I recently went to Manchester for the simple fact that I had my phone stolen in Las Vegas. I had renewed a friendship with someone after 25 years, and his number was stored in that phone. So, I went and stood in the pub in Manchester, where I last laid eyes on him, and wouldn't you know, he came walking through the door.
While in Manchester, I discovered that there is no other place in Great Britain with five casinos in the space of a square mile. I left the pub and was walking to get some snap when I noticed an old Victorian building. It looked like something out of a Robert Frost poem, with plated glass windows and old Victorian brickwork. Anybody who ever goes to Manchester must visit this place, which is the Grosvener Casino in Manchester. It's a beautiful grade-two listed building, and there's always a welcome at the door. I was in there having a drink and something to eat when my phone rang, and it was my pal Skalie, who lives in Manchester, asking me if I would like to come and hear him sing in his band. Skalie is a singer in a punk band, but of course he is better known now for being Jonathan Kalmar and having finished fifth in the 2007
World Series of Poker. He cashed for more than $1 million. I thought back to the first time I'd met Skalie on the Ladbrokes poker cruise, where he finished third and had the whole room cheering for him. Poker is a tough game, and Skalie almost didn't even make it into the main event. I decided that it would be great to hear Skalie's story, so I interviewed him.
"Mad" Marty Wilson: Skalie, how long have you been playing poker and what got you started?
Jonathan Kalmar: I have been playing poker now since around Christmas 2003, professionally since May 2005. I started to play to curb my gambling. This may sound unusual, but I was gambling far too much in casinos, both online and live. I ran up
some large debts, and when I met my wife, Kila, I realized that I couldn't continue. I sold my old house to pay my debts and bought a smaller one together with Kila. I never wanted to stop gambling completely, but did need to control it. I started to play online sit-and-gos for $5 a time. This was even cheaper than a night out, and seemed like a great way to get my gambling fix. Eventually, I started winning and moved up the tables until I was winning more than I was earning. So, I quit my job and gave professional poker a go.
MMW: Talk us through how you won your seat.
JK: I turned up in Vegas with a relatively modest bankroll (about $16,000). I was planning to grind it out in $2-$5 no-limit hold'em cash games, and play a few satellites and maybe some smaller events. I wasn't too bothered if I played the main event or not. All started well and I was ahead about $4,000 after the first few days.
I met a few people at a party and talked about playing the main event. I didn't want to take such a huge chunk of my bankroll to play it, but having arrived in town, the thought of not playing was now unthinkable. I figured that if I could sell half and pay half, I should play. I asked around to see if there was any interest, and there was, which was nice to know, should I need the money.
Then I played in the $2,000 no-limit hold'em event and a few satellites, and the wheels came off. Beat after beat followed, and my confidence was wilting quicker than my bankroll. Before I knew it, I was struggling, and no longer had $5,000 left for my half of the buy-in; plus, I was by now too embarrassed to ask anyone for their share. I had decided that enough was enough. It was time to go home, see my wife, and consider what the future held for me.
I'd been offered some freelance work back in the UK, and it was sounding all the better. If I was quitting poker, I wanted to look back on the last few years with fond memories, rather than as a time of rebuilding debts.
It was Saturday afternoon and the main event was into day one (B). I called to change my flight, which was going to cost around £350. I looked in my wallet, and I was down to my last $2,000. It was not enough to live in Vegas for another two weeks, that was for sure. A $500 satellite was about to start in 10 minutes, and if I was quick, I could still play. If I got knocked out, I would still have enough for my flight change and several large drinks.
I lost half of my chips to an underpair in the first round, and I was starting to think a long break from this game was more than overdue. The next hand, I got pockets sevens. With a few people betting into the pot before me, I had an opportunity to gamble. I thought for a while and decided that if this was to be my last game for some time, I was going to go out fighting. I threw them away. It was a good job, too, as I'd have lost the hand. My patience was soon rewarded with a double-up with pocket queens, and I wasn't in much danger again until the bubble.
Sixteen seats were available. I was desperate for my seat, and after all I had been through, I was sure that a shot at the main event could change my luck, a change that was long overdue. With 17 players left, a guy on my right had monster chips. He'd been announcing all in blind every hand, and no one would take him on. I was about 14th place in chips. I knew with the blinds as big as they were that I could not avoid a confrontation if I picked something up. Pocket tens was not the hand I wanted to make a stand with, but it was still by far the best I'd seen for some time. Again, the guy announced all in, and I called. The whole room gathered, hoping for me to get knocked out and the rest could all take their seats in the main event. He turned over K-10. I was hoping to be much stronger against a blind all in, but thankfully no king arrived and the double-up was enough to sail me into the main event.
The rest is history, as Skalie parlayed that satellite into a $1 million payday. Great job, Skalie! That's what can happen if you don't ever give up.
Mad Marty Wilson is a professional gambler and poker consultant for Matchroom Sport.
