I am beginning to understand the pride that poker players feel, when a son or daughter suddenly steps up to take their place in the sun.
Most top players are reluctant to encourage their children to follow in their footsteps. Doyle Brunson, for example, did not set off in life to be a world champion poker player.
He wanted to play professional basketball in the NBA. A serious injury to his leg ended that career and he switched his interest to poker for the simple reason that he was good at the game.
He never pushed his children to play poker. Then his son, Todd, figured if Dad can do it, so can I and after tons of practice and proper training, he found himself winning tournaments and cash games, just a chip off the old block.
Oklahoma Johnny Hale found himself in a similar situation. Hale was a business owner, banker and entrepreneur who never promoted poker or gambling to his family. But his daughter was attracted to the casino life. She became a super-model and dealer who found herself dealing card games to Hollywood film stars. One night...
...she agreed to deal to a group of stars who had come to Las Vegas for a special event.
Her evening's activities earned her $100,000 in tips.
Now I don't rank up there with Brunson or Hale when it comes to gambling. I failed to convince my brother Legs to turn away from slot machines and become a poker player. Legs stubbornly refused and continues to battle the one-armed bandits.
Sometimes he wins, more often he loses, but he always has fun!
I didn't give up. I turned to my daughter, Rossana. She has a good head for cards, and an aggressive spirit when it comes to competition.
I encouraged her to try poker. At first she was reluctant, claiming the other players intimidated her. I told her that she could be as good as they were and maybe even better if she would try.
A couple of years ago the two of us entered a Jack and Jill tournament at Downstream Casino in Quapaw, Ok. just outside Joplin, MO. Although she was very nervou...
...she played well until we were knocked out of the tournament with only four tables remaining.
For the past couple of months we have been playing in weekly poker games at ther home of a friend in Charleston, S.C. where we presently live. Rossana has a unique style of play that is tricky. What's more important, it works.
She confuses other players by the way she plays her cards and they never know if she is bluffing or has the goods. I admire her style and finally convinced her and her boy friend Ken to accompany me to Jacksonville, FL. for a weekend of fun at BestBet Casino.
We made the four hour drive to Jacksonville, checked in at the Hampton Inn, and entered a $50 no limit Texas Holdem tournament.
The event drew nearly 50 players. Ken was nervous. He played good hands but was outdrawn by his opponents and got knocked out early.
After two hours of play, I checked on my daughter. She had a mountain of chips in front of her and was having a blast.
"That's my daughter," I said proudly, giving her a hug.
The other players tried to smile. One, a veteran, shook his head.
"She's a killer," he said. "You have a champion there."
We managed to make the final table but we failed to finish in the money. With only five paying positions, Rossana was the first to be knocked out. I followed a short time later.
As we walked to the car for the drive back to Charleston, I told my daughter how proud I was of her play. Ken agreed.
"This was a winning effort," I assured her. "You're going to win tournaments."
"Do you really think so?", she said.
Most assuredly, daughter. Most assuredly.
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 ).
