Jason “The Professor” Ponders
APC Member since Aug 2007
APC Wins – 9
Season 11 Wed Night Points Champ – Downriggers
Season 14 All-Stars Champion
Jason played poker as kid but it was mainly 5-card draw with cousins. Growing up his family preferred playing other card games like Rook, Rummy, and Go Fish. He started watching poker on TV but Jason may be the only member of the “Moneymaker Boom” who didn’t watch him win the WSOP; although he watched Raymer’s win the next year. After Hachems’s win in the WSOP, Jason went to his first poker tourney at Loco’s in Gainesville. There, he quickly found it wasn’t as easy as it appears on TV, but since then has been hooked. Jason is an avid reader, and enjoys playing board (all kinds) and card games (mainly Phase 10, Nerts, and Quiddler) with family and friends. He is the proud Uncle JJ to 3 beautiful nieces (one of them, Madeline, is in the picture with Jason.) Rob Smith gave me the nickname “The Professor” because I teach chemistry at a local college.
Favorite Poker Players – I like Erick Lindgren (for his cool demeanor), Daniel Negreanu, and Chris Ferguson. I like Mike Sexton’s analysis on the WPT telecasts because of his explanation of the play and it helped me pick up poker jargon.
Who has influenced my play the most? The first one is me because I have learned from my many mistakes at the table. A few of which I have only made once. Secondly, great players in the APC like Tiffany and Mike, Rob Smith, and Red who have given me very helpful advice. And lastly David Sklansky and Mike Caro’s whose excellent books I am trying to learn from.
Goals in APC? Win the Grand Championship, a Venue Championship, and it would be great to win All-Stars again.
Advice for new members? Watch the players at your table. It is amazing how many people there are only paying attention to their own cards and chips. Be respectful to the dealers and players at the table. Learn the rules and follow poker etiquette, and you will irritate fewer people. Realize that luck is a factor in poker (as in all games except chess) but you should not rely on it. And lastly have fun. It is a game after-all.
Check out this Season 14 Allstar Video Mix
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSOE9MBE23s[/youtube]
