At that time this was the great phase of upheaval. The idea of dropping out of normal working life and becoming a professional poker player began to form. However, for such an important step there were a number of important criteria to be filled: Firstly, I had resolved to build up a bankroll of at least 100,000 marks. In addition, as I would be working mostly at night I had to find something to compensate for this during the day. I was able to find this balance through playing tennis and fitness training. An intact family life was always very important to me.

 

In the casino in Baden-Baden I tried all kinds of games at that time. I tried Roulette, Black Jack and above all Punto Banco, a Baccarat related game – a wonderful game in which you can win a lot of money in a short time and lose it just as quickly.