By
Dan |
Published
Aug 27 2006, 09:56 PM
From Chicago to Los Angeles, over millions of people play poker online in the United States. A few online poker players stand out from the crowd. Matt Smith, known as “SamENole” at the tables, is a 24 year-old poker professional from Tallahassee, Florida. The Florida State University graduate has successfully balanced school, family, friends, and the love of poker. His story exemplifies the life and times of one of the top online poker pros in the world.
Smith graduated from FSU in 2005, majoring in hospitality. He had originally studied accounting and switched over to hospitality because he had relatives in the industry. Like many aspiring online poker professionals, Smith started small: $20 buy-in tournaments with his friends during college. He began playing online after winning $50 in a freeroll and the rest, as they say, is history. After a second place finish in the 2005 World Series of Poker earned him $98,000, Smith decided he had enough capital to support a full-time online poker career. “My parents disapproved at first, but jumped on my bandwagon when I started having steady success,” says Smith. “I was fortunate enough to have some big wins before I graduated.”
College was a priority for Smith, who graduated FSU with a 3.0 GPA. “I did what I needed to on the school side of things,” says Smith. “I crammed at the last minute for exams and hardly ever missed class. I usually played some tournaments at night before going to bed at a reasonable hour.” He now enjoys competing on major online poker sites such as PokerStars, PartyPoker, and UltimateBet and is currently the 11th ranked tournament player according to PocketFives.com’s online player rankings.
Poker is not the only love in Smith’s life. His girlfriend of 4 ½ years, Mandy, also plays a central role in Smith’s decisions. “I’ll try to keep playing full-time in the future, but if I need to get a conventional job, I’m not totally against it,” claims Smith in regards to what would happen if the couple were to marry. His profession matches her schedule well: “I can take time off when Mandy is in town. She works in Destin for the children’s program at the Hilton, so we get some quality time when we are together.”
Legislation that could curb the online poker industry in the United States has Smith worried: “I’m pretty concerned about it and, unfortunately, there is not much I can do besides support groups like PocketFives.com and the Poker Players Alliance, who are out there trying to fight for us,” says Smith. “I’m nervous because, if it were to pass and be enforced, I would need to get a job outside of poker or have to travel to major live poker tournaments.” H.R. 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed the House of Representatives 317-93 and may be up for discussion in the Senate when it comes back into session after Labor Day.
Smith offers up the following advice for those wanting to be online poker professionals: “Start at low limits and increase your bankroll. Don’t jump into major tournaments too quickly.” In the meantime, he will be living the dream that is online poker: “You’re your own boss. You can work where you want when you want. You can set your time as you need to.” PocketFives.com will continue to follow Matt Smith, a.k.a. SamENole, throughout his young, promising poker career.