After having some friends get me interested in televised poker (WSOP, WPT), I started playing in a home single table tourney. Realizing I had a knack for the game I started playing online freerolls and low stakes fixed-limit holdem at a local casino. After some success playing live I decided it was time to move to no limit. I realized I had a lot to learn. Every Friday I couldn't get to the casino fast enough. I cashed my paycheck there. I would sit down with $200 and either quickly lose it or quickly double it and leave. I had no idea what a "session" or "bankroll" was.
I was, however, experiencing moderate success. I had saved enough winnings to buy myself a newer car, a gaudy watch, and was eating lunch at a high end downtown bar everyday. I was also putting tons of cocaine up my nose daily. I never played high because it made me extremely jittery.
One morning in 2004 I went to log onto Pokerchamps and window popped up telling me that the site was no longer available to U.S. players.