Earning a seat at the final table of the Planet Poker Tour tournament took much more than winning cards for Jeff DeWitt. It integrated a philosophy on gaming as well as the assistance of the Microsoft poker neighborhood.
By Joshua Isaac
July 21, 2008
Jeff DeWitt held two pair with aces more than fours. Odds favored his cards, and some calculated betting on his part made this a large pot. Already eight hrs into this four-day tournament, he played nearly all of it short stacked, or at a lower chip-level drawback, and could finally start taking part in from a place of energy. But when a person went all in about the ultimate card—in Texas hold ‘em, it's called the river card—DeWitt got an uneasy feeling.
If he calls and wins,
Microsoft Office Professional 2007, he’s up huge. But if he loses, his tournament is done. He chose another option and folded. Sometimes, winning in poker requires cutting your losses. “I later learned the guy who went all in had two additional fours, or four of the kind,” said DeWitt.
Count that as one good decision in a weekend of many that would lead DeWitt to the last table and a sixth place finish in this World Poker Tour tournament. For the finance manager using the U.S. subsidiary, having seen firsthand the devastation gambling addiction can do to a family, this amounted to a win for his philosophy on gambling and a shout out to the Microsoft poker local community, which he regularly participates in.
The contest, held in Reno, Nevada, in the end of March, cost DeWitt $7,700 to enter. In a field of 261 participants, only 27 would leave with some share with the money. DeWitt, for his showing, left with $84,000. The first-place finisher won nearly $500,000.
“Because I played most with the tournament short stacked, every hand was important,” said DeWitt. “When you’re playing 14 hours straight each day, you have to pick your spots and exercise pot management.” That, in a nutshell, summarizes his overall philosophy on gambling. DeWitt always had an interest in poker and remembers the thrill of betting and winning sports cards when playing as a kid. But those childhood memories also contained a grim lesson about the dark side of gambling addiction.
“My mother would come home crying while in the middle with the night because she blew her whole pay check gambling,” he said. “She had my sister and I promise that we would not say anything to our stepdad. When you’re 14 years old and you see your mom that way, and then two weeks later she’s back taking part in the slots, you promise yourself never to be like that.”
Balancing opposing feelings—an excitement for the game with a firsthand knowledge of its consequences—DeWitt wearily approached his interest in gambling by using his financial training. He set aside limited funds and developed an Excel spreadsheet to monitor his taking part in. The spreadsheet actually became a strategic tool for DeWitt, who logs everything from wins and losses to where he’s playing, which games, and on which nights. “With PivotTables, I can see patterns of where I’m winning and under what circumstances,” DeWitt said. “For example, I can see if I do better in tournaments or cash games, what day of the week, and at what locations I’m doing my best.”
As his funds grow with his winnings, DeWitt plans to share his wealth and knowledge. With his winnings thus much, he has been able to help his girlfriend’s family in Russia and his family in Minnesota. He also plans to write a book to help people properly manage money and avoid the dark side of gambling. “Quite a bit of people like my mom enjoy gambling but do not set limits or track their results,” he said. “I’m hoping that telling my story will inspire people to gamble smart. There is no reason that enjoying cannot be good entertainment, as long as people use the right approach.”
Jeff DeWitt (right) celebrates his sixth-place poker tournament finish with friends and members of the MS Poker alias in Reno following the contest.
Indeed, poker has become key entertainment fuelled by a surge in televised tournaments. Its popularity resonates here at Microsoft. “It’s a fun way to spend an evening and meet new people at Microsoft,” said Mike Moroney, SDE, Client Development Tools, who actively participates during the local community and won the Microsoft leader board in 2007. “Games range from $20-$50 to buy in, and it's a great place to hone your skills.”
DeWitt proved those skills worthy in Reno, with pal Moroney there cheering him on from the sidelines. Once he clinched his seat in the ultimate table, excitement grew on the Microsoft poker alias with e-mails flying back and forth. Three much more players from the Microsoft poker neighborhood flew down in the last minute to root on DeWitt. “It was a win for all of us,” said Moroney. “If one of us can do it, it gives all of us confidence.”
MS Poker community hosts games most nights of the week and keeps an active leader board. The games are open to all interested in joining.
Microsoft Office Professional 2007 blog poker-play
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