Paul Darden: A Man With Gamble

I knew Paul Darden had a lot of gamble to him when I first met him. He had just learned how to play Chinese poker, and within a few hours, he had kicked up the stakes from $10 a point to $200 a point. I caught up with Paul and his fiancée, Vicky, during the recent World Poker Finals at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Paul had just come from the World Poker Tour championship event at Lucky Chances, where he had defeated 151 other players to win $146,000 plus a $25,000 entry into the World Poker Tour final event at Bellagio. Paul is a 34-year-old professional poker player who lives in Connecticut.

Linda Johnson: How did you first start playing poker?

Paul Darden: My father taught me to play when I was a teenager. I used to play with my friends, and brothers and sisters. I graduated to casino poker when Foxwoods opened. My first experiences were in $1-$5 stud. I moved up rapidly in limits. Eventually, I started going to the World Series of Poker. I met Phil Ivey, and he introduced me to no-limit poker.

LJ: What limits do you play now?

PD: I generally play $150-$300 or $200-$400.

LJ: That is quite a leap from $1-$5 to $150-$300. How did you jump up so quickly?

PD: I talked to lots of players and watched the top players. I never read a poker book; I believe experience is the best teacher. For tournament play, I got my experience playing supersatellites and one-table satellites. To be successful at poker, you cannot be egotistical, and you must respect others - and you must always remember, there are no friends at the poker table. You have to play hard against everyone.

LJ: What is your favorite poker game?

PD: I prefer no-limit hold'em in tournaments and seven-card stud in live games.

LJ: I just watched you win the WPT championship event at Lucky Chances' Gold Rush tournament. Congratulations. Tell me about it from your ringside seat.

PD: Fortunately, I held the lead throughout the final table, so I felt very confident. I was playing at the top of my game, in "the zone," you could say. I had finished seventh at The Bicycle Casino's WPT event, and just missed making the television show, so I really wanted to win this one.

LJ: What other successes have you had in tournament poker?

PD: I won the 2000 WSOP $2,500 seven-card stud event, and the no-limit hold'em event at the 2002 New England Poker Classic. And I've had a slew of second-place showings.

LJ: What fascinates you about poker?

PD: I think it is the challenge. I had to drop out of high school after the 11th grade. I grew up in the ghetto in tough times. I still suffer from the frustration of not finishing high school, and I am eager to excel. In poker, it's a challenge to figure out the correct strategy for the game you are playing.

LJ: What is the hardest thing about poker?

PD: Keeping your composure when you are losing. Bad beats are a part of poker, but some people can't handle them.

LJ: What is your goal in life?

PD: I want to be a good parent to my four children: Whitney (14), Davon (11), Paul (10), and Lauryn (2).

LJ: If you had to give some advice to Card Player readers who are striving to be successful poker players, what would it be?

PD: You have to try to keep your losses small when you are running bad, but don't put a limit on your winnings.

LJ: Do you like being a professional poker player?

PD: Yes. Poker players are like one big family, and most are very nice people. They have shown me a lot of love.

LJ: If you were not a poker player, what would you probably be doing?

PD: I think I would be a stand-up comedian.

Change of subject: If you are planning to attend the World Poker Challenge (March 13-April 2) at the Reno Hilton, make your room reservations now. At $25 per night, the hotel will probably sell out.

Now, let's play poker!