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How Poker Changed the Life of Paul Darden

As a child, Paul Darden experienced and witnessed a lot of hardships. Fortunately for him, he was in his right senses to decide that he would want to make his life better. Among the things that he wanted to do to make his life better, he chose poker in particular. It doesn't seem like he made a wrong decision because now, Paul Darden is one of the world's best professional poker players.

Born on October 27, 1968, Paul Darden became a victim of false accusation at the age of fifteen. He was wrongfully accused of murder but was later on acquitted when it was proven that it was all a mistaken identity.

As he was growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, Paul Darden became exposed to the arduous side of life. He got acquainted with drug dealers and criminals until he realized that he was in the wrong side of life. He was also a drop-out in high school. All these made him realize that he needed to do something to change his life. And being a son of a man who used to manage a poker club and because he was also taught by his father to play the game of poker, Paul Darden decided to try his luck in playing such game of chances.

Paul Darden started to visit the Foxwoods Resort Casino in New England on a regular basis. At the same time, he became a promoter of rap music and eventually an owner of a night club in his hometown. However, among the professions that keep him busy, Paul Darden still picks poker as his top priority.

In the 1990s, Paul Darden had the chance to meet professional poker player Phil Ivey. This was during one of the poker events conducted in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ivey saw the potential of Paul Darden until the former became the latter's mentor. Since then, the two has become close friends.

In 2000, Paul Darden showed his skills in playing Seven-Card Stud, having won in the particular poker game several times.

In 2001, this professional poker player proved that he was already prepared and capable of joining the World Series of Poker. He participated in the US$2,500 Seven-Card Stud event of the World Series of Poker, defeated poker giant Tom Franklin, and won his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

This professional poker player also won first place in the £3,000 main event of the Gold Rush tournament held by the World Poker Tour in 2002. In the same year, this professional poker player also joined the Bad Boys of Poker invitational event of the World Poker Tour and placed second.

In 2003 and 2005, he also joined the main event of the World Series of Poker and made money finishes. In March 2005, he was also one of the professional poker players left in the final table of the main event of the PartyPoker.com Million IV cruise.

Well, if this professional poker player used to be mentored by Ivey, now he mentors poker professional Amnon Filippi.

He surely made the right choice of picking poker to change his life for the better.