How did you get into poker?

[AdamM]

Late Night Poker season 1 late 90's
home game started same time
THM forum and online poker shortly after
First casino game Jan 01
 

[Shogun112]

I remember about 10 years ago, I was in a casino with a friend of mine who has a love of roulette.  I was there just watching and having the occasional go on the £200 slot machines..  One day I saw a group of guy in a section playing poker.  I asked my friend how I could play that, because I knew the rules..

His response to me, which I shall never forget, was a question...  If I was to offer you, for entry £100, a round of golf against Nick Faldo, playing him at the same handicap, would I play him?....  My response was, no, don't be silly, he is a pro, I would want some shots...  Well, he said, you don't have a handicap system at poker, and these guys have been playing 5 card draw in this casino for years...  You will get eaten alive..!!!  So I took heed to his advice and never played...  

So with that advice, I though, one day I will be good enough not to be somebody's meal ticket...  I got involved downloading stuff from the internet and one day saw an application called Hoyles Poker..  I downloaded it, and realised I was playing against other people and not playing a computer..  This was cool..  Eventually I found that it was just a different application for pokerstars.net where players could ONLY play for pretend money...  Someone told me that the .com site lets me play for real money and has lots more features, like finding your friends on tables...

I started with my $1000 play money and started to realise the resons why I was getting beat, why I was making bad calls, not looking at the community cards well enough and not seeing hands..  Until one day it clicked into position...  3 of a suit, possible flush out there, pair on display, possible full house out there, or quads even..  And my sill betting changed to be a little more controlled and conservative.  Saying that, I had to realise that I was still playing newb idiots like me who were all-in with any old garbage...  I had to get more play money to play the bigger entry fee tournaments to get away from the idiots who don't care about losing their free $1000...  I managed to do that and eventually built up my stack to 8 million chips..  I even played in a freeroll tournament for 300 play chips entry with 5000 people, and 6 hours later I made the final table and eventually came 2nd..  Was gutted because only 1st place got a seat in a real money game..

I played for like 3 months, and found out my next door neighbour was also using the same site, also he and some of his colleagues had just started to play a home game.  I got an invite and have never looked back..!!  I hate missing my Wednesday poker night..  I am also happy when the extra Friday night deep stack is played..

I play cash tournaments only right now because I don't like the idea of cash ring games just yet.  Won a $20 x 180 player game on pokerstars a few months back ($1080 first prize), just waiting for the next one lol..!!  Also won a lunch time guaranteed turbo on Laddys which was brill..

I then head about APAT from a friend, and joined because I liked the idea.  First on-line game was a qualifier for Edinburgh.  Top 10 get a seat..  I was 4th or so I think when the game eventually stopped.  That was a big thing for me to qualify for the first ever thing i tried for..!!  Saying that, lasted about 7 hrs in Edinburgh, mid table or so..  the I also played Dublin, not lasted as long as Edinburgh..  The postion I went out did not bother me, I had a great time, and my experience grew..

April 2007, 5 of us went to Vegas primarily to play poker, played at least 1 tournament a day, won1, in the money and final table in most...  Also while there got to see the WPT final event at the Bellagio, and saw for real some of the players like, Doyle, Helmuth, Matasau, Hachem, Hansen (Doyle and Hansen were even on the same table by the door)..  Great time was had by all..  Some of the other guys also had tournament wins there..  Now next may, back there again...

Am  I addicted?  lol..  

Love the game, just want to get better..!!

Carl..

[bhoywonder]

played 3 card brag every friday with friends and familly for years...and enjoyed it immensely ,was only for peanuts,but damn good fun

had to take a rest when i ran my KKK into 333,I swear that was a setup at the time...lol

So we come along to the late 90's and LNP is on the telly with devilfish and trumper etc,was my fave prog  but it seemed to be that getting to poker in any form was beyond my means,so left it on the backburner for a few years then about 4 years ago i googled poker,found VC,then eventually blonde,and got hooked,could not believe my luck that u could play for money.....I only wish i could download my HH's from years ago..lol

I dived in almost right away with a deposit,clearly a mistake but when u take down that 1st stt ,then eventually a mtt, well i knew there and then that this was a game i was gonna play the rest of my life and made it my goal to get better and stronger,I am still learning and the road has had many bumps.....

[Yey0]

As a kid I was always fascinated by cards games but could never understand poker, sometime later stumbled into Late Nite Poker (TYVM ), this changed my life totally, quickly learnt the rules and then ventured online, first experience of poker and I was like a kid in a candy store. sadly was only play money on Party but gotta start somewhere lol.

First real money was a little while after trying my hand on PP, setup account on laddies deposited and erm lost, lost and lost again. Found an ad for VC on back of a mag, downloaded, signed up, read books, googled etc and won my first mtt there woot.

Sadly not really progressed much as a player but spend 80% of my time playing, love the game, have met some great ppl and thanks to poker, got myself off drugs and found a new addiction.

[tantrum]

I saw Gus Hansen on tv.....

[redimp]

Pete always played alot of cards when he was in the 6th form at school,to make abit of pocket money.

But really it was late night poker.

Jacarama was so funny,Devilfish and Simon Trumper where great,Had big respect for Surinnder,Ram and pete the bandit and Lin Cai Lin not sure on that spelling but he smoked alot of cigs.

VC was our first site we joined,starting on the 10c stt's,I remember our first deposit of £10 going up, and being scared when Pete said it was time for me to move up to 25c stt's Aww those where the days the most fun ever.

[GlasgowBandit]

Used to play 3 card brag with my da and a few of his mates and then I started playing Kalookie with the local drug dealers found I was taking their cash on more occasions that I was loosing. 

As for starting playing Texas one of my first jobs when I left Uni was as a croupier the dealers used to have a home game I attended that and since then its sort of spiraled.

[suzanne]

Lots of interesting stories...keep them coming.

I laughed when I read someone else started on Hoyle too :-)

Interesting how many started through watching it on TV, I would have thought poker on TV would have been a bit like watching snooker or golf....damn boring unless you are a fan and a player.

I went through the bedroom door.