PocketFives had the opportunity to catch up with Jason jgardGardner (pictured, ranked 143rd in New Jersey), who is better known as Fudgie, which is his screen name across all regulated New Jersey poker sites. Gardner not only loves to rake in big pots, but also travels the world to experience different places, people, and cultures.

With over $99,000 in tracked online cashes, some of his notable accomplishments include winning a WSOP Main Event seat valued at $10,000, a second place finish in the PartyPoker/Borgata Poker$10,000 Guarantee for $1,875, and a fifth place finish in the Ultimate Poker $20,000 guarantee for $1,189. Visit PocketFives’ New Jersey poker community for the latest news and discussion from New Jersey players.

PocketFives: When did you start playing poker and why was it appealing?

Jason Gardner: I started playing poker around 2002 when I moved back to New Jersey after I graduated from college. I visited the casinos in Atlantic City frequently, playing blackjack, craps, and some of the other games in the pit. One time I was down in Atlantic City with a friend and he brought me into the poker room to play $2/$4 Limit Hold’em. At that time, I only knew of Texas Hold’em from a video game that I used to play on my computer.

I probably didn’t win any money that day, but I came to realize that I had a better chance at beating the other players at a poker table than I did playing against the house in blackjack or craps. I started out playing $2/$4 Limit Hold’em cash games and worked my way up to $7.50/$15.

While I was moving up in stakes at Limit Hold’em, I read a few books about poker, which opened my mind and started my love for the game. After reading my first book on poker, I was overwhelmed with how complicated the game really was. I realized that there was so much that I needed to learn about poker. I felt confident that I could use this new knowledge to exploit the players I was playing against in the low limit games.

Shortly after reading “Ken Warren Teaches Texas Hold’em,” I played in my first tournament, which was also the first time that I ever played No Limit Hold’em. The tournament was a $60 rebuy at Tropicana in Atlantic City with a couple hundred players. I ended up winning it for around $8,000. Getting that kind of return on my small investment was appealing to me and I’ve been hooked on tournaments ever since.

PocketFives: What are your favorite New Jersey online poker sitesto play and why?

Jason Gardner: I don’t really have a favorite site at the moment. I recently opened an account on 888 Poker and have been enjoying their tournament selection. Even though all of the sites have some major issues to work out, I really can’t complain about having regulated online poker.

I love that New Jersey was one of the first states to have regulated online poker. I’m still waiting for a payout on Lock Poker that I requested back in 2013. So, being able to play online poker in New Jersey, make withdrawals, and receive my money in a reasonable time is great.

PocketFives: Since the launch of regulated online poker in New Jersey, what has been your most memorable cash or win?

Jason Gardner: The seat to the 2014 WSOP Main Event. Playing in the Main Event was always a dream of mine, so winning the seat was truly a dream come true. The satellites that WSOP.com offered were long shots and were winner-take-all for the seat. I normally wouldn’t play these satellites with such bad odds at winning, but I had won a couple of $200 tickets in some satellites and came in first place in the Mini Turbo Series Leaderboard in March, which paid the top 20 a $200 ticket.

When we got down to the final three players in the satellite, I started to believe I had a legitimate chance at winning. I started to imagine myself winning and pictured myself running around my apartment screaming in joy. When the last card was dealt and the pot was pushed to me, my reaction wasn’t how I imaged at all. I stared at the screen in disbelief, didn’t say a word, and didn’t move from my seat.

My friend was railing me from his home and called moments later. He was so excited for me, but I was still in shock. If anybody was listening to our conversation, they would have thought he was the one who had won the tournament.

Being in Vegas for the WSOP Main Event was awesome. I’ve played in some smaller events at the WSOP, but there is no other tournament in the world that compares to the Main Event. My brother, grandmother, and her sister came out to Vegas for the first few days. It was great having them there for support and share that experience with them. I’m hoping WSOP.com runs more satellites than they did last year so that we can send more people from the New Jersey community this year.

PocketFives: Is there anyone or anything that helped change how you approach the game?

Jason Gardner: Since I started out as a live cash game player, when I started playing online, I realized that I was stepping into a totally new world of poker. I try to adapt and study the game every opportunity I can. I read articles, forums, and watch videos and streams to continue my poker education.

My game really stepped up when I joined an online training site. Watching videos of successful players and seeing how they played hands in different situations while hearing their thought processes really elevated my game.

PocketFives has always been a great resource for me. I’m constantly reading the forums and the New Jersey poker community page. I am really enjoying PocketFives TV. There are some great players streaming. I have found some of the players’ streams are not only educational, but also entertaining. Lately, I always have a stream going when I’m in the middle of a grind session.

PocketFives: What do you do away from poker? What else interests you?

Jason Gardner: When I’m not playing poker, I love to travel. Experiencing different places, people, and cultures is really exciting. Recently, I have been to South Africa, England, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines.

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