HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?

Dazler

Was just thinking about my first ever game of poker for money, and it was at a friends house in cheltnam i lived in bristol at the time, My friend asked me if i played before and i hadnt but the buzz was all around at the time and the craze had started, shops were selling poker sets and internet poker was kicking off big time. I was really interested and excited about playing as well as a bit scared, considering i had no idea of how to play texas holdem. I remember not even having a clue what hands beat what and my friends game me a card to have in front of me telling me what hands beat what lol. At the time i was way outta my depth as these guys played a lot every week, but saw it as a bit of fun with the lads and a good social thing to do. Drinks were going round we all gave in our money i think it wasnt much about 20 quid which for someone that knows nothing about how to play was quite a bit to lose. Its funny to think that far back now but we all started somewhere and i remember asking so many questions i must have been anoying especialy when i ask the player im playing against does an A mean high or low lol. I think i did win a few hands but didnt quite know how i won, also the thing that confused me most was the Button, BB and small Blind and constantly bet out of place and didnt know how these kind of things were important. Basicaly i bust out early and ended up being the dealer for the whole night, which i think they planned lol. But i did watch and i did get the bug and although i lost i loved it. I went on to watch it on tv and played a couple more games with them and gradualy learned bit by bit. 

Soon after i played against a differnt group of friends and this was about my 5th time id played and every game i was taking home around 100 quid and winning all the time, they stopped inviting me soon after lol i then tried out the casino for the first time and final tabled my first ever torny, my heart raced in that i can tell you. Thats when i discovered online poker and its been over 7 years now. and looking back have learned so much. The term 'It takes a short time to learn holdem but a lifetime to master' really makes sense to me now. Even now im amazed at how much i learn every day its such a complex game for such a simple game and is what makes this game so addictive and enjoyable, as well as the unjoyable parts lol. There is no other game better in my opinion apart from Operation (that buzz gets me every time) and as much as i like winning money i think just playing the game makes me happy.

How did you start and what got you started and do you enjoy it as much now as you did back then?

Poker_Fail

High stakes poker and the WSOP on TV got me interested at a young age.

I started playing with small change at a friends house and school when i was 13 lol

One sports day I managed to win £1.53 in the middle of winning 4 events

We also used to play in our lessons during maths and science A levels lol the teachers didn't care because we were doing well, good memories.

On the 17th March this year (6 days after my 18th) I joined and started with DYMs which I still enjoy today

EDIT: Operation sucks! it's too easy :P

FlyingDagg

I started a thread about this some 2 or 3 months ago (sorry don't know how to link to a previous thread) but briefly I caught an episode of  Late Night Poker or something similar and that was it I was hooked. I watched every poker programme I could and learnt the basics that way. After about 12 months I couldn't resist any more and joined a site but I only played for fun money as I was never a gambler of any sort. It was a long while before I deposited any money and that was only 20 quid which I lost in about a fortnight and I realised I was rubbish. My poker improved a lot when I got Sky tv to replace Virgin media and I had access to 865 for the first time. I'm enjoying my poker more than ever and am now aiming to improve my  Omaha game.

jamielou

I've had an eye for card games for as long as I can remember. From about 8 year old I was playing, with real money too, Queenie & 7 card brag with my Mum, Aunties & Grandparents, and I rarely went home without a pocket full of money! 

My Mum taught me how to play Poker just over 2 years ago as she was playing every Wednesday at my Aunties house with 3 of my Aunties, my Grandma, my Great Aunty and some cousins. Then we started holding our own tournaments at a golf club and from then that's when I started taking it a bit more seriously and started playing here, 30p DYM's!  :-)

Sky_Dave

I used to play a lot of chess and one of the guys who I really respected as a chess player was playing some online poker in the office after work. I wandered over, watched for a bit and had a gut feeling he was playing like a complete numpty. I asked him a few questions, he answered and I was even more sure he was playing like a numpty

I decided to pick up a couple of books, have a read up, and also got the WPT DVD box set for Season 1. From that, I decided to pick out two players who I really enjoyed watching play the game and tried to emulate their style. 

One was Gus Hansen, who seemed to apply maths and gamble to the extreme, especially in short-handed situations. I found that really different from the TJ Cloutier books I'd been reading a lot of!

The other was Howard Lederer. No matter what mess he's worked himself into since then with the FTP scandal, he was still a player who I respected. Poise, composure at the table and a real ability to read his opponents.

The style I got from that was a loose, manic aggressive style but one which was carried with a bit of dignity at the table. Manners and good sportsmanship never cost anything, as far as I am concerned. Playing like a wannabe Gus Hansen might have done

From there I just tried to read and watch as much as I could. I eventually went and played some home games that were organised around the London area, I did well and the rest, as they say, is history...

I love this game.

