Poker Pro Dusty Schmidt Returns To Golf

2011 represented a year of upheavals for many a professional poker player from the US, who were then forced to review their careers after the plug was pulled on online poker Stateside.
One such player is the legendary online grinder Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt, who says he is now ready to return to competitive golf, whilst significantly reducing his poker activities. After intensively reflecting upon his career and life in general, Dusty Schmidt concluded on his website last week:
“I came to the realization that I love golf infinitely more than I love playing poker. With that, I have decided to return to golf and use all of what poker has taught me to try and become the best I can be (whatever that is) at the game of golf.”
The 30 year-old golfer made the switch to playing poker for a living, after suffering a heart attack back in 2004. Schmidt is well known for his work ethos, and has consequently gone on to earn over $3 million online, plus a further $100,000 a year in bonuses.
Over the past few years however, and despite never suffering a losing month, Dusty Schmidt has often commented on how tough and competitive poker had now become . Then in 2010, Schmidt said his returns were half as when he first started out, eventually finishing the year with a diminished $425,000 in profits, including bonuses and live winnings.
2011 seems to have ended badly for Schmidt, too, who wrote on his blog at Cardplayer:
“I can honestly say I have never run worse at poker than I have this month on Black Chip. After my epic start building $200 into $18,000, I have only about $12,000 in there now. I have run 25 buy ins behind EV on the month, and it has been incredibly frustrating.”
Perhaps buoyed by a recent golf win at the Pumpkin Ridge Club Championship, his first victory since suffering his heart attack in 2004, Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt says that his chances are slim on the PGA of making it big but he was looking forward to the challenge.
However, he will still continue to be involved in the poker world, albeit to a much lesser degree. As Schmidt concludes:
“While I am pursuing golf, I will still be making videos as well as playing 20-25k hands a month of poker so that I am sure not to let my skills diminish.”