I started playing poker like anyone other 16-year old in the 80′s-took a days paycheck and lost it playing nickle-dime-quarter dealers choice.  I liked it so much, I did it again the next week and was stuck again.  I was weened on 7 and 5-card stud well before the proliferation of Texas Hold’em and yes, along with the BMRK, we are the elder statesman of the Turkey Nerd crew.  I can play all of the disciplines with a degree of sophistication and definitively prefer ring games to tournaments…which has always perplexed some people why I run the EMHD, a tournament league???  Though I love the action, I have made some great strides recently to refine my game especially in hold ‘em …my preferred game?…see below???    

I got started playing hold ‘em in several $100-$200 home tournaments agaisnt some excellent fields.  Scott was basically a full time player at the time and has turned out to be my primary mentor; Thank you for all of your savvy advice through years!  I won the third tournament I ever played in, a 27-player $100 re-buy tournament, winning $2000.  A few tournaments later, I had the biggest meltdown of my short career, heading into the final five with a 6:1 chip lead on the other four players and finishing on the bubble and not cashing–live and learn.  I was simultaneously playing the free pub leagues with my wife, quite a tournament player in her own right, and father-in-law.  I have started playing the online game, which as we all know is radically different in many ways than live poker!    

Occupation: Technical Writer, Sportswriter…depends on the time of the day.  The DC United fans and I have a mutual confrontational relationship with each other:) (www.american-soccer-news.com and formerly with www.MLSNet.com ).  I deal for Always Fun Casinos and a few other outfits…love dealing craps!  Though I no longer work in the pros, I still officiate high school, local college and Junior hockey and am extremely active in the USA Hockey Officiating training program.  If I’m not doing anyone of these things or playing poker,  I am probably cooking!  However, the birth of my first child, Stephanos, has pushed many of these activities to the back burner!!!

Athletic Career 

• Hockey and Soccer - University of Dayton
• SV Ossenheim (Germany) semi-pro soccer…they were paying some players but not the little american kid
• Invited to a Cincinnati Reds minor league baseball tryout (1987) – best infielder at the camp but didnt hit!
• Golf Professional for 15 years.
• Professional hockey official  for 9 years.

I was a succesful sports bettor for several years, grinding my way to multiple winning years before “retiring.”   

My contributions to the site will skew toward cash games and Omaha.  I hope all of you enjoy my unique and colorful commentary.

• Philosophy: Understand the entirety of the situation at that table at that given moment, think each situation through, pick your spots  and be aggresive.  Poker first and foremost is about $$$$$$$$ and people .
• Favorite game???: POT LIMIT OMAHA and Omaha Hi-Lo 8…action games!
• Limits: Anywhere from our Lunch Money game to 5-10 no-limit.

I urge most of the young players in the crew to play within your bankroll BUT at times, get out of your comfort zone and gamble.  This will reveal your mettle and your true character as a player.

MH62…Chris Snear

BTW-about my ridiculous nickname “My Hand 62“…the BMRK somehow determined that 6-2 was “my hand” though I can guarantee you he has rarely if ever seen me play it?  During a hand at a Lunch Money game, he randomly spewed out ”Chris, I got your hand, Chris” to which I responded, “Really?  Let me see it at the end of the hand so I know what it is too.”