SpadeClub Poker Winner: Michael 'fugetaboutit' Pontorno

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Michael “fugetaboutit” Pontorno was one of four SpadeClub members to win a $12,000 prize package from SpadeClub. He got his prize for placing second in the June 29 World Series 40K Giveaway. Pontorno is an Italian from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with a loving wife and two amazing children. He started off as a blackjack player, but as soon as he was introduced to poker and won his first poker tournament, he has never looked back. He thinks SpadeClub is a great opportunity for people to learn how to play the game because you only have to pay the flat monthly rate of $19.99 and you can play without the risk.

Pontorno is excited about coming to Las Vegas to play in the World Series main event and can’t wait to win some money. When asked what is more important to him, winning the money or the bracelet, he stated, “I am not going to lie, winning the money.” Pontorno recently sat down with Card Player to discuss his major win on SpadeClub and let everyone know a little about himself.

Card Player: Tell me a little about yourself

Michael “fugetaboutit” Pontorno: Well I am 38 years old and married. I am a father to two kids and happily self-employed with a pressure cooking business.

CP: How did you hear about SpadeClub?

MP: From Card Player magazine. We have a local casino with poker rooms and I picked up a copy, read about SpadeClub, and decided to give it a try.

CP: Do you have a story behind you screen name?

MP: I am Italian, that pretty much says it all. No, I wanted something that had to do with my Italian heritage, and I thought “fugetaboutit” had a little bit to do with poker. Kind of like people talking about putting in their chips, you know, just “fugetaboutit.”

CP: How long have you been playing poker?

MP: About five years.

CP: How did you get started playing poker?

MP: I was a big blackjack player, and before we had casinos up here in Ft. Lauderdale, we played on a lot of the casino cruises to nowhere. I use to go with my brother-in-law and his friend all the time, and they told me to try poker. At first I was against it and told them blackjack was my game. After much debate, we went to a local casino and I played in a live tournament and won, so I have never played blackjack again.

CP: Do you consider yourself a recreational, amateur, or professional poker player?

MP: I would say in between recreational and amateur. Down here, where I live, there are not a lot of big tournaments, only $500 buy-ins. You can’t really make a living out of it down here.

CP: What’s the most money you’ve ever won in a poker tournament?

MP: Well, there aren’t a lot of big tournaments down here, so the most I have won is about $2,600.

CP: If you weren’t playing in the WSOP, what would you be doing for the Fourth of July?

MP: I am Italian, and I have a big family, so I would spend the time with my family. I have two wonderful kids, an amazing wife, and great parents, and we would all be down at the beach here in Ft. Lauderdale.

CP: Was there a particularly key hand that you played in the tournament that helped lead you to victory?

MP: It was actually a hand that I lost; it was down to three players and I got pocket aces. I had about 5 million, another player had a little under 1 million, and another had a little over 1 million, so I had a pretty good chip lead. I vowed I wasn’t going to play a hand and let the two other players knock each other out, but when I ended up getting pocket aces and “dkhunky” went all in, I had to call him. He ended up beating me with a Q-J making a straight. There were a lot of people watching the tournament, and everyone kept telling me to not let it get me down and to shake it off. So, I think being able to shake off that hand and not let it get me down, that was my key hand.

CP: What event do you look forward to most?

MP: Well of course the $5K and $40K, but I do enjoy the nightly $500.

CP: Does your playing style differ when playing a points tournament vs. a cash tournament on SpadeClub?

MP: With point tournaments and freerolls, you have a lot of people going all in just to get chips, with Exclusive tournaments people play better poker.

CP: Have you participated in any of the community features on SpadeClub? What do you think?

MP: Just on my profile page and leaving comments. I enjoy it, there are a lot of nice people on there, and it is a really neat concept. It is like our own little community we have here.

CP: Who was your toughest opponent last night at the final table?

MP: “Dkhunky,” for sure. When we got down to the final table with nine players, he was super aggressive. I knew it would be the two of us at the end, he is a great player.