Commitment is the word that should be tattooed into the brain of anyone who wants to become a professional poker player. Those who make their living with cards may not have to spend an eternity in the gym or on the track like the athletes that infest other sports, but long hours, careful preparation, tireless study, and dedication to honing some more cerebral qualities are what is necessary when becoming a successful poker player. Arnold Spee understands this, and his dedication to the work ethic involved has given him an advantage over a number of other players.
Arnold took away $663,880 when he won the World Poker Challenge in Reno. Winning one of the World Poker Tour main events is obviously not a bad victory to have on your resume. This was also a very fitting way for the world to be introduced to Arnold Spee. Arnold is one of the new breed of poker players who got the bug to play the game after seeing it on television. He would watch the WPT tournaments and dream of someday playing there himself. After learning the finer points of the game through trial and error at Commerce Casino in L.A., he began to enter satellite tournaments. At first he was far from successful, but he learned from those first, early losses, and applied the lessons to his game. This started a string of victories in the satellite tournaments. Arnold himself claims that after his first win, he followed it up by winning another 22 tournaments over a four week period. It was about three months of solid play before he could get on the WPT. This was where he wanted to be all along, and he did not squander the opportunity. It was long before he was being called World Poker Challenge Champion.
