Jimmy Fricke Bio

"I played 50¢-$1 limit on PartyPoker, then started messing around with sit-and-gos and tournaments," said Fricke. "I finished second in a $20 multitable tournament for about $2,500. But still, I was a losing player in everything I played. Then, I moved $10 over to PokerStars. I told myself that if I lost it ... I wasn't going to play any more multitable tournaments. So, I played 45-person $1 sit-and-gos to build my bankroll, and eventually won a small tournament. After that initial $10, I never had to redeposit."

PokerStars would never be the same. Fricke terrorized the smaller buy-in tourneys, racking win atop win. Soon, the Illinois native would wade into higher stakes, capturing more wins, sharpening hand-reading skills, and eventually leading to a fortuitous trip down under.

At the 2007 Aussie Millions, Fricke, 19, found himself heads up with the chip lead against superstar Gus Hansen. An uncomfortable feeling set in, and a misplayed hand caused Fricke to mentally check out. Admittedly, his focus and sharp game collapsed. The second-place cash of $847,000 was a nice consolation but a disappointing finish; the experience became just more hands and live experience from which to reap future benefits. As soon as Fricke is legal for live U.S. events, there's no doubt that gobboboy will dance once again at a TV final table.