SpadeClub Poker Winner: Donald 'JOKER' Nunley

SpadeClub.com, the total poker experience, offers more than 2,500 tournaments and $100,000 awarded every month, all for just $19.99 a month. No entry fees, no deposits, no risk. Find out more.

On Dec. 7, SpadeClub held the $30,000 Mega Monthly event, and more than 1,900 Exclusive members battled it out at the tables to take home their share of the $30,000 prize pool. Only one outlasted the field to become the last player standing, Exclusive member Donald “JOKER” Nunley, a 37-year-old poker junkie.

Nunley is excited about his win and tells Card Player it couldn’t have come at a better time, especially with Christmas right around the corner. Nunley says the hardest thing he had to learn about the game of poker was patience and how to be disciplined at the tables. He loves SpadeClub and thinks it is a great place for beginners because of the SpadeClub community and everything it has to offer. 

“Check out SCKennys' page,” said Nunley. “He's got a lot of useful information there that can take you to the top of your game. It is information that can help you not only here but in your live game, also.”
 
Here is what Nunley had to say about his recent win and how he plays his game of poker.

Card Player: How long have you played poker, and what got you interested in SpadeClub?

Donald “JOKER” Nunley: I've been playing some type of poker since I was 10 years old. I'm a Card Player subscriber, and I saw the ad in there. I had never played on a subscription site before and thought it sounded like something I could afford to play on a regular basis.

CP: Do you have any plans for this money?

DN: This win could not have come at a better time. I've been laid off from my job for several months, and as I mentioned before, I have kids, so a big chunk of it will be "Santa" money.

CP: What are some of your other poker accomplishments?

DN: This is definitely my biggest win. I've won a thousand or two before, but I've always just added it to my bankroll and kept playing with it. This is the first time I've cashed out and took the money and run.

CP: Do you play live or just online? If so where?

DN: I only play online now. A few "kitchen table" games when I can find one, but no casinos.

CP: What was your first poker experience like?

DN: As I said, I've been playing since I was about 10. Those early years were always against the older guys in the neighborhood. Needless to say, I didn't win much back then. Even so, I was addicted to the game from day one and was always looking for a game to jump into.

CP: What was the hardest lesson you had to learn while playing poker?

DN: The hardest thing for me to learn was patience. I had to learn to discipline myself and realize that you can't win every hand you are involved in. You have to take the good with the bad, and sometimes those bad streaks can stick around for a while. When you're running bad like that, you feel like you need to win it all back as quickly as possible, and that’s the absolute worst time to try. Be patient and let the game come back to you and take advantage of it when it does. Just try to realize when things are heading south again, and get it reined back in before you're right back where you started.

CP: What do you think sets great players apart from merely good players?

DN: If you look at some of the great players like John Juanda, Daniel Negreanu, and Hoyt Corkins, it's their ability to read their opponents' actions and pinpoint exactly what kinds of hands they are up against. Those guys can lay down the greatest hands that an average player like me could never even hope to get away from. And to do it over and over with the right read on their opponents puts players like that in a league of their own.

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

DN: I'm definitely a recreational player. I hope to someday take it to the next level, but I have a lot to learn before then. Even though I've played for a long time, I've just in the past few years learned how to play "winning" poker.

CP: Do you think SpadeClub is a good learning ground for people who are looking to start playing?

DN: As far as I'm concerned, SpadeClub is the best site out there for new players who really want to learn how to play. There are so many great players there, as well as beginning players. It gives you a chance to learn all aspects of the game, and there are plenty of players there willing to show you the ropes, as long as you really want to learn. I came to SpadeClub with the wrong attitude about the online poker world. My first night there, a player by the name of "jallairej" took the time to say, "Hey, slow down there. This place isn't like those other sites that you've been playing on, and it's not kindergarten, either. Take the time to think before you act or speak and you will do a lot better here." Since then, we have become great friends, and "jall" has taught me a lot of things along the way to my winning this tournament.

CP: Do you have any general advice to share with our readers about succeeding at SpadeClub?

DN: Just be patient and try to observe what's going at the table you're playing on. Be selective with what hands you're willing to risk your whole tournament life on, and you just may make it to the end. It's so easy to go on tilt and start playing like a madperson after you've taken a bad beat. You fall into the trap and start trying to win it all back by playing every hand with any two cards, and its just not possible. I'm guilty of it myself, at times, but you just have to try and reel it back in and get back into the game.

CP: Have you participated in any of the community features of SpadeClub? If so, what do you think?

DN: I have. I've participated in all of them, and I think that's another feature that sets SpadeClub apart from the rest of the sites out there. I've met a lot of great people there, and I've improved my game by leaps and bounds by taking their advice on things and putting it to use.

CP: Anything else you would like to add?

DN: I'd like to say thanks to everyone who was there cheering me on on my way to, and at, the final table. One player, in particular, stuck with me for the last few tables of the tournament and really gave me the confidence and push that I needed to get the win. Thanks "lQQkin."

Check out SpadeClub.com.

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