Poker Articles

By Lenny

Jason Laso is a young man who carries himself with quiet confidence. I wouldn’t call him shy and definitely not cocky, just sure of himself. He is a sophomore at Quinnipiac University studying Business, but like many of the internet whiz kids today that have discovered online poker, the game has become his passion. He still intends to finish school, but it’s hard to focus on class when you’re pulling in more money in a week than many people make in a year. Known to Pocketfives as Mkind16, he has been getting more and more attention as an up and coming player recently. His quest for the Triple Crown began last week when he took down a very nice score in the Stars $50 worth over 12k! He followed that up with a win in the Bodog 10k guaranteed and then he hit a snag.

I first heard of how close he was to the Triple Crown when Mkind16 took down the afternoon UB $100 on Monday. Unfortunately it only had 91 entrants, just shy of the required 10k prizepool to complete his crown. Jason asked me if we could make an exception, and I had to tell him no. He did still have two days to go out and win another, so there was hope yet. With a feeling of Déjà vu, I saw Mkind16 at the top of the UB $100 the very next day, again with only 91 entrants. I knew this was worthy of a story, even if he fell short of the Crown, and I caught up with Mkind16 Tuesday night around 2:30 am. I hadn’t looked at the boards, so I just started chatting, thinking he had missed his chance at the crown as the Stars win was more than 7 days ago at this point. I was very happy to hear from the man himself that he had just finished taking down the UB 25k, adding another great score to an amazing week and Internet Immortality as a member of the Pocketfives Triple Crown Wall of Fame.

Mkind16 got his start online a couple years ago when a friend convinced him to deposit $22 and play 4 $5.50 sitngos. That deposit was quickly gone, and Jason was very near to quitting right then and there. After much coaxing, his friend convinced him to give it one more shot.

“I took the last $27 to my name out of my pocket and gave it to my buddy, who then transferred it to me online. I haven’t looked back since.”

With a bankroll built initially on Sitngos and then on cash game success, Mkind16 is somewhat of a newcomer to the MTT scene. When I asked him about his recent foray into tournament play Jason said, “The $/hr isn’t quite there in MTT play, but the thrill of winning more than makes up for it.”


Mkind16 deep in the Aruba Ultimate Poker Classic

Jason has the grudging support of his Mom and the somewhat more enthusiastic support of his Dad to make his life easier as his career in poker grows. Mkind16 won two PCA seats, so he is looking forward to the Bahamas, as it is among the few live tourneys he is eligible for at 19 years old. He is strongly considering using the other seat to play in the EPT Copenhagen tournament, since one of his goals is to win a major live tournament. With few to choose from at this point in his life, look out for him at all the 18+ events and he has already reserved a bracelet or two at the 2008 WSOP. He also plans to take down a Sunday major as soon as possible. Ok, so maybe he’s just a little bit cocky, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him come through on these, or any other goals he sets his sights on.