In the beginning......

First post, hmm..............I guess I should start with my poker exploits, since that will probably engage the most people.

My poker background started as a teen. My friend Carlo and I would spread a home game for the normal .5c, 10c, 25c. We would pitch chips, be the house for blackjack, and of course play poker on the felt of a pool table. The name of the game was 5 card draw of 7 card stud. This was before poker become a fad so Hold 'em was not even played on the east coast at the time.

The gaming was done in the name of fairly good fun , though I can't say that we weren't compelled by the boost it gave our fragile teen male egos, or the extra money. Everyone enjoyed themselves and nobody lost or won much.

As my age progressed, we spread a steady home game of players from the local pool hall. By then we were playing 1$-3$ 7 card stud. This game however was not in the name of fun. The people there varied in age from 17 - 50, and for the most part were gamblers. Early on I booked a win or two, and picked up Skalansky's 7 Card stud with some of my profits for huge price of 30$. From the tight agressive style that I developed, I became know as the Rock. Don't know if the name fits in the larger scheme of things, but in the midst of a wild and loose home game, that could see many a street capped, it fit. Luckly my style was tailored perfectly to the play of the table and I proceeded to do very very well for the next couple summers. I vaguely remember on night winning over 430 dollars in 4 hours or so. That would almost come out to a ridiculous rate of ~40 big bets an hour!

Looking back, I am not sure if it was skill, luck, discipline, but I would have to guess some of everything. I know that discipline and my conservative nature with money really kept me in good situations.