One thread in the PocketFives Off Topic forumhas had over 220,000 views in the span of two weeks. Posted by Jaybone2315 (pictured), whose real name is Jack King, it details his crazy Las Vegas adventures. If you haven’t heard of King, to make a long story short, he received an unemployment check for $3,500 and, on the way back home from San Diego to the East Coast, stopped in Las Vegas to hit up the World Series of Poker. Despite admitting he lacks any semblance of bankroll management, King has run his roll up to $25,000.

On Sunday, King finished 125th in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event and received extensive coverage from PokerNews at the behest of fellow PocketFiver Maria Maridu Mayrinck. Now, King is a celebrity. PocketFives caught up with him on Monday to talk about his meteoric rise to stardom in Off Topic.

PocketFives: Talk about why you’re moving back from San Diego to the East Coast and what made you want to stop in Las Vegas?

Jack King: I’m going back home because I have to take care of some legal things. Also, Sweetness777‘s family was coming out to San Diego and my original plan was to live out there until his family came or I found a job, which didn’t happen. The timing came to where I could leave when I did.

The Las Vegas stop came out of nowhere because I wasn’t expecting to get the money I got from unemployment. They gave me $3,500 and I paid some bills, ran up some tabs, and had $2,500 left. I came out to Las Vegas with $2,000 and left $500 aside for a plane ticket. It sounds like a bad business decision, but that’s what I did.

Really, worst-case scenario, I lose the $2,000 and fly back home. My old job was being a building inspector and they said if I wanted my old job back, I could have it. They said starting around July could be fine, so I wasn’t worried about the money.

PocketFives: What was it like being stalked by PokerNews during your run in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event?

Jack King: I was surprised at how weird I thought it was. I don’t like people taking pictures of me while I’m at the poker table and don’t like people asking me things about hands. It felt uncomfortable. The PokerNews guys were asking me about hands and such, but they weren’t asking anyone else at the table.

Maridu was playing the $1K event, busted, and came over to the $1,500 event and said that PokerNews should find me. She came over to my table with the PokerNews guys and said, “This guy is a legend. You need to follow him all day.” The other players at the table didn’t say anything to me about it except for one guy who knew Maridu and asked me if I was Brazilian.

PocketFives: How do you know Maridu (pictured)? Just through Off Topic?

Jack King: Yeah, just through Off Topic. I had never met her before yesterday. She said she read things on PocketFives about me. At one of the breaks, she brought me food and I ate it in the media area with the PokerNews guys. She was telling them about the “Jr. Bacon” thing and the Sweetness thing.

She’s awesome. There are no bad things I can say about her. She brought me food and was railing me harder than anyone else. She’s very cool. I think I’m going to hang out with her later this week too.

PocketFives: The Off Topic community also railed you during a $235 tournament at the Rio you bought yourself into and chopped for $20,000. You seemed confident when you were in push/fold mode. What were some key spots in that event?

Jack King: I didn’t suck out much in it. I think I had one with four tables left, but it wasn’t for my tournament life. One of the big hands was when I jammed with 10-high thinking my two opponents would fold. The player in the button smooth called me with A-3 and I hit that on him. It was a terrible call, but I ended up hitting it.

I remember playing on the bubble hand-for-hand and was on the button. The hijack raised and I shoved for 150,000, which was well above average. The guy who raised had 300,000, tanked, and folded. I felt like that one showed the table I didn’t care about losing and that helped my image. I had A-K offsuit and the other guy folded a pair face up to me. I stayed at that table for another two hours and made a lot of money.

PocketFives: Is it weird being a celebrity of sorts in Off Topic?

Jack King: I remember being out in New Jersey and people were yelling, “Jaybone” at me. That was the first time I realized I shouldn’t be posting as much as I am. Out here in Vegas, I randomly see people who know me. Yesterday after the $1,500 event, I was talking in the hallway and a few people said, “Great job, I’ll follow the thread,” but they didn’t tell me their names. I don’t know if I like the fame or hate it, but it’s fun to live it while I can.

PocketFives: How did you get started in poker?

Jack King: Probably around the poker boom like everyone else in 2003 and 2004. My brothers got me into it. They always wanted to play poker and ended up getting me into it. The next thing I knew, I was playing non-stop. I went to Atlantic City when I was 21 and played tournaments. Live poker is my thing; I’ve never been an online guy.

At one point in my life when I lived in Philadelphia, I would take the train to Atlantic City four or five times a week and play cash games. I had $1,000 to my name and would go play $1/$2. By the way, the reason I don’t ever have money is because I have terrible bankroll management. If I make $300 in cash games, I’ll go buy into a $300 tournament. I can always get more money. I can always get a job.

PocketFives: Why was your fling in San Diego nicknamed “Jr. Bacon“? For our readers who aren’t familiar with that story, check out this PocketFives thread.

Jack King: Sweetness is a ridiculous person and came up with that on his own. She was a little chubby and so he started calling her “Jr. Bacon.” Some other girl before that was chubby too, so I think that’s why he called her “Jr. Bacon.” The thoughts that come into that guy’s head can’t be explained.

PocketFives: What are you plans for the rest of the WSOP and the rest of the summer?

Jack King: I booked a flight home on Saturday because some of my family from Louisiana is coming up. If this week goes well, I’ll play the $1,500 event on Wednesday and try to grind out a Main Event seat. If that happens, I’ll fly back out here after my brother’s MMA fight on the East Coast. Did I mention my brother is an MMA fighter?

I have enough of a bankroll now to do whatever, especially since I haven’t followed bankroll management in the past, so why start now? The Rio has a ton of single-table satellites to the Main Event, so I’ll play those. I have a bankroll of somewhere in the range of $25,000, give or take $1,000. It’s certainly better than $2,500.

PocketFives: You seem to put yourself out there without much shame when you post. Is that just your personality?

Jack King: That’s who I am in real life. All of my friends back home know I do stupid shit. For example, I went to a party two years ago wearing a diaper as a joke. Everyone knows that’s how I am. Everyone can bust my balls; it doesn’t matter and it takes a lot to get me worked up. At family barbeques, there’s usually an hour spent talking about my dumb ass stories. That’s just how I am.

PocketFives: Did you end up selling any pieces of yourself in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event? We know there was a lot of interest from the Off Topic community.

Jack King: I sold a total of 31% to five people. I figured I would sell it all, but was surprised that it sold out in 20 minutes. After hitting the $20,000 score and everything that came up in the thread, people wanted to have something to follow, but selling it so fast was amazing. After my deep run in the $1,500 event, I’m assuming I can sell anything at this point.

If I somehow get into the Main Event, I don’t want to sell any of it, though. I talked to a few guys and they said I needed to play the Main Event and that it was a “can’t miss.” I want to get in and want to have 100% of myself. I can’t imagine ripping off an $8 million score and then sending someone a check for $3 million.

Visit the busy thread in Off Topicto read about Jaybone2315’s latest antics.