2005 - 'The year of the Greg'

2005 was a new year and with a new year comes the obligatory New Years Resolutions (NYR's). I had decided that this was to be my year, 'the year of the Greg'. I hated my job and realised i was never going to have the brass necked, hard faced qualities that it takes to be a personnel officer for the rest of my life (although looking people in the eye and pretending to care about their problems really set me in good stead for becoming a seasoned bluffer and mover at the poker table!)
I set about making resolutions that would make a difference to my life and focus on me and what was best for my interests. This is an abridged version of the lengthy list of 'targets' (NYR's) i set for myself:

1. Have an aim in life by Quarter 1
2. Have an action plan firmly in place and up and running by Quarter 2
3. Leave boring office job
4. Play more poker
5. write poker articles
6. Live the dream (i always include this but never know what I mean as I am an aimles bum and a waster)

Early on in the year i had worked out that number 1 really encompassed the rest of the targets and number 6 was really to emulate Anthony Holden and spend time as a professional poker player.... i just needed that big win to set me free from my monotonous hell at the office and surely 2005 would become 'The year of the Greg'.

In the Beginning....The Next Generation Anthony Holden

Ever read a book written by Anthony Holden called 'Big Deal.. a year in the life of a professional poker player'? Well, that's where it all started. Ever since i began playing poker i knew it was what I wanted to do forever and ever since i read that book i knew i wanted to emulate the author and spend a year as a professional poker player.

For a couple of years i had played poker at my local casino with my father Geoff and the regular stoney, withered faced regulars in the £20 re-buy competitions on a Thursday. I had a real lack of understanding of the game to begin with but my passion for the game was beyond anything i had ever known, i simply couldn't wait for Thursday's to come around, i simply loved to play.
As my first few years went by, my passion for poker grew and grew. I began to play more often and started entering larger buy-in tournaments. I played the monthly £100 re-buy tournament at Gala Nottingham for the first time in 2003 and finalled as the big stack at my first attempt and proceeded to demolish the whole lot (chips that is.. not players) and went out 7th.

This wetted my appetite for more and gradually i branched out to some of the smaller UK circuit events at glamorous venues such as Luton, Sheffield and Walsall but sadly to no avail. But having rubbed shoulders with the big boys and having the taste for big time poker firmly planted in my mouth i carried on playing and studying the game and the hunger for more became stronger. At about this time i was reccommended the book 'Big Deal' by a regular at Nottingham so set about locating it on Amazon. I placed my order and within hours of opening its pages i was hooked and by the time it was finished i knew this was my calling.. it was where i wanted to be and what i wanted to experience, but stuck in my mind numbing office job i didn't have the means or chance to try it. - I just needed that one big win, that big score that would give me a chance. Would it be round the corner?..... you bet it was!