I suppose after 5 pages I should have a little introduction...
My Name is Sean, im 26 years old and have been playing poker on and off for a number of years, never really taking it to seriously with any direction, motivation or goals. I had on numerous occasions spun up 50$ into 500-1000 but always looked for the biggest game I could sit in and then end up losing it all.
I left school at 16 with a handful of GCSE's after moving back to England from Montreal Canada where my mum had recently divorced from her husband...with my lack of desire to carry on in the education system I decided that the army was the right route for me. After doing 42 weeks training at "Arborfield Training Centre" near Reading I was sent on my way to Blandford Forum for trade training where I successfully passed out as an "Area System Operator" in the signals.
From here I was shipped on my way to Bruggen, Germany for 3 years. While I was there I traveled all over the place... my favorite being a nice 6 week stint in Cyprus. I also went on numerous courses while based in germany, I was a qualified PTI ( Personal Training Instructor ), I had my skill at arms, and successfully gained my wings! Getting my wings was a big thing and from there I was convinced to head to "Hereford" at the time I was only 21 and looking back far to young, naive, and had no idea what I was getting myself into. After 4 months into a 7-8 month course I failed and was shipped out.
I was posted to 2 Signal Regiment in York which was just up the road from my gf who was at Lincoln university and shortly after I decided to sign off, and get out.. This would be my downfall... I left the army with lots of military qualifications but nothing really relative to the normal way of life...I struggled to find a job that I liked and struggled to get used to normal life and normal people. (for anyone who has been in the army or any military personel will know what I mean)
I moved back home with my parents in Rugby and got a job working for U.P.S delivering parcels, this is where my poker sort of started and ended. I used to go to the Isle of Capri casino in Coventry ( its now been taken over by Grosvenor Casinos) and play in the weekly comps, normally no more than 25£ buy in and cashed in a few here and there but nothing major to report, however one night a brummie lad was over and I had ran deep in the comp and got talking about the cash table etc.
2 hours later I sat at the 50p-£1 table with £30 I ran like a god and ended up cashing out just over £400. I remember driving home that night thinking Wow this is easy... Ive been working all day for £7.25 an hour and ive just made £400 in next to no time. Needless to say I went back over the following night sat at the same table but with 100 and there was a guy there called "Mad Dog" an old boy dripping in gold from leicester. I remember asking if this seat was taken next to him and he shook my hand and said "hi, im mad dog" I just smiled nervously and sat down... with in 5 hands I realized why he was called mad dog... he was all in in the dark for £150... I laughed asked the other guy next to me if he was for real and he just said that he was in for about 1k.
I left that night with £1005... I remember it like it was yesterday cause I put 5£ on 0 as I was walking out and 32 spun in...
so in 2 nights I had won 1400£ I was now thinking that all my xmas' had come at once... over the next few months my work life deteriorated I was delivering enough parcels to clear the shelf in the back of the van to get my head down for a few hours, I was staying in the casino until 6am going straight to work and then sleeping when I could.
I didnt realize at the time but that 1400 didnt last long I was up and down, and before I knew it I was running myself into quite a bit of debt and with that I lost my job. I hit rock bottom the gf of many years had left me and I didnt really know where to turn.
I took a job in a warehouse 4 years ago to clear my debt working for 13.5k a year. An almighty dent in the ego after jumping out of planes for a living and beasting un fit squaddies... to cut a long story short 4 years later and numerous promotions, I am now living in Newcastle as an Area Sales Manager, company car, decent healthy salary all with the same company... and the maturity and mental strength to start playing poker again. ( and got my gf of many years back
)
When I look back and how my game is now to what it was back then when I thought I was good is a huge difference, and then I talk to some of you guys on here and realize that I still dont know anything compared to where I want to be. So with a lot of hard work, studying, short term and long term goals I think that I can become a solid player. I have no intention leaving my job but I love the game and would love to use this as an added bonus to the life roll and to take some bigger shots at some of the bigger live comps.
Hope you enjoyed the read, just a lil bit about who I am and where ive come from.
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