I started off playing cards with my Grandmother...Crazy 8's, Hearts, Go Fish....and Checkers and Parcheesi... my grandmother was an incredible mathematician and card player - there were actually games I wasn't allowed to play with her at all... She was red-listed from the Casinos in Vegas for counting cards in
blackjack in 1975 on her 75th birthday.
Later on, I got a game for Christmas by Mattel called a "Merlin" it played simple games and one of them was Blackjack, I also played a ton of pinball in the 70's and that was my first taste of playing a game for money. I learned poker later on, it fascinated me because of the hands and the
bluffing involved. I played a little against friends for cookies...
I started online a few months ago and had a taste of success, but I failed almost equal to how often I won, so I searched out more information, Gus Hansen's video series gave me some aid and some encouraging thoughts from Chris Ferguson - all of which I found online and I have been growing in consistency ever since... I was naturally a good 'reader' since all the time playing with my Grandma (she was my toughest competitors), but it just would get so complex because I wouldn't understand kickers and would get riled up and just tilt easily at times when if I pulled back I could have made the money or even Final Tables... I play Full Tilt constantly, it's the perfect site in my eyes, though I like Absolute as well...