Found some homeless dude with a golden voice to obsess about instead.

I got an email from PokerStars yesterday informing me that I was not selected to compete as a Loose Cannon on next season’s PokerStars Big Game. I wasn’t given any specific reason why I wasn’t selected, but I was thanked for trying out.

TwoPlusTwo.com, thank all of you for supporting me and showing me love. To be loved was a dream come true for me. I'm convinced that love cures most illness.

I am disappointed that I wasn’t chosen to be on the show, but I never assumed that I would be picked. It was a huge honor to be considered.

I was really excited about the chance to get on the show, win big, then give money away to charity, Barry Greenstein style. Because I come from a low place, people responded very strongly to me, that's my gift. Winning a large sum after being homeless recently, then giving a lot of the $ away, would have been a huge blessing to me and would have caused a lot of positive things to happen I believe.

I wanted to make a thread where we voted on what charities to ship Big Game winnings to, I had it all planned out. I was going to message every person who'd sent me as much as a penny, and start a huge pay it forward campaign where I'd step away from the spotlight and we'd make it so there were a thousand people telling their stories, all getting their chance to shine. That would have been something very special. As played though, still amazing.

I felt this from the beginning a year ago, and I still feel the same way today right now. You guys are the inspiration. You are what I aspire to be. For someone to help themselves, and change their own lives around is admirable, but for one person to reach out and help another person, in their time of need, to give of themselves, that’s the real inspiration.

Thank you guys for making me a better person. Thank you for making me a better friend. Thank you for making me a better uncle.

For the last three months I gave 110% to trying to get on the Big Game. I grinded the freerolls day and night, I worked a ton and got my life totally back on track and moving in a positive direction because it was the right thing to do. After hitting rock bottom and recovering, my life feels richer, and I certainly appreciate little things more.

The last two months I took my effort to the extreme. I read dozens of poker books, watched countless poker videos, and analyzed thousands of hands. Applying everything to the Big Game format. I sweated people, they sweated me, I watched every episode of the Big Game taking notes, until the wee hours of the night when my eyes were sore, deciding what I would do in various situations.

In the last month, many times I’ve been awake 24-36 hours straight working on my poker game. People who’ve been in touch with me insisted I get more sleep, but I’m very proud of the effort I put into my attempt to get in the Big Game. I held back nothing.

For New Year’s I even went to Las Vegas by myself, stayed in a cheap hotel and grinded poker night and day for 5 days straight, no sight seeing, no going out, just improving my game then sleeping, it was a great experience. 28:15 (http://www.pokernews.com/news/2010/1...ggins-9575.htm)

Over the last six months a lot of you guys contacted me. Because I had openly shared my life, some of you guys told me things about your life that you had never told another soul. Whether it was problems with drinking, dealing with abuse as children, depression, anxiety, drugs. For the last year we exchanged emails, and talked on the phone endlessly about our lives and life in general. Poker was our common interest. Some of you guys thanked me for being a good friend to you. I thank you. By being there for me, you guys helped me heal more than you can imagine. I look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Today I shipped a few bucks to Children of the Night, a charity which campaigns to end child prostitution. Plan on sending more, $250 though, is a start. At the beginning of all of this I decided that whether I got on the show or how I did, I was going to try to do positive things with my life and I stand by that. It’s something I need to do for my own sake.

I’m working on several songs right now, 100% of proceeds will go to charity. I made videos of my life when I was down and out. I plan to make some new videos now that I'm doing well and trying to help other people, bringing it full circle. I’ll post an update here, on YouTube this week, and something at JaredHuggins.com.

God bless and thank you a million times.



Jared Huggins

First after bummer.

Trying to think of a reply that fully represents what my opinion is of you, but it would never do it justice.

You're an absolute hero Jared.

Pokerstars is crazy to not select you, this could've been such a win win win situation for a lot of people. Too bad, good luck with everything Jared.

That ****ing sucks man. Sorry

Ridiculous. Glad I don't have to play at PokerStars.

Jared, I am really sorry to hear that you have not been selected to be on The Big Game. From the sounds of it this entire experience has benefited you much more than any Big Game show would and you have become an amazing person through it all.

You have a great heart, and have really helped me improve in a lot of things that I have needed help with. When I was at my rock bottom doing some really hardcore drugs you not only reached out to me and helped me get away from that scene, but you made it a point in tracking down my family members in order to tell them what was going on, and to see that I get better before my life was ruined. For that I want to say thank you, if no one took the time to really show me they cared that much, I'd probably still be putting needles full of drugs into my arms everyday.


I have always loved playing at pokerstars more than any other site, but I think they are going to lose me as a rake contributing customer. I have poured thousands of dollars into the site and have been a loosing player since day one, however I have enjoyed playing and have continued to deposit, their mistake in not selecting you to be on The Big Game, has me considering putting my money into another site.

Sorry to hear that Jared, but you've done alot of great things for yourself and others and you've had the biggest impact on 2+2 that any 1 person (except Doug Lee) could have. Good luck w/ the future.

get daniel to fix this wtf

**** pokerstars

Wow, can't imagine how hard that river must have felt. Sorry to hear.

Wow, Jared, I'm really sorry to hear this .....

wtf thats so lame

f***** pokerstars. This should have been you not some lame bs story about someone who grinded and yadiblabla gets to play on the show. New oppurtunities will come Jared!

WOW, ultimate fail by pokerstars,sky is the limit jared don't let this bring you down or slow you down

omg pokerstars failed so big with this

In b4 Full Tilt sponsorship now hopefully!

mod plz change title to

POKERSTARS FAILS

Very strange, would like to know the reasoning behind this decision.

What a story...
Sorry to hear that they didnt selected you, i'll watch the show knowing it could have been so much better.

Hope to hear some good news soon, gl Jared !

Thumbs up to spacegravy, boostedJ and everyone that spontaneously offered to help him out, you guys rox

So bummed to hear this news, Jared.

Stars: Explanation ASAP please. If not to us then to Jared. It makes no sense.

Daniel: Will you be exploring this further?

WTF, I'm dumbfounded. Those lifeless, zombie-like, passive fish that got selected last season managed to get through, and yet...

I just don't see how Jared got rejected. There must be some REALLY good reason, because I can't think of a downside. Great guy, great story, big following among people who WILL watch the show, a thinking player, from what I can tell he'd be entertaining to watch and hear.

There must be some epic ****ing cannons this season if Jared doesn't make the cut.

Nothing personal, but it's creepy to ask daniel for help for this while 2p2 ***** on him daily, if he suported Jared i do believe he did it 100% for his story and not to please 2p2.

Also i feel sad for you Jared, maybe you'll be in next season, keep it up.