#buildingtowers

After high school, I don’t remember playing much poker at all.  There was the occasional game when I visited my mother, but nothing of any significance.  That all began to change when I watched Chris Moneymaker win the 2003 WSOP Main Event.  Unlike a lot of others that were introduced to poker for the first time during this period, what it did for me, was reintroduce me to a game that I’ve always loved.  More than anything, I was drawn to the fact that this guy played poker online much more than I was intrigued by him winning the Main Event.  I quickly researched what sites were out there and ultimately decided to create an account at PartyPoker.  I was instantly hooked.  It was a combination of all things I loved; video games, poker, competition, strategic thinking, etc.  I played with ‘free money’ for a long time and built some astronomical figure.  Not that it meant much, but it gave me confidence and after playing thousands of hands, I had a decent understanding of the game of NLHE.  After winning a couple 5k freerolls and doing well in other ‘free money’ games and tournaments, I decided to deposit $50.  I played Microstakes cash games and small buy-in SNGs for what seemed like forever.  I remember that I would just go up and down, never really having a great run.  I felt like I had this ceiling at $600, where every time I got to that mark, I would move up in stakes and lose a good portion of it.  This went on for months and then, boom.  I finally had my breakthrough.  I had a really good run when I ran the $600 to $1600 over a short span.  At that point, I started playing 1/2 and never looked back.  Eventually, playing 5/10 everyday and 10/20 on a semi-frequent basis.  I then started to make deposits on others sites and had very similar stories.  It was a fun time.  I had opportunities to play online with Phil Ivey (@.50/$1), Allen Cunningham (@$10/20), amongst others.  Then Black Friday came and brought all of it to a crashing halt.  Luckily, I had also found my way to poker rooms and that rekindled my love for live poker, where my true passion lies.  As always, thanks for your time and support.  Much love!  - Troy Sheets

My early exposure to poker was definitely made up of a crazy cast of characters.  A group of folks that were much more interested about the gamble and pulling off the night’s biggest bluff than they were with playing solid, winning poker.  But that forced them to approach the game differently and though I did not know it at the time, it taught me something invaluable, that the game is more about the people than it is the cards.  You can play any two cards as long as you know the kind of person you are playing against.  In fact, some times I prefer weaker starting hands against a particular player because I know what and how they play and I know that I can win the pot in multiple fashions.  Either pushing them off the pot on scary boards or hitting a hidden hand that will bust them.  Probably the best player in those early games was a friend of the family named Gator.  I didn’t play against him, but I remember sitting on his lap and betting for him because he thought I was good luck.  I was so young at the time that I didn’t get much from him, but I can definitely share that he was quite the character and an all-around hustler.  A bigger and more direct influence was my mother.  My mother is completely a feel player.  She will start with any hand and try to think her way to a victory.  I know now that this cannot work all of the time, but it was another great lesson.  My mother was usually the person that not only pulled off the biggest bluff of the night, but would generally bluff her way through the entire game.  She was dangerous, she wasn’t afraid to lose, and she loved to gamble.  Other players included various family members and family friends.  They all had various skill levels, but predominantly were all ‘feel’ players.  Taking those early experiences and combining them with the technical side of the game was, and is, a huge reason why I feel I have been successful at the game of poker.  I value those times very much and not only am I grateful for the wisdom passed on to me, but for the great times shared with people I love. - Troy Sheets