[Kyo Souma II]

MIKE SCHNEIDER

Mike Schneider follows in the footsteps of two final table finishers at last year’s PartyPoker.com Million—a student. He is currently at the University of Minnesota studying journalism, planning to graduate in fall 2006, and has paid for his education through his poker winnings. The 22-year-old, who lives in Minneapolis, began playing in home games four years ago, and graduated to his hometown card room, Canterbury Park at 18, the legal age in Minnesota. In 2003 he said he was “shocked to see how many people were playing online” and elected to join the surging crowd. He is a regular PartyPoker.com player who loves the site thanks to the wide variety of games. Like many of the game’s young enthusiasts, he admires Phil Ivey (“for his poise at the table”) and counts among his best instructors many of his contemporaries who have also taken up poker.

The PartyPoker.com Million is only his second high stakes tournament, having entered the $2500 Limit event at the WSOP in 2005, finishing 30 out of the money. But he counted it as a valuable learning experience. Schneider credits his math skills for getting him to the final table (he dropped math as a double major this year) and says he loves the mental challenge. Playing at this level is like experiencing “never ending puzzles against good players.” He is very excited about making the final table of the PartyPoker.com Million V, terming it “awesome,” especially since he ended day one with only 5500 chips, thinking he might not last more than the first three hands on the second day. Wisely, he hopes to put some of his PartyPoker.com winnings into investments, after building up his bankroll a bit and tucking some away for day-to-day expenses.

When not at his computer on PartyPoker.com or studying, he can be found playing baseball, basketball or volleyball.