Anyone here play online poker?

[BrianS]

Hey,

Any of you play online poker? I have been playing semi-professionally (sure isnt everyone, lol) for just under 5 years now.

I also own 17 poker related websites and continue to grow my poker affiliate websites year after year.

I guess sort of a brag post but it has been a grind as of late with my profit slowly declining. Anyhow last night I won a $11 tournament for $1400.00 and that will buy me some more machines, heh!

-Brian

[Beer980]

Any way to score some extra money for machines is always nice. I started two more part time ventures to add to my money pot. Whatever it takes to get some extra cash.

[lurtsman]

Hey Brian, I'd love to talk to you about your sites. I've got two friends who are building their bankrolls playing poker. Your business mind is incredible, and if you don't mind being a teacher, I'd love to learn about what you are doing.

PS. 15.75 in a triple for 3 days still leaves me floored. My machine wants to get trained by your machine, no matter how ugly and plastic it is .

[BigWiLL]

I play all the time. I dont dump alot of money into it though. Its still fun to play. Whats the URLs to some of your poker sites.

[BrianS]

Lurts, anytime bud =)

Add me to msn if you would like: InnerCircleWarriors@msn.com

BigWiLL - Yea it can be fun, although tons of frustration as well haha.

www.PromoteHoldem.com is one that I am proud of. I have slacked hugely on updating it as opposed to the others but I really enjoy the look of it. I fully designed it, from the logo to the database.

-Brian

[ROGERS VENDING]

Brian,

Yeah, I play. You're that dude I had all raged and calling me a donkey again the other night.  Funny how wallet pickers are the donkeys!

In all seriousness, I would love to know how you're making money on that site.  I'm not looking to build a poker site, but do have some ventures I would like to get into.  I don't know too much about computers/technology but have taken a programming class and will take more.  Of course, they don't teach you how to MAKE MONEY with your own entrepreaneurship.

I'm not a very good online player.  I don't have the patience, and to be frank, I can't hardly get any money into my accounts anymore.  And it's not easy to get any removed from your account, either.  Do you have enough bank roll that you don't worry about deposits anymore?  How do you withdraw?

I'm a MUCH better LIVE PLAYER.  I will share a CRAZY poker story that I will NEVER forget! 

WARNING:  IT'S VERY LONG... SO CHECK THE THREAD BELOW.

IT'S A WILD POKER STORY... BUT IT'S ALL TRUE!

[ROGERS VENDING]

In May of 2005, I was a struggling college student with a Lawn Care and Landscaping business that was started 4 years earlier out of frustration for my inability to make money and finish school.  I started the business with a push mower and NO MONEY.  Four years later, I had 3 contractors and $14,000 a month in revenue during the peak seasons.  I was no longer able to deal with college (no time).  I was not making enough money for the amount of hard work and hours put in.  Overhead was higher than I had expected; customers were lazy about payments.  I was not happy working in the 100 degree heat.  I was not happy that there was no time for school. 

On June 7, 2009, I arrived to my storage unit to find no trailer, no commercial mowers, no weed eaters, no backpack blowers, no nothing, nada.  Over $20,000 and 4 of the toughest years of my life down the tubes… A BREAK IN….  No liability insurance; never crossed my mind as I built this business piece by piece.  I didn’t have the time to think about it (to be honest).  I was working 16 hours a day, 6 days a week. 

I QUIT.  NOTHING IS WORTH YOUR HAPPINESS.

I quit with, after that month’s bills, $250 in my account and $12,000 on my line of credit (at 18 percent).  This was only the beginning of my financial woes.  It would be highly unlikely that I would collect much money for the month. 

 

Over 3/4ths of my customers didn't pay for the services already performed.  I can't blame them either, as I didn't finish the month out and didn't give an iota of a notice.  Why?  I had tried to quit twice before but was talked out of it by clients.  I'd developed a great relationship with my customers.  I would go on double dates with some.  Some of the older clients would invite me to their homes for dinner.  I even had a famous client that gave me sideline tickets to certain football games in my city.  He was a coach on that college team.  Still is.  They wear burnt orange.

