From Basement Games to Underground Poker Clubs: My Early Poker Journey

The author's journey into the world of poker began at the age of six when his grandmother taught him various poker games using a cheap set of Hoyle chips. The author's grandmother was a long-time poker player and dealer, and her boyfriend ran a poker club in Queens. The author's family often played poker together, and he even hosted multi-table tournaments at his home during middle and high school.

In the summer of 2006, the author's friend Joey introduced him to Club Fox, a large underground poker club in College Point, Queens. The author's first game at Club Fox was $1/$3 No Limit Texas Hold'em. He brought $1,000 in cash and placed the maximum bet of $500. The author was nervous but excited to be playing in a real underground poker club. He learned about poker rake at Club Fox, where all players paid $5 every half hour during dealer changes.

The author was impressed by the level of service and organization at Club Fox. The club was clean, spacious, and comfortable, with multiple poker tables, a large kitchen, several restrooms, a shower, a lounge, a high roller room, and multiple plasma TVs. The author was also impressed by the dealers, who earned at least $1,000 per shift in tips. He considered becoming a dealer himself but later realized the amount of time and effort required to become a good dealer.