Odd Job: How a poker expert made his fortune — one cent at a time

 Odd Job - How a poker specialist made his fortune -- one penny at a time

Organized by the stakes played, the table -- which became viral in the poker community around 2009 -- lists his online poker winnings. He made $53 playing at a $3/$6 table (a term used to describe the starting bets for each hand) and $40 playing $0.50/$1. He'd also lost some money: He lost $250 at the $0.25/$0.50 poker table. However, that was not as bad as the $2/$4 table where he was down almost $3,000.

It is at the bottom that the legends begin. Williams made an unbelievable $13,000 profit from games in which the blinds were only one cent or two cents. This is the lowest stakes that anyone can play in North America. Williams had earned an additional $13,000 from $0.02/$0.05 poker games. If you have ever played poker at these stakes, you will know that pots rarely exceed one dollar. This didn't matter. Williams had built a small business empire, one penny at the time.

The card shark is the archetypical one who accepts that sometimes they may lose a huge pot. These are the unavoidable realities of the industry. A $50,000 pot can disappear in an instant. But the guy across the felt will have a slightly better full-house. This is why the game has been a huge spectator sport, but also a brutal way for people to make a living.

Williams broke the rules. One-cent games were created for casual players who aren't concerned about their mortgages, but want to make money playing. It created a culture that was looser, more wild, and generally less skillful than players at higher stakes games. Williams was naturally able to take advantage of that. He didn't need to be with high-rollers. All he had to do was play enough hands.

Williams was playing 24 games at once and playing 10,000 hands per hour during one time of his life. That's the kind of scale that makes the $13,000 figure seem reasonable. Williams calculates that he is currently the No. The No. 1 winner at those stakes in history. Williams, who is 40 years old, is now a part time poker pro. He devotes most his time to his website and books. His YouTube channel also offers guides to anyone wanting to follow his path and conquer the microstakes. He lives today in Thailand, having moved from Vancouver in 2012. He spoke to me via Skype about his struggle to sustain a life on the microstakes, his journey to fame in the poker world, and the mistakes made by players when they are competing for tiny profits. How to Make Money at Online Poker