every single day. You need to have the ability to adapt, to improve, to make your weaknesses become your strengths and to always use logic and common sense so you won't throw away months and months of hard work into the bin.
This isn't for everybody and it's far more than just a game - but that's what really makes it interesting, isn't it?
Thank you for reading this article in full. I really appreciate any input or comment I can get.
Have a good day, wherever you are.