Former Warsaw Man Makes Mark At World Series Of Poker
Posted
Daniel Riordan-driordan@timesuniononline.com
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – While he won’t be seated at the final table, 2002 Warsaw Community High graduate Cory Albertson bested more than 6,500 players at the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event.
Albertson, who now lives in Austin, Texas, made it to the sixth day of the tournament that saw 6,865 entrants this year.
There were 57 players left this morning before play started. The final nine will compete for more than $8 million in November.
Albertson isn’t a full-time poker player, citing his play as a “serious hobby.”
Albertson makes a living writing for websites.
The $54,851 he made for his 133rd place tournament should also help matters.
Albertson went to Lincoln Elementary, Lakeview Middle School and then WCHS.
Albertson graduated from Ball State with a degree in criminology.
It was at Ball State where Albertson began playing poker.
Like many college kids, it was contained to $5 buy-in games with buddies.
Eventually, he deposited $50 into an online poker site.
“I had some success which motivated me to take it more seriously,” said Albertson.
As his interest in poker grew, Albertson began playing more and more tournaments.
In fact, this year marks the fifth straight year Albertson played in the World Series of Poker.
He also plays in up to a dozen preliminary tournaments leading up to the main event.
Moving to Texas out of college to see what living outside the Midwest was like, Poker has taken him all across the country.
And despite the access and exposure he’s received from poker, Albertson neither considers it his full-time job yet or as some look at it, a sport.
“I tell people all the time that poker is not a sport. It’s silly that anyone thinks it is. As for the luck versus skill aspect, it really depends on a few variables,” said Albertson. “Poker is neither complete luck or complete skill; it’s some combination of both. How much of one versus the other it is depends on factors involving the format of the game.”
After a huge boom in poker, both in tournaments and online, in the early 2000s, which saw poker become a regular fixture on television, the rabid popularity has waned a bit.
Albertson attributes that to the grind of playing.
“Poker gets harder over time. It’s the nature of the game; the bad, losing players stop playing while the good, winning players continue playing,” said Albertson.
Albertson said typically a day at the event will consist of 12 hours of poker with players getting minimal sleep.
Despite the grind of playing, especially on a big stage like the World Series of Poker, the excitement of the event outweighs everything else.
“It's incredibly exciting, especially if you go deep into the tournament. Media and cameras are everywhere,” said Albertson. “You’re playing for millions of dollars. The pressure is intense. Every decision matters so much. It’s a rush not too different from jumping out of a plane at times.”
Albertson can make that analogy since when he isn’t busy writing or playing poker, he can often be found skydiving.
With a degree in criminology, interests outside of poker and his own career, players like Albertson strike against the perception of what poker players are supposed to be like.
“I think people have some misconceptions of poker. They hear poker and think ‘gambling’ and all sorts of negative associations arise,” said Albertson. “Poker, like anything else in life, can cause problems and addictions. But it doesn't have to. I work hard at keeping a healthy perspective regarding poker. It’s just something I’ve gotten fairly good at and do mostly for fun.”
As for Albertson’s style, the fact that he grew up in the Midwest, in a town like Warsaw, he said affects how he plays.
“Well in some ways, it certainly affects it. Growing up in Warsaw is part of who I am and that journey contributed to me finding my way into the poker world somehow. I started playing with friends in Warsaw; if I didn’t play in those games, who knows how different my life would be?”
The whole experience has been surreal for Albertson.
“I think about that all the time. When I was younger, it never once crossed my mind that I’d once play for millions in the World Series of Poker,” said Albertson. “Life just kind of happens. We go where the wind blows us to some extent.”
Albertson is the son of Charlie and JoEllen Albertson, Warsaw.
Albertson operates the website www.itsorangenotred.com and can be followed on Twitter.
