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Andy Yearly Championship Tournament Winner
Andy has been playing cards of all kinds since childhood. At age 7, his grandfather took him under his wing, teaching him various card games with the red, white and blue Bicycle plastic chips. These penny/nickel games laid a foundation which kept Andy in lunch money throughout high school.
Hailing from the Detroit area, Andy became serious about poker towards the end of 2005 as the poker boom kicked in full swing. Keeping a full time job, he added another 80+ hours a week playing as a rounder/grinder in house games and club games with a few close friends.
In August of 2008 the move to Atlanta severely curt-tailed the ability to play cash games, given the current state of the gambling laws in Georgia, so Andy turned to tournament play. He took a number of months to see what the best option was to learn the style of play. The Atlanta Poker Club was his first and ONLY choice for a player looking for serious play.
January 1, 2009 was the first MTT that Andy had ever played. He bubbled, then took down the second chance. His first season was more than he could hope for, winning a few league tournaments, a venue championship, entry into the Grand Championship and ultimately his first ever Yearly Championship.
As a student of the game, he’s constantly reading and talking the theory of the game. Always looking to improve his game and his knowledge, Andy still considers himself new to tournament NLHE.
Favorite Poker Players – Jesus (Chris Ferguson), for his amazingly savant-like poker mind, Kid Poker for the ability to read all different types of players and Texas Dolly (Doyle Brunson) for the chance to play this game of his.
Who’s influenced my play the most? – Daniel Negreanu, no question. He’s shown me that even though poker is a serious game, it’s still supposed to be fun.
Goals in the APC? – I set myself goals for the first few seasons in the APC, but let’s be honest, my first season so far surpassed anything that I could imagine. So right now, I’m free-rollin for the next couple months. I am hoping to make it to the All-Stars Tournament. More than anything I want to become a better tournament player by defining the style of play that suits me best.
Advise for new players? – First and foremost, have fun! If you aren’t having fun, no matter WHAT you’re doing, you’re doing it wrong. Beyond that, ask questions. The APC has some of the most open and friendly players that will teach you as they beat you. The knowledge base I have encountered is beyond reproach. I owe much to those that have helped me so far in my journey.
