{"id":6407,"date":"2013-10-25T15:34:10","date_gmt":"2013-10-25T15:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/2013\/10\/25\/sam-trickett-plumber-to-britains-12million-poker-superma\/"},"modified":"2013-10-25T15:34:10","modified_gmt":"2013-10-25T15:34:10","slug":"sam-trickett-plumber-to-britains-12million-poker-superma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/2013\/10\/25\/sam-trickett-plumber-to-britains-12million-poker-superma\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Trickett: Plumber to Britain\u2019s \u00a312MILLION poker 'Superma"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nFrom Mirror News, original article http:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/real-life-stories\/former-gas-fitter-becomes-britains-2528505<\/a><\/p>\n

\tA gleaming red Ferrari takes pride of place on the driveway of the gated mansion alongside an equally flashy Audi and a top-of-the-line Range Rover. A bottle of bubbly is on ice next to the hot tub.<\/p>\n

\tNot bad for an ex-plumber aged 27. But this is normal life now for Sam Trickett who, after banking more than \u00a312million, has become the second most successful poker player in history.<\/p>\n

\tHe knows full well he is the exception, the one in many millions who do make it big instead of ruining their lives with gambling addiction.<\/p>\n

\tBut as he prepares to sit down at a poker table next week for the highest stakes tournament ever held in the UK \u2013 there\u2019s a \u00a3100,000 price tag just to bag a seat at the table \u2013 he reveals just how close he came to disaster.<\/p>\n

\tIn a losing streak at the end of 2009, he gambled away almost a quarter of a million pounds in six months. It pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy and for a time it lost him the woman he loved.<\/p>\n

\tSam says: \u201cI had \u00a3250,000 in the bank, but that just meant I was gambling for bigger money because I thought I was invincible. Within six months I was down to my last \u00a3100,000.<\/p>\n

\tWe were supposed to be buying a house. We went down, had all the meetings and got a mortgage set up. But by the time we had the next meeting two weeks later I had lost \u00a370,000.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tDespite the increasingly desperate \u00adsituation, Sam kept his money troubles secret from his girlfriend of six years Natasha Sandhu, 26.<\/p>\n

\tHis family and his friends also thought his success in national and international poker tournaments was continuing.<\/p>\n

\tSam says: \u201cI didn\u2019t want anyone to know I was broke. I was ashamed. So whenever I went out I would buy a round of drinks for the lads or pay for the meal.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI didn\u2019t tell Tash I\u2019d lost the money. I told her I didn\u2019t want to buy the house because I didn\u2019t like it. We were arguing all the time because I was being an idiot so we decided to break up.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe whole year we were apart I never thought about having another girlfriend. I didn\u2019t want one unless it was her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBut, while many would find themselves sinking further and further into desperation and debt, Sam is one of the lucky few who found a way back.<\/p>\n

\tThere are an estimated 350,000 people in the UK suffering from gambling addiction, a figure that has shot up since the recession with more betting shops and online gaming than ever.<\/p>\n

\tEvery year in Britain we gamble an astonishing \u00a37billion and it\u2019s never been easier to lose a fortune.<\/p>\n

\tPoker is hugely popular with thousands of punters winning \u2013 and of course losing \u2013 a few pounds at a time. But too many end up hooked on the thrill and they get into huge debt in the hope that just one more bet might turn everything around.<\/p>\n

\tFor Sam, a crucial turning point was landing sponsorship so he was no longer gambling his own money but still earning a sizeable share of the winnings.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI was so relieved after my first big win \u2013 that took the pressure off,\u201d he says. \u201cI learned my lesson and I know how lucky I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tSam\u2019s first hope of fame and fortune was a career in football and at 17 he had trials with both Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United. But his dreams of success were shattered by two cruciate ligament injuries.<\/p>\n

