I started playing poker in 9-handed games. I had underwent a coaching program for it. Then after a year or two, started playing 6-handed games. Then eventually, I started to play the form of the game that I thought I was weakest at -- heads up.
A lot has happened since then. Stopped playing poker for more than a year. Tried some other things. This year, I started to play poker again. When I got back to playing, I started playing 9-handed games again. Around this time, I thought I had come full circle in poker. From 9-handed to 6 max to heads up and now back to playing full ring. I thought, wow! This is something. I never thought I'd be back playing a boring game of a full handed table.
It wasn't full circle, yet.
I played a Tournament Leaderboard Series last month, this is something I haven't done in years. During this series, I reignited my love for tournaments. Poker tournaments is the form of poker that I was first exposed to. Watching the "imported" World Poker Tour (WPT) on TV up to the local version that was the Filipino Poker Tour (FPT). I dreamed of playing in both. I dreamed of doing that interview for TV. I even got to live 1/2 of those dreams. I got the chance to play for a TV table for the FPT. Unfortunately, for some reason, that season of the FPT didn't make it the TV.
After that TLB series, I started playing tournaments again. It was here when I realized I have come full circle. It was in tournaments where I started my career in poker. From playing a 50-peso winner-take-all tournament with friends to scoring my biggest career winning this year. From playing 9-handed online tournaments to live cash games. From full ring to six mas to heads up and then back again. From tourneys to cash games and now back to tourneys.
It feels good to know how far I've come. I am not done yet though. The goal for the year is to take down my first major live tournament!
