His name was Ted, and the term “amateur” couldn’t properly describe how green this rookie was at the poker tables of the inaugural Alexandria Series of Poker five years ago.
“He was taking lessons in the car ride over, played maybe two hands in his entire life,” said David Rowan, one of the organizers of the now-annual event, “and he ended up winning it all.”
Sometimes, it’s all about the luck of the draw, or in this case the flop. The Alexandria Series of Poker — a Texas Hold’em tournament pattered after the World Series of Poker — is hosted by Rowan, 19, and his sister Madeleine, 21. This year’s edition is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 25, beginning at around 11:30 a.m. at a private home near Generous George’s in Alexandria. The event lasted until 2 a.m. last year, attracting a college-aged crowd of nearly 40 players and spectators.
“It’s all in good fun and completely legal, of course, as the house takes no rake,” said Madeleine Rowan.
As in years past, the hosts expect to see many familiar faces at the game. “Yeah, there’s money involved, but it’s more about people getting together over Thanksgiving. There’s a homecoming feel about it,” said David Rowan, adding that anyone interested in watching or playing in the tournament can e-mail him before the event at heyimdro@gmail.com for registration information, schedule and location.
BOTH DAVID AND Madeleine will have some poker tales to tell at the tournament this year.
Madeleine Rowan became the youngest female to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas this summer, entering the event at the urging of her brother. She made the top 900 out of over 8,200 entries, turning an expected two-day trip into a nine-day stay. She said her relative inexperience helped her play conservatively.
David Rowan, who like his sister attended T.C. Williams High School, now lives in Vermont. He said he plays poker for a living, competing online and in live cash games. He recalled the humble beginnings of his poker career, back when he and his friends would ante up with homemade paper chips in middle school. What began as a hobby in high school grew into a serious passion; after making $3,500 in a single week of play, Rowan decided to take poker playing up as a profession.
“It was very hard for mom to see that. Even showing her the numbers and trying to explain to her why people can play poker professionally…why it’s not just 100 of the luckiest guys in the world who have X-Ray vision or something,” he said. “Like anything else, if it’s something you work at and you study, you get better.”
His profession recently took a hit from the U.S. government, which passed legislation two months ago that would effectively prohibit a transfer of funds from American banks to internet gambling sites — a move seen by many as choking the industry.
Rowan is a passionate advocate for regulated online poker, claiming that the government is leaving over $3 billion on the table by not taxing the roughly $12 billion industry. He said he hopes poker will receive an exemption from the legislation, much like the lottery and horse racing have.
“There’s this poker players alliance I’m a member of, and I feel like — maybe a little naively and optimistically — that there will be an exemption for poker and that it will be recognized as a game of skill,” he said.