[jph0424]

I started playing when I got to college in the Fall of 2001. It was just a $10 buy in home game at the fraternity house but I found myself consistently winning and bought a couple of books with some of my profits (TOP and HPFAP). After reading these I began to do even better in the game at the house but had no idea online poker even existed.

In the Spring of 2004 I studied abroad in Australia and New Zealand. I was not old enough yet to play in the US but saw that there were some casinos there that offered hold em and I gave it a shot. After playing 4 nights in Melbourne and 2 nights in Christchurch I had made over $2500 playing 4/8 (ran really hot and the play was horrendous). This was crazy money to me and then I really caught the bug.

When I got back to the US I noticed one of my friends playing on Pacific Poker and I offered him 10% of my winnings if I could play on his account. I played .5/$1 and made a couple hundred bucks before I decided to open up my own account and eliminate the middle man. I gradually moved up in stakes and by the end of the year I was playing 5/10 full and $30 SNGs. I made about $10k in 2004 playing cards and thought that was ridiculous. I ordered some more 2+2 books and finally decided to visit the website.

After I found twoplustwo.com I learned about rakeback, poker tracker, multi-tabling, and 6 max games. I am forever in debt to this board for it. I opened up an Empire rakeback account and played 10,000 hands of $1/$2(6max) during which I ran at 4BB/100 so I moved up to 5/10 in April. I played over 50k hands of 5/10(6max) and ran at 2.5BB/100. Then I made the move to 10/20(6max) played another 40k hands and ran at 2BB/100. I also played 40k hands at 15/30 6max at 2bb/100. I currently play 15/30 - 30/60 short and have continued to do pretty well. During my time at 6 max I have endured a 300BB downswing and a 30K hand breakeven stretch. I hit the $100k mark last month but am still in school and will graduate in December. I am actively seeking a job because I have no desire to JUST play poker for a living.

-JP