Living the Dream by Teresa Chang

Every time I walk into a card room, I take a look around at the sight of chips flying, of tempers flaring, of victory and defeat, and think to myself, what in the world was I thinking?

You see, I am a professional poker player. A five-foot-two, educated, Asian American, twenty-six-year-old professional poker player. And by the way I'm a female. I've chosen one of the only professions in which I can literally lose the equivalent of someone's entire year's wages in a day. I've chosen a career that will never ever hit a 50-50% ratio in terms of equal interest between men and women. I've chosen to go against every single wish my parents had requested of me. So I suppose it's a legitimate question, what in the world was I thinking?

Let me explain. I was in the middle of my Master's program in college approximately four and a half years ago when my friends and I decided to go to Las Vegas for a little rest and relaxation. We went mainly to do what collegiates do, drink, party, and romp around till all hours of the night.

One night, we went about our regular routine when I decided that I wanted to end the night early. I left the group and went back to the hotel, where I happened upon a $1-$5 unstructured stud game. On a whim, I sat down, bought in for $60, and proceeded to hit a ten high straight flush on the very first hand.

Needless to say, I was hooked. I ended up playing for the next ten hours while making every mistake in the book. I lost all my winnings plus my $60 buy in, yet walked away from the table feeling so giddy and euphoric that I went back home and studied poker like I studied for my SATs in high school.

Realizing I had some basic understanding of the game, I walked into a California card room determined to win my $60 back. I sat in on a $2-$4 structured stud game with a table full of men, ice rushing through my veins, focused with steely resolve. I lost my gas money for the week.

I'm sure these men were chuckling to themselves as I left the table. What was this little Asian girl doing, thinking she could compete in this environment? Remember, this was over three years ago, before the insane poker boom, before Moneymaker and Lederer didn't need first names, before the WPT was even in existence.

Yet, I kept coming back and within two months, was beating that stud game. I eventually added Hold'em and stud hi-lo into my repertoire, and by that first year, felt comfortable enough to play around the $8-$16 limit.

I put myself through the second half of my Master's program playing poker, and when I graduated, made the choice to play poker full time instead of going straight into law school as my parents had hoped.

But really, it was much more than their hope. You see, I was born in Hong Kong, came where I was three years old and was raised as a first generation Asian American. We came to the US solely because my parents believed that education here was better, and in turn, would offer me more opportunity in the future.

They, of course, had the road mapped out for me. I was going to become a successful doctor, lawyer, or professor (there are apparently no other options available in life), get married (hopefully to a doctor, lawyer or professor), and have children (preferably one of each gender).

Imagine their dismay when their only daughter comes to them after obtaining her Master's degree and tells them that she is going to become a professional poker player. I think I gave my mother an ulcer that day.

This brings me back to the question, what in the world was I thinking? And the answer, my friends, is this, playing poker is my passion. I don't mind if my parents don't understand or if I have to get carded for the rest of my life.