Kid Poker

Kid Poker
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Watch out Las Vegas. Billy the Kid is coming to town.

Like Billy the Kid, who reportedly killed 21 gunslingers by the time he reached his 21st birthday, Alex Smith is baby-faced, blue-eyed -- and deadly.

Not in killing people, I hasten to say. At playing poker.

Smith is just 20 years old and hails from Casper, WYO. He started playing on-line poker at age 14. At first, his parents were amused at his interest in poker, but today they rank as his biggest supporters. P.S. He will turn 21 on May 30.

His father is a poker player and Alex learned a lot about the game from watching his dad.

At the tender age of 16, Smith finished third out of more than 1,800 players in an on-line tournament and won $22,000.

He put the money in a bank account and became a delivery boy for Pizza Hut to help finance his college education.

It took some fast talk for him to persuade his parents that playing a game like poker could be a lifelong occupation for him. He admits it has been difficult, but his parents have come to see things his way.

I learned about Alex by reading the MID-STATES POKER TOUR Magazine, published by Bryan Mileski. The editor-in-chief is Chad Holloway.

Smith has won several more thousand dollars at casinos in Minnesota and Iowa. He also was a runner-up at an event at BestBet in Jacksonville, FL., pocketing $6,000.

Alex is one of the good boys. He doesn't smoke, drink, or use drugs. His only high comes from playing poker.

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Watch out, Las Vegas. He is coming for you.

'My dream for the past six years has been to play in the World Series of Poker,' he said. 'The thought for me is totally awesome. I love playing against the best players and they don't get any better than the people you meet in Las Vegas.

'My poker goals are to win a WSOP bracelet. I plan to live in Las Vegas for a while to see what the poker life has to offer. The temptations and distractions that poker brings won't affect me.'

Away from the table, he plays fantasy sports.

'I am super pumped about turning 21,' he added. 'I have watched the WSOP events on television for six years and can't wait until I play in the World Series of Poker.'

Wyoming doesn't offer much in poker beside the Wind River Casino in Riverton, just two hours driving time from Alex's home. But he has managed to improve his game by playing at clubs in Casper that provide tournaments and cash games.

'They're soft,' he says, smiling. 'But I want to play against the best players.'

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