Welcome Back!

Welcome back to another school year … and another year of Card Player College! Card Player College took a summer vacation just like most of you did, but there was a little something called the World Series of Poker to occupy our time in the interim. If you followed Card Player's coverage of the WSOP, then you are as up to date as you can possibly be. If not, we have dedicated this issue to getting you as filled as possible with the ups, downs, twists, turns, winners, and losers from the largest sporting/gaming event in history.

Before we get to the behemoth of action that was the World Series, I want to give you an update on my friend Theo, about whom I've written several times in this message. For those that don't know, Theo is "Pittrounder" on most major online sites. He is an extremely talented poker player who has been backed by the likes of John Phan and Gavin Smith. Theo, however, has no self-discipline. A common theme that I write about is how it is so unbelievably hard to be a professional poker player here in Vegas, and Theo is the perfect example of just how hard it can be. Its relevance to you, the reader of Card Player College, is that I'm sure at one point during a hot run of cards you've thought, "Hey, I could do this for a living!" Well, despite your talent level, don't do it - at least not until you've finished school. Theo's bankroll had always been cyclical, but he always had plenty of money to play, live, and party since he's been a pro here in Vegas. Every time he got short, he seemed to hit a tournament and get pumped back up. Theo had a breakout World Series this year, cashing three times for more than $86,000, including fourth-, 11th-, and 42nd-place finishes. He was also one of the chip leaders on the early days of the main event, but ultimately failed to cash. His total amount won in tournaments in the last year tops $263,000. With all that going for him, can you guess what he has to show for it now? You guessed it. Absolutely nothing. Months of huge losses at the craps table, playing poker way too high for his bankroll, and partying like a rock star have made Theo "Pittrounder" Tran the quintessential cautionary tale for aspiring professional poker players. Theo is now at the California State Poker Championship at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, being staked one last time by a very close friend of his. If he doesn't hit, he won't be able to pay his rent and his dream will be very close to over.

Luckily, Theo is a college grad, so he has something to fall back on. In talking to him, however, I hear him mimic the sentiments of every other professional poker player: "I can never go back to working a job again." It's a dangerous endeavor to journey into the realm of professional poker playing. As I've said before, make sure you graduate first, bank at least a year's worth of living expenses, have a bankroll large enough to comfortably play the game you choose, and have your self-control and discipline at maximum levels. Don't become another one of Vegas's broken dreams.

Dreams, however, can come true; and certainly did in the case of Jeff Madsen. Madsen won the Card Player points race for the World Series, having made four final tables, won two bracelets, and earned $1.4 million. Madsen, unknown three months ago, is now sponsored by FullTilt, but will still finish school at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Look in this issue for details on Jeff's performances, and look for an in-depth story on Jeff in next month's issue of Card Player College.

Enjoy this issue, and as always, best of luck at life, school, and the tables!