Patrick Poels
Patrick Poels had a big smile on his face when he won his second WSOP bracelet, and it’s no wonder; this former software developer had a lot to celebrate. A native of Mesa, Arizona, this player has risen to great heights in the game to achieve not one but two bracelet wins, and he was rightly proud of the achievement.
Patrick Poels
Having quit a lucrative day job as a software developer to join the professional poker circuit, and as a family guy with three children, he had a lot to lose when he gambled on a career in cards. You wouldn’t read that on the face of this expert player, however, as for him a cordial demeanor comes as standard, as does his smile.
Patrick’s first bracelet was awarded when he won the WSOP $1.5K Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split 8 or better event in the 2005 tournament, to win a cool $270,100. To emerge victorious he had to beat John Lucas, the two-time bracelet winner and renowned strategist in heads up play.
Patrick’s second bracelet win was in 2006, when he won $172,091 in the $1K 7 Card Stud Hi-Low Split 8 or better in 2006. To have won WSOP bracelets in consecutive years is a tremendous achievement, and one Patrick hopes to capitalize on. While a third bracelet may have proved elusive so far, this player continues to try his hand at major competitions, and to achieve a decent level of success.
It’s fair to say that Poels wins most of his money outside live tournament games, and that his wife Laura feels justified in having supported his decision to leave a good job to pursue poker, given his substantial earnings and significant success. His live tournament winnings alone are thought be in the region of $1Million, and he’s sure to hope for more glory in the years to come.
