I remember definitely winning that first time. Even back in the early stages of my poker career I tended to be careful against players I didn't know, and the competition was rather weak. And for a 15 year old, I think I played a fairly strong game.

I spent many summers at a bungalow colony back then, where the main activity among the men was card playing. All the husbands would arrive from the city on Friday night, and after dinner a poker game would start that, with different people coming and going, would last until late Sunday. While other kids were on the ballfield or at the swimming pool, I was busy watching seven card stud and gin rummy. And there were some good players there. The same guys were consistent winners, and I learned a lot from watching them.

The last summer there, I was a junior counselor in the day camp, and at the end of the season there was a counselor's poker game, with everyone playing with their tip money. I pretty much cleaned everybody out. I remember when the game was over, I had about $300, and wanted to play in the "big" game with the men, but of course they wouldn't let me.