Thanks for the question @scorumpoker... aka @bethalea. I think you're doing a great job keeping the prize pool funded. @tuck-fheman... can I get an amen.
My comment to the question got long enough to turn it into an original post. Been a while since I put one up. Thanks for the motivation.
Started playing online in late 2002 before Moneymaker had his WSOP win in 2003. After that lots of people started playing online. Prior to the days of regulation it was easy to deposit funds. So lots of people did. The game online exploded. Plenty of donks were playing. It was easy money for just having a little bit of skill from about 2003-2006.
PartyPoker was my room of choice then. Was grinding out $5, $10, $20 and sometimes $50 Sit & Go's. Lots of MTT's with cash added or satellites to bigger games.
Thought I was good and would make some bank. Turned out I was just another wannabe. The kids playing the game were fearless. They developed better skills quickly. I didn't put in the study like they did. I was soon the donk again.
Thank god for conservatism and American greed. Casino owner Sheldon Adelson heavily funded the lobby to sidetrack on-line poker in the states. They beefed up the legislation to make it illegal for banks to transfer funds for the purpose of online gambling. The poker community tried to argue its a game of skill but the deck was stacked. Then for good measure, the DOJ went after the biggest online poker rooms shutting them down with trumped-up charges of possible money laundering and other criminal accusations. Full Tilt Poker didn't help with the way they managed their house.
Anyway, ultimately that probably saved me lots of money and madness. Lost access accounts and to play for real money at PartyPoker, PokerStars and FullTilt Poker. Black Friday forced me to cut back online play.
Fast forward to online poker today. Now the dream of crypto wealth and world change due to blockchain disruption has got me thinking the poker dream of wealth may still come true. But it's because of the early adoption of the new money. We are all going to be better off for having the vision to collect these currencies. Least I hope so. Going to be just in time to pay those elderly medical bills. Provided crypto gains mass adoption in 20 years or so.
Oh, maybe you are wondering what poker has got to do with surfing? Little to nothing, just something I did before online poker. Had I been born 10 years later might have missed out riding some waves because probably would have been playing online poker instead. Talk about some good luck. I really enjoyed those days on the beach and in the water.
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