Why I host my weekly poker tournament

Let me start with a bit of a disclaimer:  I apologize if this is a little long or a little heavy.   I hope that you’ll take a few minutes out of your day to read it, and I hope that it gives you a little insight into me.   If I tagged you, it’s because you have played poker here with me, have expressed interest in playing here sometime, or I’ve invited you to play here.   I’ve wanted to write this for a while, since the hubbub with Walt earlier this year.   I just have lacked the time and emotional energy to do so.   But it’s overdue, and so here it is.   Again, thank you in advance if you take the time to read this.   It’s only a few minutes of your day, and it does mean a lot to me, as each and every one of you do.  

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I was raised in a family that was never very close.   We don’t do family get togethers, we don’t have reunions.   There are only a handful of us, and I was the black sheep of those still around.   My mom was the emotional glue that held our family together, and really the only person that kept me in the loop for what was happening.   When my mom died, so did most of the link I had to any family that I was born with.   I see my sister and her family once a year or so, and talk to my dad occasionally, but that’s it.   We aren’t close.   I’m okay with that, because I have always been someone that truly believed that the family you choose is far more meaningful than the family you are born with.  

In November 2004, I walked into Emerald Valley Country Club,only the second time ever playing the game of Texas Hold’em, and immediately felt at home.   It just fit me perfectly, and the results showed.   I had no idea what I was doing, but I understood math better than 99% of the people in the room, and rode that limited amount of knowledge into a 3^rdplace finish.   Two months later, I made a final table with people that knew WAY more than I did, but the deck absolutely ran me over and I won.   Noah Kelley, Steve Hartsock, great, great players were at that final table.   I didn’t deserve to win, but I did anyway.  

In the process of those first few months, I made friendships that I truly cherished.   People that I care about to this day, even the ones that I don’t see very often.   I would keep coming back to AIPCO every month, having more success than I should have that first year, but gaining in knowledge every time out.   And that community, that group of players, would become my family.   It started as people that I would talk about poker with, but eventually became people that I would talk about life with.   People I would do anything for,and who I knew would be there for me if I needed them.  

I created my home game early in 2007, and invited those people that I truly enjoyed being around.  The only rule of that early group of people was that you couldn’t be an asshole.   At the end of that first year, the group of people that we had playing regularly truly felt like family.   There is a dying tradition in this country of family get togethers, where the family comes together once a week for dinner, and to catch up with one another.   My Tuesday night poker tournament became that family get together.   We would share good news and bad, and we all cared very much about one another.  

Over the last couple of years, we’ve lost a number of our regular players, and every time someone stops coming around, I’m devastated.   I feel as though I have lost a member of my family, because that’s what the players here represent tome.   Texting someone or sending an email isn’t the same as actually being able to sit across from someone and ask how their week was.  

As the crowds grew smaller, we lost other players because they couldn’t make as much money here as they could playing in the poker rooms in town.   I understand that, and I wish them well.   Because that’s never been what my tournament is about.   They are absolutely right, they can’t make as much here as they can at a poker room.   I pay out too many spots here, and don’t reward first place as well.   That’s never going to change.   I’m not trying to make this hyper competitive or a winner take all attitude.   Elaine said it best when she started playing here again, “If you’re coming here to make money, you’re coming for all the wrong reasons.”  

Those of you who play here regularly, thank you for being my family.   Thank you for filling the void in my life when my mom passed away.  Thank you for being a part of my life every week.   I love every one of you as much as any family member I’ve ever had.

Those of you who play here occasionally, thank you for also being a part of my family, even though I wish I saw you more.   I love you all too, and I hope you know that you are always welcome here.

Those of you who have stopped playing here, know that I miss you very much.   Those of you that don’t play here because you want to win big at the poker rooms, I wish you nothing but luck.  Those of you who stopped playing here for any other reason, I miss you even more.   You are all my family, and when I no longer see you, I feel as though I’ve lost a family member.  I have lost a large amount of sleep over the people I consider family that no longer come over.  I hope to see you again, and hope that you will always know that you’re always welcome here, and we would all love to see you. 

And finally, to those of you who haven’t played here, but think about it, or have thought about it, or are intrigued by it, I hope this lets you know what it is about here.  You’re not going to make a lot of money.   90% of the people who play here are within $100 +/- for the year.   Tuesday nights are about seeing friends, enjoying my cookies, drinking Gary’s wine, and feeling like Norm walking into Cheers, everyone knows you and loves you, and just wants to have a night of fun sitting across the table from you and talking to you.   The only rule still is:  No one can be an asshole.   Some weeks there’s only a handful of us,some weeks a table full, and some weeks we still get a big crowd.   But no matter what, we are family, and always have fun.  

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Thank you to anyone who made it through this.   I tend to ramble, especially about things that I care about.   I’m an emotional guy, and this has been a very emotional topic for me this year.   Thank you for your time, I love you all.