Poker Stories: Nathan Gamble

Nathan Gamble was a child when he started playing cards, turning an Uno obsession into a modest poker bankroll before he was even a teenager. He continued to play throughout his time at Johnson and Wales University, and would take leave for poker while he was enlisted in the United States Army as a field artillery officer stationed in Korea. The Texan briefly considered a career flying helicopters, but ultimately decided to pursue poker instead.

Gamble made a deep run in the 2016 WSOP main event, earning $42,285 for finishing in 176th place. A year later, he returned to the summer series and earned his first career gold bracelet, winning $223,339 for taking down the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better event. This summer, Gamble added a second bracelet, this time winning the $600 pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better event for another $89,424. He has 11 Omaha cashes overall at the WSOP.

The 31-year-old is now lending his commentary skills to the Galfond Challenge, an ongoing heads-up PLO match between Phil Galfond and Chance Kornuth. Gamble is also sharing his stories in a regular column for Card Player Magazine.

Highlights from this interview include waiting at the door with Uno, mowing the yard for his bankroll, royal hold'em, all-night poker sessions with Dad, 'never alone' in the Army, flying helicopters, a summer-saving run in the WSOP main event, being stranded in Wyoming with a stack in Oklahoma, the strange way he celebrated his first bracelet, why online bracelets are legit, commentating the Galfond Challenge, faking an audition, ranking bull riding, skydiving, and bungee jumping, battling yellowsub86, haunted drive-in carnival poker, Macaulay Culkin, writing a poker movie, the death of NLHE, and burning houses down in the woods.