Don't tell anybody, but I am excited. A new poker star may be looming on the horizon.
I realize this may be construed as nepotism but I don't care.
I am talking about...
...my daughter, Rossana!
While Rossana has always been a good card player -- she excels at Uno and Old Maid -- she hasn't played much poker over the years, at least not to my knowledge.
She partnered with me once in a Jack and Jill tournament at Downstream Casino near Joplin, MO. I thought she did a good job but afterward, she told me she was extremely nervous and would never do it again. What made her nervous, I asked.
'The other players,' she told me frankly. 'I was afraid they would eat me alive.'
I have always believed...
...my daughter would make a good poker player. She is smart, has a remarkable memory, is creative, and deals well with other people.
She understands odds and enjoys dealing with probability -- all the necessary ingredients that could turn her into a first-rate poker player.
But it wasn't until I moved to Charleston, S.C. where she lives that I found out about her progress at poker. Her boyfriend Ken was the one who let the cat out of the bag.
'Your daughter is a remarkable poker player,' Ken told me one morning. 'I've taken her to a couple of games where we play for money and she always cleans out the other players.'
'Really?' I said, genuinely surprised.
'I'll give you proof,' he said. He took his smartphone and came up with several photos of Rossana sitting at a table. Stacked in front of her was a pile of poker chips. They represented the two home games she played in.
Ken grinned. 'She's so tough, some of the other players don't want her in the game.'
That's my girl!
I confronted Rossana about her poker victories and asked her why she hadn't told me about them. She was modest and claimed she didn't think it was that important.
I am planning to head south to Jacksonville, FL. and the BestBet Casino in the next few days. Rossana and Ken are giving serious consideration to accompanying me.
While Rossana is nervous about playing in a live casino...
...I assured her she has little to worry about. I told her the dealer was there to help her and to answer any questions she might have about the posting of blinds or the betting structure.
My advice to her was simple and straight to the point: just continue playing the way you play against your friends and you will be fine.
'But what if I lose, Dad?,' she said. 'Will you give me my money back?'
I hemmed and hawed and quickly changed the subject.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
