In December 1983 I played my first casino poker -- $1/$3 Seven Card Stud while attending a bridge tournament in Reno. It was New Years Eve and being sober (while everyone else wasn't) I managed to win $200. I wished I could play poker every day. Little did I know that just five miles from the university I was attending was the Bicycle Casino, one of the largest cardrooms in the world.

Well, I managed to get my MBA, and worked in various financial positions for 17 years. In early 1999 I discovered that there was legal poker outside of Nevada and began playing poker much more seriously, first in Seattle and then in Southern California (where I now reside). As I started my own consulting and tax practice I used my winnings from poker to help support myself.

My favorite live game is Omaha high/low. I find it relaxing and, perhaps because of the style I play, more lucrative than Texas Hold'em. I also play in local tournaments, especially Omaha, 7 Card Stud, and no-limit Texas Hold'em. I've been lucky to have some success, winning and placing high in several tournaments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.