I learned to play poker while I was living with my older brother Mike. Mike had only been home from Vietnam a couple of years and was living the bachelor life with a house full of guy roommates when he inherited me at the wild age of 16. I was too much for my Aunt to handle so she sent me from the only state I really had ever known, North Carolina, to go live with him in California in 1976. Poor choice on her part but that is another story.

While I lived with my brother I was a handful for him too but instead of trying to keep me from his lifestyle he just exposed me to it all and hoped I made good choices. I didn’t. In those 2 years I learned a whole lot of things, and Poker was one that I got to practice a lot.

I learned every type of Poker there was. I enjoyed the games and learning to bluff. I even had the excitement of playing Poker with Waylon Jennings in Lake Tahoe one night. His high bankroll pushed me out soon in the game but what a thrill and a memory.