Life-Changing Year Part 1

Well here it goes ... So much to say I'm not really sure where to begin. This past six months has been the biggest roller-coaster of my life.

It's been full of run-ins with the past, glimpses of the future, and enough twists in the present to make me feel like I'm literally living out a movie.

To be blunt, I wasn't too sure what life had to offer me for quite some time, as it seemed nothing was going right and I could not catch a break. I left my job after six dedicated years because I felt I had hit a wall and there was no future for me where I was.

Everyone questioned this move for the most part and this led to some trying times with basically all of my family, friends and of course my girlfriend of 3.5 years.

As I sat around accomplishing nothing, waking up for The Price Is Right becoming the highlight of my day and seemingly the entire world as I knew it crumbling around me, I thought "Uh-oh! maybe I made a bad decision?"

My mom's disappointment was clear as day, my girlfriend's disdain for me was growing rapidly and with everyone's utter disgust with my lack of production or sense of urgency looming large over my everyday life ... I had reached a crossroads.

I always believed I was destined for big things - somehow, some way things were going to work out for me. My dad was at times the only one who actually believed this to be true, and fully supported my "time off" to gather my thoughts and figure out a greater plan.

For me, $35,000 a year with benefits is just living life waiting to die. Certainly not even close to the lofty goals and expectations I had set for myself. I never back down from what I believe no matter how unpopular my choices may be and never fear the consequences.

Helloooo, Texas Hold'em.

Basically I'm a stubborn f*** and I trust myself more than I trust you when it comes to what's best for me.

Poker and gambling have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I lost more money betting on sports when I was 18-21 than most people earn in 10 years. Clearly I needed to find a new vice ... Helloooo, Texas Hold'em.

It started off as a hobby for my dad and me, something we could do together other than going to a baseball game. We quickly learned that our new hobby could be very profitable, as we both experienced some early success.

Fast-forward through four years of torture, dozens of bubbles, bad beats and miserable rides home from Atlantic City in the middle of the night to make it to work in the morning, and you had two miserable poker souls - sick of retelling bad beat after bad beat story and wondering if there was really any hope in this stupid game that had seemingly kicked our asses.

I left my job in September and after going on a few interviews I still wasn't ready to take a job to kill time, as everyone so eloquently put it. It's not in my nature to waste time and if something doesn't make sense to me, it's hard to put any substantial effort or time into it.

I spent a couple months trying to come up with a plan to buy an existing business. A lot of red tape, forms, banks, loan apps, BS, more forms, more BS, more waiting, more aggravation, no time for poker, no money for poker, no money period.

I had promised myself once I got out of a six-figure debt at the ripe old age of 21 that I would never again be in the negative, and from working and being creative throwing some parties at local bars I built up a respectable bankroll of about $50,000 over the years.

Well, the extra cash had stopped coming in years ago and I was accustomed to living a certain lifestyle: I like to go out to dinner, the nicer the restaurant the better; I like expensive bottles of wine; I love going away on vacation ... Long story short, none of these things changed, even after I quit my job.

Move to Florida? Sure, why not ...

Sure enough, come March I was broke. Actually about $40k in the hole from credit cards and whatnot. How did this happen?! and what do I do next?  Move to Florida? Sure, why not ...

My relationship for all intents and purposes was over. I took some of the money from the loans I secured for the business venture that didn't go through and paid off all of my bills, had a goodbye party, and was looking forward to a fresh start in the Sunshine State.

Well ... being that I wear T-shirts in the winter in New York, a permanent move to Florida just was not in the cards, so to speak. The most productive thing that happened while being down there though was that I found that hunger to play poker again.

I played every day (OK OK I was only there for 2 weeks ha) but nevertheless whatever money I had left it seemed as if I was going to give it one last hoorah playing poker.

Easier said than done. I came back to N.Y. on fumes. I was single; for one reason or another my once-overcrowded stable of friends had seemed to diminish, and I was 2.5 hours away from a cardroom. Moving to Atlantic City with my last $15k to my name didn't seem logical, so back into my rut I went.

I had made a trip to AC with my dad toward the middle of May to play in a $2,000 buy-in tournament. Another disappointment.

While my dad and I were drinking away our sorrows in a measly $200 second-chance tournament after we had both been eliminated, we found a drinking buddy at the table - Rock from Tennessee.

The Rio in Vegas: where the magic happens.

We met him and his father in line while we were signing up for the $2k, and we all got to talking. I didn't last very long in the tournament, gave Rock my number and told him I was down to get some drinks if he got knocked out.

We spoke for a few hours that night as the shots and beers were flowing. I later learned he was doing what I had only dreamed of, running around the country playing poker for a living.

Sweet. That was the first time the idea of meeting in Vegas for the World Series came up. I laughed it off.

Editor's Note: Jason Young came out of nowhere to win a bracelet at the 2008 World Series of Poker and has taken his newfound bankroll and hit the road, following the pro circuit in hopes of building poker into a full-time career.

He'll be posting on his progress in an exclusive series of blogs for PokerListings.com over the next few months, beginning today and tomorrow with the amazing story of his bracelet win.

Check out Part 2 here.