In Poker, He's One of a Kind

CALIFORNIA -- As reported by the Mercury News: "Phil Gordon knows the exact moment he became a poker player. It was 1 a.m. on a Wednesday in 1991 at San Jose's Garden City Casino.

"...As the poker craze sweeps the country, Gordon has become one of its most visible faces as the expert host on Bravo's 'Celebrity Poker Showdown.' He got in -- or, as they say in poker, all in -- this pop culture fad on the ground floor in the late 1990s, becoming a top-flight player who has an estimated $1.2 million in tournament winnings.

"But that windfall only came after Gordon made a bundle as a Silicon Valley software programmer who retired at 26, first to travel the globe, then to pursue his passion at the poker table.

"...But Gordon also has made his own luck by playing his cards right.

"...Monday he'll be back in the city where he first decided to take cards seriously as he defends his World Poker Tour Shooting Star Tournament title at the Bay 101 card club..."