\tAfter working as a plumber for a friend, he trained as a gas fitter. He began playing poker on the side and quickly realised he was good at it.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI never thought I was going to be an international poker superstar. I just saw it as a way to pick up some money quickly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI always dreamed of having nice cars and houses but I never really wanted to work that hard. I could see that gambling might be a shortcut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBut he soon saw the other side of the gambling coin, maxing out his credit card with \u00a31,500 of debts.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhen I ran out of money I didn\u2019t know what else to do so I told my dad,\u201d he reveals. \u201cHe gave me the big lecture and took me to see the bank manager, but he paid it off for me. I felt so guilty but come the weekend I did it again.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThat time we had a proper fall-out. He was disappointed in me. After that I didn\u2019t play for six weeks until I had built up some wages and felt I could afford it, but I wasn\u2019t strong enough to walk away.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cDeep down I still believed I could win. I knew I had a knack for it because within a few games of joining my local poker group and learning the rules, I won three weeks in a row. That\u2019s incredibly hard to do so I quickly realised I was better than everyone else there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAfter saving up for six months he flew to Las Vegas with \u00a330,000 and came back with \u00a3125,000. Over the next few weeks he won a string of lucrative tournaments, taking his winnings to \u00a3250,000 \u2013 then promptly losing it all.<\/p>\n

\tStill he still didn\u2019t stop. He sold his BMW to pay off his debts and accepted a job teaching poker to office workers in South Africa. His boss was so impressed he sponsored Sam at the World Series in Las Vegas in June 2010.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI arrived with no money\u201d he says. \u201cBut I cashed for \u00a3500,000 and it has been uphill ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tDespite their break-up, Sam and Natasha had kept in touch and when he came back to England he asked her if he could have a second chance.<\/p>\n

\tThey rekindled their romance in early 2011 and by then Sam had won enough money to buy their dream home in the Nottinghamshire village where they both went to school and shared their first kiss at a disco when they were 14.<\/p>\n

\tHis largest win to date came when he won second place in the biggest game in history at the Rio Conference Centre in Las Vegas in 2011.<\/p>\n

\tAt the end of three days he cashed in more than \u00a35million. But as he finished celebrating that night he was set upon by a gang of six thugs who tried to jump into the limousine the nightclub had booked for him.<\/p>\n

\tThey pushed Natasha over and spat in her face.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt happened so fast,\u201d says Sam. \u201cI got punched from every angle. It should have been the best night of my life, but it ended as a nightmare.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhen I woke up the next morning I had black eyes and scratches and bruises, but thankfully there was nothing worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tSam\u2019s poker success has given him the glamorous lifestyle of the footballer he once wanted to be.<\/p>\n

\tSome of his high-roller games are like scenes from movies, with huge \u201cplaques\u201d stacked high on the table instead of chips, and players drawn from all around the world. And the parties afterwards are even more spectacular.<\/p>\n

\tSam says: \u201cIn England, only poker players know who I am but I\u2019m more famous in Vegas because poker is massive there.<\/p>\n

\t"When I go into a nightclub they play the Superman music and send fireworks to my table.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt made me feel like a film star. I was going out three or four nights a week and sometimes I would spend \u00a330,000 in a week, but I have grown out of that a little bit now.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI have a bit of a reputation as a party animal. It\u2019s scary how much money I\u2019ve spent, but I\u2019ve had some of the most amazing nights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHis low points have taught Sam to savour his success and make sure he never finds himself in that position again.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cLooking back I wouldn\u2019t change anything because this time I appreciate everything,\u201d he says. \u201cMost of the time I\u2019m not even betting my own money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI still gamble, but it\u2019s a small percentage of my bankroll and it\u2019s just for fun.<\/p>\n

\tSam is participating in the World Poker Tour Alpha8, a televised super high-roller tournament making its London debut at Mayfair\u2019s Palm Beach Casino on Monday. Follow him on Twitter at @Samtrickett1<\/p>\n

\n\tCheck out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/real-life- … z2ikSZf0dQ<\/a>
\n\tFollow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook<\/p>\n

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Replies:<\/h3>\n
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Posted by:<\/strong> TommyC on October 28, 2013, 11:00 pm<\/p>\n

Great read.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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