Andrew Badecker seemed like a typical college boy; smart, outgoing, ambitious. The only difference between Andrew and the majority of his peers was that Badecker spent all of his spare time playing online poker for real money.
At the age of 20, he shocked his parents when he made the decision to drop out of college. The hours spent between playing online poker and working an ordinary job were not leaving him enough time to fulfill his studies. Then one day, after an especially profitable evening on the virtual felt that netted him $7,000, Andrew Badecker decided to pursue poker as a professional career choice.
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He made what his parents believed to be the ultimate sacrifice, quitting his day job to do nothing but play poker. They had had enough of their son’s antics. They did not trust in his decision and, assuming he was making terrible life choices, kicked him out of the house where he had grown up in Vernon, Connecticut. Boy, were they wrong…
Not only did Andrew continue to succeed playing online poker for real money, he ventured into live tournament play as well. Andrew’s very first recorded live poker tournament cash was at the 2009 WSOP, finishing in 63rd in a NL Hold’em Shootout event for just over $5,000, an event he would later come back to triumph over. Three months after, Badecker placed 5th in a WPT Borgata Poker Open event for $21,420, and it only got better from there.
In 2010 Andrew earned himself near $70,000 spanning seven tournaments, including a 1st place routing at the Borgata Poker Open of WPT Season 9, and made a solid run at the WPT Title as well, but fell to the rails in 30th position. Surely Badecker’s parents could not complain with such results as the young man was raking in substantially more than the job he had previously quit could possibly have offered.
The next year would be even better; a real turning point in Andrew’s life. It started with only two small cashes throughout the first half of the year totaling just $4,500, but finally the tides rolled in. Badecker received the ultimate reward to commend his dominating skills on the poker tables. He was awarded his first WSOP bracelet in the NL Hold’em Shootout event worth a staggering $369,371.
Four months and over $50,000 in winnings later, Andrew returned to the WPT series for yet another Borgata Poker Open. Only this time, he didn’t fall to the rails. He took down the championship event, claimed his first WPT Title and $388,657, raising his 2011 winnings to well over $800,000.
Now only half way through 2012, Andrew Badecker continues to bolster his career profits. The American poker pro has racked up over $550k already, including a $192,300 cash for 5th place in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Start tournament, and another $224,029 at the 43rd annual WSOP in Las Vegas. Badecker came very close to scooping up his second WSOP bracelet in Event #2, but closed out in 5th.
Just because Badecker is having such an illustrious experience in live tournaments does not mean he has left his online roots behind. He continues to play online poker for real money. His largest online poker cash to date occurred this year in the SCOOP series at PokerStars where Andrew “southrnctowl” Badecker whittled his way through the entire field of Event #17 to pocket $60,000 and his first SCOOP watch.
As you may have guessed, Andrew’s parents welcomed him back home with wide open arms. However, after the ominous Black Friday, 25 year old Andrew Badecker no longer has a true home. He considers himself a nomad, traveling about the world in order to continue playing online poker at PokerStars – something he cannot currently do from Vernon, Connecticut – as well as taking part in major live poker tournaments.