What Goes Around Comes Around

In early 2004, online flash games were less harsh than they are actually. The economy hadn't quite gone in the toilet yet, and poker players were less savvy. So I took an attempt on the online thing, taking an $100 deposit and quickly running it to over $10,000 in just a couple of weeks.

Having basically zero familiarity with bankroll management, I was consistently playing levels which were too much.

It was around this time that I got an invite to your game that happened after hours in the computer game store. This place was run amok with gaming prodigies, not just poker, but Magic The Gathering players. If you've never got word of MTG, its form of like Dungeons and Dragons played with handmade cards. My poker buddies walked in on the few young teens playing, and my one friend remarked "Hey be careful, I think he's got pocket Demons!"

But I digress.

This store had plenty of computers too, domino 99 so we all would spend several hours on Party Poker or Ultimate Bet winning and losing unknown sums of greenbacks.

One night I sat down in an taken care of computer to learn. I sat at 4 tables of $5/10 (which I had no business doing by having an $11,000 bankroll) and did start to grind away.

This one guy who I barely knew asked about if I minded if he watched. "Nope," I said.

After about 5 minutes, he asked politely, "Mind if I give you some pointers?"

"Please."

A fold here where I would've called, a raise here where I would've called, a phone call here where I would've folded...

You get the idea.

30 minutes later I was $2500 richer, anf the husband wouldn't require a red cent.

"No, I insist. It's ok. I just prefer to teach."

Ladies and gentlemen,

Your 12th place finisher in this year's World Series of Poker Main Event:

Adam "Roothlus" Levy.