Like The Wind

The Single Most Proud Moment of My Life

Tomorrow morning I am going to start my goodbye passage to 2010 with breakfast with the person who stood by me for the past 14 years and have gone with me through hell and back countless times.

Like the last four Survivors we will hike the trail to the final Tribal Council and along the way pick the Buffs of our 2010 accomplishments.

We will share some war stories and yes some “bad beats” stories, well three to be exact, will have an omelet and some fruit and set our business plans for 2011.

Sometime in 2009 I told people that I wanted to become a Professional Poker Player. Anyone who heard it, except for this particular person, smirked and said I was delusional. So I sat in front of my computer and made a six months plan. I didn’t know anything about Casinos in my area but someone said “Commerce” so I Googled and copied some of their events and told my business partner “this is what I can play in the next six months”. I then said “I can’t promise to make any money but I am giving myself 12 months to cash $5,000”. That was exactly 11 months before the 2010 WSOP Main Event. The rest is documented on Google

THIS was not a part of my 6 months plan

At the beginning of 2010 I told my partner that come June I would like to be able to play a side event at the WSOP and that within the next three years I would really like to play the Main Event. Somehow things worked a little differently.

So on the last day of 2010 I set some of my goals for 2011. I am kinda hoping that some people will paint me delusional cuz obviously it worked the last time

And lastly my biggest accomplishment of 2010 has nothing to do with Poker; it has to do with my lifelong dream of becoming a US Citizen. I was scheduled to take the Oath of Citizenship on July 15th 2010, but that day I was otherwise engaged at the Amazon Room at the Rio in Las Vegas. So it got pushed back. But on December 16th 2010 at 2PM PST I stood in front of Judge Fisher at the Los Angeles Convention Center, raised my right hand, and with tears streaming down my face became a proud American Citizen. It was the single most proud and happy moment of my life.

This dream started when I was 8 years old

2010 was a GOOD year and I am thankful to everyone who experienced it with me and very sad to let it end.