Phil Gordon
Poker was a family tradition that was passed from generation to generation in the case of professional poker player Phil Gordon. It was his Aunt Lib who taught him the basics of poker, and his sisters who helped him develop his skills by practicing with him over a game or two. They would play around during family gatherings, everyone participating in Five Card Draw with penny 
antes and very low stakes. This occurred almost every night, and everyone in Phil’s family was a poker fan. Phil, the progidy of his family, grew to love the game and he continued to hone his skill well into adulthood. Phil was good in school. He started college at the tender age of 15. He possessed a scholarship for a computer science degree, which he finished at the age of 20. Even though he dropped out of high school to attend college, his academic standing was remarkable, and this prompted his family members to call him a genius juvenile delinquent. He immediately found a job, working for several information technology and computer manufacturing companies as a software engineer. He was also one of the company’s first employees, prompting him to earn big when they started to make millions of dollars in stocks.
However, Phil’s hobby was growing more persistent – poker was seemingly his calling, and he had the urge to play poker as a professional, full time. When he did, he played big. Phil finished fourth during the WSOP Championship back in 2001 and his proceeding victories took the poke world by storm. In 2002, he was able to enter the coveted final table of two championships. He made waves both on the internet and in land casinos. He was invited by the biggest names to join by-invitation tournaments and his winning streak amazed everyone. Phil continues to play professional poker up to this day, practicing daily to keep his skills sharp.