The Beginning

Hi my name is Dave. I love poker, who doesn't? This is my blog on my quest to become a fully fledged poker pro.

So where do I being? I guess the best place to start is right at the beginning of my poker ride. In fact no, lets start even further back. Where my love of cards grew from.........

When I was young, say 10-14 I used to watch my uncles play cards. They are all about 18-25 years older than me. I have 3 uncles, 2 great uncles and a few cousins that all play cards. Every Christmas and major family gathering after copious amounts of alcohol (them not me, at 10-14) they used to crack out the deck of cards, clear the table and empty their pockets of change. The game they used to play and love was 3 card brag. I used to watch in awe as 8 drunken men, smoked, drank, gambled and generally had what seemed to be a really fun time.

Then one Christmas at an age of around 14, I wanted to play. I asked if I could and to my shock I was invited. I had to beg my Mum, my Gran, my Great Gran all for a few pounds to get in on the action. I think I managed to rustle up around £5 in cash. I sat down nervous, full of excitement. I got a quick overview of the rules, i'd watched a lot so I knew most of the rules/hands. the excitement soon faded however as I lost, pot after pot. It seemed they always knew what I had, always had me beat. So I did only what a good card player can, I waited, I tightened up, with my last £2 or so. Then "boooooom" I hit a rush, hand after hand, pair of Jacks, run, 3 of a kind. I was on fire baby. It felt good, it felt awesome, I liked this feeling, winning was good, no, winning was amazing. I left with £30 that day, it felt like I was rich, on top of the world. It's that day that my love affair with cards began.

Fast forward to the age of 19. It's my first year of uni. I watch Late Night Poker (LNP) on Channel 4. If you don't know it, its like 6 handed sngs for £1500 buy in each. Winner takes all. The devilfish had his first TV outing on the show, as well as jack'o'rama, Simon Trumper and the Hendon Mob. I love the show, I watch it religiously. I also discover online poker. I deposit $50 and play limit cash. I'm terrible and loose everything. I re deposit and play 10 seater sngs. I play better and win then go broke and repeat. One day I get into a conversation with my uni mates, it seems everyone of them watches LNP. They all love it. We start watching it together, drink beer and comment on the hands. Life is good, copious amounts of drinking, lots of weed, slacking off to the max and LNP. Then one day Jimmers says, why don't we have a game, all of us. Jimmers, I love you! :)

The scene is set. A long table, a darkened room, splifs, beer, money, 8 novices and of course a deck of cards. I tear the table apart with aggression and cheating (unintentional of course, I make a novice faux pas and convince Jimmers my 2 pair beats his trips, no one argues apart from Jimmers and i rake in the pot). It was amazing, my first live poker game. I'm hooked on Hold em, the love affair continues.............