Andy Bloch's life started in an extraordinary way - a childhood growing up in Orange, Connecticut, followed by an education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1992, with two degrees in electrical engineering, Bloch started a career in his chosen field with a small company based in Westchester County, New York. Then, an impromptu trip to a newly opened Connecticut casino changed everything.
Motivated by the names on the Foxwoods
World Poker Finals winners board, Bloch made a commitment to master a game he had played only occasionally in college. In less than a year, he won his first tournament, the WPF $100 no-limit hold'em event, and his name was added to the list of first-place finishers.
Bitten by the poker bug, Bloch's life quickly became even more extraordinary. In 1995, he became a full-time member of the famed MIT blackjack team. In 1999, he graduated from Harvard Law School, despite missing the final days of class in 1997 and 1998 to participate in the
World Series of Poker. While at the
WSOP, he allowed friend Tom Sims to record his play, using an invention that was a low-tech precursor to the "hole cam." Sims documented the revolutionary experiment in a two-part article for
Card Player magazine.
Putting careers in both law and engineering on hold, Bloch established himself as a true poker professional with two final-table appearances during the first season of the W
orld Poker Tour. As a result of his success, and friendship with fellow pro Chris Ferguson, he helped to usher in a new era in poker when he became a founding member of the online site FullTiltPoker.com.
In recent years, Bloch has received as much respect from the poker community for his actions off the felt as he has for his play. After
WSOP officials placed a ban on Paul Phillips for comments made regarding the fair distribution of tournament rakes, Bloch, in a show of solidarity, boycotted every event until Phillips was reinstated.
Despite his past successes and activities away from the poker table, Bloch entered the 2006 World Series of Poker wanting to make a statement.
"I felt like I was underperforming as a member of Team FullTilt," Bloch said recently.
Any feelings of inadequacy disappeared as Bloch cashed in three events - including an eighth-place finish in the $1,000 no-limit hold'em rebuy tournament - during the first two weeks.
The $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event solidified his comeback. While the $1,029,600 second-place cash prize drew most of the attention, after the event Bloch focused on what the finish meant to him as a player.
"It gives me a lot more confidence," Bloch said. "It makes me feel like I really belong and that I'm contributing to the [FullTilt] team."
With the rest of the
World Series still ahead, Andy Bloch's comeback tour may just be getting started.
