How Did I Start Playing Poker?

Most of the poker players at the Metro Card Club Davao started playing at the Casino or online. The girls, most of them started playing poker coz of their husbands or boyfriends. Me, however, I started because my high school friends and I were super bored one summer evening of 2004. Because of that boredom, we started hanging our nightly at my house and one of us taught us how to play poker. It was even Texas Hold 'Em back then. I don't know what kind of poker it was. We didn't have blinds, and only bet in P1 increments.

But even before that, I already knew how to play local versions of poker. As a kid, I played Chikicha (or Chikacha) with my cousins. Then I learned how to play piat-piat in college. Eventually, I also played poker with my paternal cousins and their friends. Later on, I my maternal cousins and I played poker during family gatherings.

In 2008, one of my DotA buddies started training to be a dealer at the Metro Card Club Davao. He didn't pursue that job, but his training encouraged my poker buddies to start holding Texas Hold 'Em house games. We started sometime August 2008. We played poker almost every night. Weekdays and weekends. I was a stupid player back then. And the boys, they loved bullying me. So I stopped playing with them.

October 2008, I was invited to a DigitalFilipino.com gathering which was held at the Casino Filipino at the Grand Regal Hotel here in Davao City. One of the sidelights of the event was a poker tournament for the bloggers present. I got the third prize in that free roll tournament.

Later that month, one of my friends played in Metro Card Club Davao's Poker Face Tournament. I accompanied him at that tournament. That day, I learned one of my uncles was a house player at the club, while a cousin was one of the floor managers. The following nights, I would accompany my friends while they played at the Metro. While I watched my friends play, my uncle would occasionally give me money or chips so I could also play.

And since then, I was hooked. The interest in being a better poker player and the rush of playing a game got me addicted. By nature, I am a competitive person. Recently, I realized, it was partly the nerdy gamer (as asserted by this very interesting blog post) in me that also got me interested in poker. See, unlike most of my other friends, I don't see poker as gambling. Rather, it is a game, a sport even. While I am not much of an athlete or sportswoman, I enjoy competing, especially in events or games that challenge the mind.

After months of playing regularly, I can proudly say I have improved. I am by no means a professional yet. And maybe I'll never be one. But I'd like to think I'm quite a competitive thinking poker player right now. And a formidable opponent in cash games. As for tournaments, I still have a lot to experience before I can say I am somebody to look out for.

Join me as I continue my journey in playing this game. ;)