[aces_full]

Honestly, I don't see what you have to worry about. While honesty is a good policy,and it might sound like I am suggesting lying,DON'T volunteer too much information. If something would be difficult to prove, best to leave it off. Also, background checks and a security clearance are two totally different things. Many private companies do background checks, and that usually involves at most a check of your criminal record,verification of education and employment history, and sometimes a credit check-but you have to be told in advance that they are going to pull a credit report. And of course the check references you provided. They will NOT be pouring over your tax returns or looking at your bank accounts, that's just silly, and private companies can't do this anyway.

Now for a security clearance-this is something that is issued by the depaerment of defense and has little to do with your actual job. In fact, when I held a security clearnce, my employer never even saw the paperwork I filled out. It was sent directly to the DOD. Here's what it's all about: There are basically 3 levels of a security clearance, and the big difference between them is how deeply the DOD looks into your past. For all security clearances you must submit a set of fingerprints. On the paperwork you must list ALL arrests even if you were a minor at the time or the charges were dropped. They also ask you if you have ever done drugs or have made money illegally-again, if you have never been arrested for it, best to probably just say no. I had a buddy who was completely straight edge but he did try marijuana one time (or so he said) and admitted it on his security clearance paperwork. That caused his clearance to be held up for months, and that is a terrible inconvenience if you are working in a job that requires a clearance. They do check your credit and they also veryify your education and employment history. They also ask for references that can pretty much verify everything you put on the forms. I would certainly not mention one bit about online poker UNLESS poker is your sole source of income. If there are any gaps whatsoever in your employment history, they expect an explanation AND a reference who can verify how you were able to support yourself. During my last two years of college I lived in an off-campus apartment that was paid for by my parents. Durning that time I did not work, and ater school when I applied for a security clearance that sent up a red flag. I was interviewed by a DIS (Defense Investigative Service) agent and he wanted to know how I paid my living expenses. They actually contacted my family to verify that my parents were indeed paying my rent and sending me spending money.

The difference in clearance levels is mostly in how far they go back. For a confidential clearance they only go back 5 years as far as your residence and employment history. For a secret clearance I beleive it is seven years, and for a top secret clearance it is ten years.

Even if it did come up, I highly doubt that playing online poker would ever keep you from getting a security clearance. The DOD is simply making sure that you are not a threat to national security. They want to make sure that there is nothing in your past that could be used to blackmail you and that you are not so deeply in debt that you could be bribed into leaking classified information.