Once Upon a Time: When I Won 1 Dollar In Cash Games

Isabelle Mercier invites us once again through memory lane to visit her past and her poker memories. This time we go even further, to her humble beginning, playing poker at the family table. Who says it’s not a family-friendly game?

Do you remember your very first poker hand? The first time you pushed chips in front of you, virtually or on a real casino table? Usually, we remember our first time.

This is the beauty of poker, age is not a defining parameter. You can start playing it at absolutely any age and have fun until late in life.

You only have to look at players like Doyle Brunson to realize that the passion can last as long as you can see the cards. 

My First Time Playing Poker

I don’t know how old I will be playing Holdem or Open Face Chinese poker, but what I do know is when I started.

I remember that my first time playing poker was with my family, very young, but now I know more precisely when it all started. Indeed, like thousands of people, I took advantage of the confinement to clean up my things.

I came across a piece of my past that made me realize that I was fond of cards at an age where we usually play child games.

Between a box of Nirvana t-shirts and a pile of Archie’s, my favorite comic book of the time, I came across my diary. Flashback; jumping back more than 30 years in the past. I wrote it when I was 12 years old! 

I came across a very interesting page, one of my first poker nights. My uncle and my father, being very fond of cards game, I started very early. But don’t think it was ‘for fun’, no ma’am, no sir, I was playing for money!

My First Poker Earnings

Honestly, even without the diary, I never would have forgotten these evenings. Long before my first cash game sessions on the west coast of the United States at the start of my career, I was burning my pocket money in the most badass gambling circles in Quebec: the Victoriaville circle.

And believe me, we weren’t there to string beads, we were playing big. Each time, it was a good part of my bankroll (called at the time in Quebec “pocket money”) that was at stake.

As proof, this photo from my diary. I will let you appreciate the astronomical sums that circulated at the time in the “circle of Victo”, a dollar of profit, net of tax.

I’m not telling you about the crazy hours: 10:30 p.m. to midnight. Who is humanly capable of doing a 90 minutes session without Redbull-vodka, but with extra strawberry milk? 

Here’s the short translation: “Tonight around 10:30 p.m. we played cards for money. It was dealer’s choice! […] We played until midnight, and at some point I won $ 4.30 and I left with $ 1.00 of profit. It was great fun!”. 

Poker Creates Memories

Quite frankly, I don’t remember that part precisely. There must have been dozens if not hundreds of them, but what I remember perfectly is the atmosphere of those games, the fun, the tension. Yes, when you are 12 years old, a dollar of profit on an evening is a significant sum!

Nonetheless, more seriously, beyond the ridiculous sum, these are the sensations that I remembered when rereading my diary. The friendly and cheerful ambiance, the smile of my proud father for having bluffed his brother with “air”.

The pizzas we devoured between two hands and made the cards slippery. Little Isabelle was marveling that the grown-ups would accept her at the card table, while the cousins ​​played board games next door.

I remember it was during those family home games that I fell in love with cards and poker. However, what I don’t remember is what I did with the winning dollar I made that night…. 

Meet me at the tables on CoinPoker to practice your skills and enjoy the action. Open yourself a  CoinPoker account today.  

Isabelle “No Mercy” Mercier 

WPT Winner & OFC “Progressive” World Champion