Chad Batista Bio

The young man has been open with his mistakes and how he got where he is today. Batista did not make it past seventh grade, deciding to turn to the life of a hustler rather than that of a student. By the age of 18 he was in prison, and things looked bleak. When he was released, he happened to meet Adam "Roothless" Levy, and for once his life, he was on the right track.

Batista fell in love with poker, and instead of spending his time with the old friends that led him astray, he devoted himself to his new love.

Batista is a self-made man, having never read a book on poker. He claims to use the mathematical side of the game sparingly, choosing instinct over cold calculations. It has clearly worked for him, and Batista has had one of the best runs in poker.

> Batista claims to have only played in a handful of live tournaments, but his results are impressive. He finished fourth in event 11 of the 2006 World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit at Caesars Indiana, for $16,762. He then won the next day's tournament, the $5,000 buy-in main event, for $262,002. Batista played in his first WSOP in 2007, finishing fifth in a $1,000 no-limit hold'em (with rebuys) event, for $129,064.

As Batista plays more live tournaments, expect to see him rise to the top of the leader boards.