SO I WALKED OUT COLD TURKEY, JUMPED IN MY TRUCK AND DROVE 6 HOURS TO KINDER, LOUISIANA WITH $250 TO MY NAME.  GAS PRICES WERE SOARING.  I DROVE A V8 TRUCK.  IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER TO FLY!

BILLS (RENT, ETC) WERE OVER $2,000 A MONTH AT THE TIME.  I'D NEVER PLAYED POKER FOR REAL MONEY.  IF I WAS GOING DOWN I WAS GOING DOWN HAVING FUN!  NO MORE STRESS!

I drove on a Friday morning. I was entering a tourney that night at the Coushatta Casino Resort.  I figured with 1 or 2 re-buys and the add-on, I would have $90 in the tourney. 

I WAS GOING TO WIN.  NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

If not, I would NOT be able to sleep in a motel that night.  I would be sweating it out in hopes that I had enough money to drive 10 hours to my parent’s house.

 

I had told my best friend he may have to pick me up if things went sour.

I was introduced to the game 3 years earlier.  I was beating my friends (for fun) before I even knew how to play.  I had never played cards prior to this in my life.  My parents weren't into that kind of stuff.  I didn't even know how to play blackjack.  Yet, I whipped my friends while they taught me how to play.... and I continued to whip them for 3 years... I knew how to read players.

I play chips, not cards.  That's my motto.

KINDER, LA

I was down to my final 3 chips after the re-buy.  I had, for some strange reason, elected to only call a bet with 3 chips leftover.  I had J-10 of hearts.  The turn just gave me the flush.  It was a King of Hearts.  Only 2 cards in the deck could beat me.  I was confident I was about to win a massive pot.  Finally! I had not received one hand worth a river card in over 6 hours.  I bluffed (about once an hour) my way to this point in the tournament. The player in front of me went all in.  Three way action.  I was about to throw my 3 chips in the pot when I noticed the third player across the table.  Something didn't add up.  He had dollar signs on his face, ready to throw a massive stack into the pot. 

 

I had learned he was a local pro.  He played everyday.  He built a large nursery business out of playing poker. He was only 31 years old and was living large.  Who says you have to be in Vegas to make a small fortune.  He had cleaned out Sammy Farha six months earlier at these very tables.  The Coushatta had paid Mr. Farha to play in a tourney at the Coushatta.  They were trying to drum up business in the Houston, Texas area. After the tournament, this local pro took him to the woodshed all night long.  Sammy would call the game, he would be defeated.  Repeat.  He couldn’t even win at his own game, Omaha.  He was arguably the greatest Pot Limit Omaha player in the world at the time   He was the runner up to the 2003 World Series of Poker.

 

I thought it over until a countdown. 

I COULD NOT BELIEVE I WOULD FOLD A JACK HIGH FLUSH WITH ONLY 3 CHIPS TO MY NAME.  THERE WAS A BOATLOAD OF CHIPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TABLE.  I WOULD BE THE CHIP LEADER WITH 3 TABLES LEFT. 

ONLY 2 CARDS IN THE DECK COULD BEAT ME.

I FOLDED.

The local pushed his chips to the middle.  He turned over the Ace high flush.

 

I had three chips left.  About a fourth of the big blind if I remember correctly.

 

I folded.  I folded again…. and again…

 

I won 2 hands in a row.  I won a 4 way pot (small with my stack).  I won my small blind.  I folded the big blind.

 

I played 2 more hours with peanuts.

 

After 8 hours of play, the cards turned in my favor faster than I could think. 

 

I was chip leader with 13 players left.

During heads up play, my opponent wanted to split the winnings.  He would give me 60 percent. 

 

I laughed.  I DIDN’T DRIVE 6 HOURS TO SPLIT MY WINNINGS.

 

Six hands later, at 3 in the morning, I won over $4,000.

 

What does a young man with $4,000 and no job do?  He gets a room upstairs, gets an ice cold longneck and plays some more poker.