DOHHHHHHH

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

High stakes poker and the WSOP on TV got me interested at a young age. I started playing with small change at a friends house and school when i was 13 lol One sports day I managed to win £1.53 in the middle of winning 4 events We also used to play in our lessons during maths and science A levels lol the teachers didn't care because we were doing well, good memories. On the 17th March this year (6 days after my 18th) I joined and started with DYMs which I still enjoy today EDIT: Operation sucks! it's too easy :P
Posted by Poker_Fail

What events were they?

Poker_Fail

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING? : What events were they?
Posted by DOHHHHHHH

Long jump
Triple jump
400m
Relay

scotty77

Watched Rounder late one night on TV.

Next day saw an ad for Party.  Joined.  Put in 50$.  Got 50$ free.

Lumped it all on some limit game.  Doubled my money.

Wish I had take it seriously back then tho. 

Amarie

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

I've had an eye for card games for as long as I can remember. From about 8 year old I was playing, with real money too, Queenie & 7 card brag with my Mum, Aunties & Grandparents, and I rarely went home without a pocket full of money!  My Mum taught me how to play Poker just over 2 years ago as she was playing every Wednesday at my Aunties house with 3 of my Aunties, my Grandma, my Great Aunty and some cousins. Then we started holding our own tournaments at a golf club and from then that's when I started taking it a bit more seriously and started playing here, 30p DYM's!  :-)
Posted by jamielou

lol and the rest is history!!

walesboy

actually started on here a couple of months before went to Vegas with a few mates to "celebrate" turning 40!!
thought I'd better have a grasp of the basics playing before going out there. It worked- was up on poker but down on the other games.
Want to go back to Vegas big time.

Dazler

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

High stakes poker and the WSOP on TV got me interested at a young age. I started playing with small change at a friends house and school when i was 13 lol One sports day I managed to win £1.53 in the middle of winning 4 events We also used to play in our lessons during maths and science A levels lol the teachers didn't care because we were doing well, good memories. On the 17th March this year (6 days after my 18th) I joined and started with DYMs which I still enjoy today EDIT: Operation sucks! it's too easy :P
Posted by Poker_Fail

operation sucks its too easy!!!! maybe i drink more than you but its more fun that way especialy if you link it up to the mains socket

Dazler

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

I've had an eye for card games for as long as I can remember. From about 8 year old I was playing, with real money too, Queenie & 7 card brag with my Mum, Aunties & Grandparents, and I rarely went home without a pocket full of money!  My Mum taught me how to play Poker just over 2 years ago as she was playing every Wednesday at my Aunties house with 3 of my Aunties, my Grandma, my Great Aunty and some cousins. Then we started holding our own tournaments at a golf club and from then that's when I started taking it a bit more seriously and started playing here, 30p DYM's!  :-)
Posted by jamielou

Do you think you Grandma and Auntys let you win lol, thats just wrong taking money off old ladies like that

Dazler

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

Watched Rounder late one night on TV. Next day saw an ad for Party.  Joined.  Put in 50$.  Got 50$ free. Lumped it all on some limit game.  Doubled my money. Wish I had take it seriously back then tho. 
Posted by scotty77

if only we all had hindsight to when we started and knew about br lol, sure id be a rich man by now

Dazler

In Response to Re: HOW DID YOU START PLAYING?:

I used to play a lot of chess and one of the guys who I really respected as a chess player was playing some online poker in the office after work. I wandered over, watched for a bit and had a gut feeling he was playing like a complete numpty. I asked him a few questions, he answered and I was even more sure he was playing like a numpty I decided to pick up a couple of books, have a read up, and also got the WPT DVD box set for Season 1. From that, I decided to pick out two players who I really enjoyed watching play the game and tried to emulate their style.  One was Gus Hansen, who seemed to apply maths and gamble to the extreme, especially in short-handed situations. I found that really different from the TJ Cloutier books I'd been reading a lot of! The other was Howard Lederer. No matter what mess he's worked himself into since then with the FTP scandal, he was still a player who I respected. Poise, composure at the table and a real ability to read his opponents. The style I got from that was a loose, manic aggressive style but one which was carried with a bit of dignity at the table. Manners and good sportsmanship never cost anything, as far as I am concerned. Playing like a wannabe Gus Hansen might have done From there I just tried to read and watch as much as I could. I eventually went and played some home games that were organised around the London area, I did well and the rest, as they say, is history... I love this game.
Posted by Sky_Dave

ive got friends who are world famous backgammon players and they soon ended up getting the poker bug, but i think from what ive seen of them they should stick to what they know best lol. Funny how chess is a huge mind game and poker is also but has a completely different feel about it, i think its the hiding the cards and not knowing whats in front of you that appeals where chess you can see your opponants hand or peices.