The Game and the Name

Edit: Looking back I realize I was 20, in the prior post, not 19. Not that important, but just to clarify.

Being that my online career is somewhat extensive considering my age, I guess I should explain where the name "Syndrome" came from. From the previous post you can probably see my friend Shai was the kid who got me started. Shai understood that I somehow made reads that her didnt completely understand, but he knew they were correct. Well the kid is a science guy and everytime I made a move that would not make sense to most but proved to be correct, he would say 'Turner Classic Syndrome', due to the similiaraties to my last name. Well, apparently thats a disease with characteristics of a larger than normal person with far below average intelligence, a genome I believe its called. He said it to make fun of me, but at the same time meant it as a compliment. Well, this began happening more frequently so he began shortening it to 'Syndrome'. I liked the name and it stuck, so that was that. Well, 'Syndrome' began during the 6 month sessions we had at the neighbors, and during some kitchen table games and has been so ever since.

******

I walk into my apartment after work to find it empty which is rare. Adam and Shai come home shortly thereafter with some Arby's, upset they didnt call me I talk Shai into giving me a melt. He tries to charge me an extreme amount to which i laugh at. He replies:

Shai: What are you worried about, you have more cash than any of us.

Drome: I work bitch

Shai: Then lets win it online

Drome: I dont feel like it (I really didnt want to risk the money, knowing i had to BR)

Shai: Oh cmon, its free money

Drome: Sure it is, but not always

Shai: OK, OK, I see your scared

Drome: Fuck you, obviously thats not it

Shai: Ya? I bet you cant win rent by the time its due
*******

I know Shai just wanted me to play, but a challenge is not something i can pass up.
******
October 20, 2002

I take Shai's bet, and open up my account on Party Poker. Syndr0me. The regular Syndrome was taken, so I had to use the zero. I deposit $100 and begin playing $20 SnG's. For the first little while there was very little headway, we were at about $130 after a couple days or so and at this point i was playing primarily on my own.

October 25th, 2002

I hit my first run, ever. I was playing by myself at the 20s. I was playing 2 at a time now and hit 'snake eyes' 2 firsts. That was big for me at the time and I did the only thing a gambler knows to do. Moved up. I played 30's then 50's, by the end of the day I was at $1,200 and bragged my ass off to my roomates. Then I did something that will make all BR mgmt experts cringe. I enter a $100 MTT, with 440 entrants.

****

Now its important to note that this was not my first MTT. I had played many with shai during our first 3 month hiatus, with one cash totaling $700. A 3rd in a $30 trny. We were extatic at the time. It seemed like so much money. The reason i entered the trny was for one obvious reason. I was hot. Well about 30 minutes into the trny Shai walks in the room and there is about 350 people left and i had about T3500 when starting chips were only 1k. I was over double average and of course shai wants to join in the action. Being that he was going to hang out either way I thought being the good friend i am that I would cut him in on 1/3 the action but he would have to pay the $100 entry fee. Made sense to me at the time. I was getting my buy in back and still getting 2/3 the gross. Well, I will go over a couple hands i lucked out on:

~blinds: 400/800 stack 15k villain 10k 45 players left

Villian is to my right and stealing my blinds with consistency. I finally get fed up and call with 6h2h and plan on outplaying him. (we were in the blinds HU). FLop hits

4h 8h 10c giving me a flush draw

Villain bets out ~2k into a 4k pot. I immediately push wish results in a very upsetting call with his Ah9h. I remember thinking how upset i was till the magical 6d turns and a blank on the river. Now I had a huge stack. I win some races and lose one key one with 1010 <> AQ in one hand then QQ > 1010 and all of a sudden I am CL with 4 left. It gets to HU and the other guy has me at a 2:1 advantage. Then, i raise from the button with Q9s and he immediately puts me all in, i am getting to good of odds to fold and i call. Long story short, i hit a Q on the river. The very next hand I have AdX he pushes and i insta call his Qd10x. Flop hits with 2 diamonds, turn d, river d, and all of a sudden the screen tells me I have just won $10,700. This is were my poker life took off............