 

I had played limit poker only once with my friends.  I sat down at a 3-6-12 table, $100 max. I played 12 more hours that night.  I was down $60 dollars until the final few hours. Then things began to change. 

 

I stayed at the Coushatta for nearly 2 months.  I had one rule in regards to cash play.  If I ran out of my first run of chips, I was done for the day.

 

IT HAPPENED ONCE IN 2 MONTHS.

 

I averaged over $300 a day at 3-6-12 during my stay.  I played everyday, 12 hours a day.  I finished at the final table in 7 of the 9 tournaments I played.  I paid rent and bills in Austin, TX.  I paid rent and bills in Kinder, La.

 

I made over $16,000 in 2 months.  I was having fun!

 

Then on Friday, August 26, 2005, I ventured to the Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans. 

 

I played Friday and Saturday.  I was burnt out. I hadn’t seen any friends and family in 2 months.  I hadn’t been outside in 2 months.  I was drinking beer 12 hours a day for 2 months.  It was time to go home.

 

AS I APPROACHED THE LOUISIANA-TEXAS BORDER, TRAFFIC BEGAN TO STALL.  I WASN’T HAPPY.  I NEARLY TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK.

 

I’m glad I didn’t.  It was a 9 hour trip home.  I was exhausted.  I had not slept a good night in over 2 months.

 

I SLEPT 16 HOURS STRAIGHT!!!!

 

I woke up, dusted off the cobwebs.  I turned on the TV.

 

HURRICAN KATRINA WAS LESS THAN 24 HOURS FROM NEW ORLEANS!!!!!

 

I NEVER HAD A CLUE.  I HAD SLACK JAW.

 

I returned to Coushatta in Kinder, La in September. It wasn’t the same.  There were Katrina refugees everywhere.  Then a Warning: Hurricane Rita was heading STRAIGHT for Kinder-Lake Charles!  I drove like mad back to Central Texas. 

 

On September 24, 2005, I watched on CNN as Hurricane Rita destroyed the Louisiana-Texas coast.  I watched one of my casinos, the Harrah’s Riverboat in Lake Charles….

 

… BREAK AWAY FROM THE DOCK AND FLOAT DOWN THE SWIFT WATERS OF HURRICANE RITA.  I WATCHED IT LIVE ON CNN!

 

My plan was to build a bankroll feasible for the Las Vegas poker rooms.  It never happened.  I’ve never found the magic potion since that summer.  Oh well, it was one heck of a ride!

[G-man422]

Roger, what a fascinating story!

[antoniocinisi]

wow what a story.wish I had your luck in cards.

[vendamania]

I don't play too bad and love the game. That is a great story...I grew up with that stuff all my life.

Just finished a tournament super bowl break and made the final table in a field of 80.Last year I won in a field of 90 and the year before fourth.

I have stories also on this topic my Dad supported us all our lives as a gambler.He taught me how to count cards in black jack.He got barred from about 5 casinos in AC.I used to play 4 times a week when I was younger.Like that movie 21 that was me.I don't play anymore bored of balckjack,love texas holdem.It is all about chips and reading people.

I shoot a lot of pool won a national team 9 ballchampionship in vegas in 1995.That was cool we were the first ones on the books to win an APA 9 ball championship.

Besides vending I love pool and texas holdem...What else is there? OK women and beer.

Fred

[nepavend]

Great Story Rogers, I have a nice story about how I ended up in St. Charles, MO bowling for college on a scholarship but it doesn't come close to your story.  Truly fascinating.  POTD.

[BrianS]

Thanks for sharing Rogers! Great story.

[ROGERS VENDING]

To clarify, it was Thursday night and into Friday that I stayed at the Harrah's in New Orleans (I believe?).  I originally stated Friday and Saturday... 

It was still too close to call!  I had no idea Hurricane Katrina was about to slam into the Louisiana coast!

I truely believe, if not for that Hurricane, I would still be playing poker for full time!!  Oh well, lives were lost and houses were destroyed. It would be greedy of me to complain.

Thanks for POTD, Joe.

Jesse