Roy Brindley - Lifes a Gamble: The High Stakes and Low Life of a Poker Professional

Contents

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First published in Great Britain in 2009 by Bantam Press, an imprint of Transworld Publishers

Bantam edition published 2010

Copyright Roy Brindley 2009

Roy Brindley has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.

This book is a work of non-fiction.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Version 1.0, Epub ISBN: 9781409080664

A BANTAM BOOK: 9780553819410

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First and foremost this book is dedicated to my dearly departed grandmother, Nora. Im afraid I put her through hell: always in a heap of trouble, always borrowing money desperate to pay off a gambling debt or fund a bet. Between myself and my granddad she cannot have had a very happy life, but sadly, now that I am older, wiser and in a position to rectify things, she is no longer here. That breaks my heart.

My mum has not fared much better down the years. Apologies, and thank you for bringing me into the world, and for dispelling the rumour that I came from the womb clutching a deck of cards too! Dad, thanks for trying your best, especially with my education, which I know was a struggle.

Mags, you have stuck by me during the reliving of the difficult years described in these pages. What can I say, what more can I do? One day our baby son Sebastian and daughter Elise will read this book and I hope their hearts will always be filled with the love that we have for them.

Actor James Woods, in a single conversation which he has doubtless long since forgotten, gave me so much encouragement to write Lifes a Gamble. When a Hollywood A-lister tells you to do it, write it, and I want to see the finished article you become inspired.

My friend Jesse May, the voice of poker, also gave me plenty of encouragement and single-handedly provided the contacts to get this project both dealt and turned into a winning hand. My sincere thanks go to him.

Obsession and compulsion are the cancer of mental health... thankfully Im all better now.

Poker Masters of Europe Tournament,

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, West London, May 2007

AS I SCOOP in the pot once more the audience delivers a rapturous round of applause but, in truth, they dont know if William, in passing his cards, has made a good play or a bad one. All they know is Im stacking up a mountain of chips.

They simply love it. This isnt big money on the line for opening box number seven, or for answering a trivia question correctly. This isnt a game show, its a skill game, where bravery is the dominating factor and not only can contestants win big, they can lose big too.

Things have clearly changed a lot since my first televised poker tournament some five years ago. There too I was in a tense head-to-head confrontation, but back then the studio had the atmosphere of a wake.

Poker has been likened to snooker in the eighties: its big money, it looks easy, its constantly on the television and everyone is trying their hand at the game. Judging by this enthusiastic crowd, not to mention the masses watching the action with the insight the all-important under-table cameras bring in their living rooms, who can argue?

William Thorson is my opponent. Nine months ago he collected $900,000 at the World Series of Poker not for winning but for finishing thirteenth. (As I said, like snooker in its heyday, poker boasts big money.) Just two of us remain at this final table of the Poker Masters of Europe competition being filmed for television in Hammersmiths Riverside Studios, and we both want the title badly. The prize is laid out before us: $190,000 in cash and a glistening trophy. Contenders like Tony G and Ram Vaswani have already been fended off and their presence seems like a distant memory now as our intense head-to-head mind game is played.

Unlike William, a cool-looking spiky-haired dude in his early twenties who has hotfooted it over from his Swedish home, Ive not had a major cash win during the past twelve months. A couple of $50,000s here and there, but in my world, this messed-up world of high-stakes poker playing, that kind of money does not last long. Its almost small change. I need this win, I need it badly. I have an ambitious agent to appease, I have an expectant major company sponsoring me, I have critics who I want to silence and, most importantly, a young family to provide for.

All this pressure, yet the last thing on my mind is the money. Some people start thinking about the dough when theyre in a spot like this but all they are doing is giving themselves one hell of a stressful headache. They subconsciously begin to play with a lack of conviction, timidly, like a lion who, despite being oh so hungry, is afraid his prey will bite him back. For me its actually easy as Ive never had much need for, or concern about, money. All Ive ever wanted or needed is enough for my next bet. So I suppose a lifelong disdain for money has given me an edge in battles like this.

Now, having commentated on stacks of televised poker shows, I am well aware that technicians, cameramen, the director, even the dealers are probably keen to wrap up this piece of television and conclude a hectic weeks work. They want it over as soon as possible, they want blood to be spilled, but we are in no hurry. Poker is a thinking mans game and methodical decision making cannot be hurried.

None of them has a clue whats going on inside me. Its turmoil. Im walking a tightrope in the full knowledge and understanding that one slip and its all over. There is more emotion in me than in the lot of em combined.

Once again the cards are pitched across the table, like the colour of the studio decor a peculiar orange baize with the sponsors logo across the centre. William and I are sat far apart, almost opposite each other. For some reason, despite youth and the benefit of money behind him, I can sense he is nervous.

During the uneasy thirty seconds between hands while the dealer performs a complex shuffle routine, I fathom the reason. Among all his accomplishments and $1 million in career earnings, he has never won a tournament, never collected a trophy, never been called champion. Im lucky enough to have a cabinet full of silverware, even if there isnt a six-figure payday on my CV. It gives me an insurmountable confidence, an edge; now I know I can exploit his desire not to give up his chips easily. Its a fact: the person who wants it most in poker usually loses out.