Jesse Lopez

Texas family man Jesse Lopez only discovered poker a couple of years ago, but he has quickly taken a liking to the game and logs several hours at the ClubWPT tables each week. In fact, Lopez chatted with us about the hours he puts in at the ClubWPT tables as well as how supportive his family and friends have been while he plays in his first-ever World Poker Tour event at the Foxwoods World Poker Finals.

Read about his performance at Foxwoods World Poker Finals

Interview

ClubWPT: How did you first get into poker?

Lopez: I actually didn't start playing poker until about a year and a half ago. I saw a thing on TV for ClubWPT.com and how you could play for $20 a month, so I signed up and now I’ve been playing on the site for about ten months.

ClubWPT: You've enjoyed playing on the site so far?

Lopez: Oh yeah. I’ve won a little bit of cash. Last week I won the Tag Tuesday and got a pair of glasses, which was pretty cool.

ClubWPT: Have you recruited any friends or family to play on the site with you?

Lopez: Yeah, my dad is a member and so are some people at work.

ClubWPT: Do you get competitive with each other about your results?

Lopez: Yeah, we all try to record points to get into the $500 tournaments. My dad plays a ton, and I play anywhere from 4-5 hours a day.

ClubWPT: How excited was your dad when you told him you won your way into a WPT event?

Lopez: He was the first person I called. I told the wife and kids first since they were at home, but I called him and he was like, "When are we leaving?" (laughs).

ClubWPT: He came with you to Foxwoods?

Lopez: Yeah, he came with me. If he’s not around watching me, he’s probably off playing slot machines somewhere, having a good time.

ClubWPT: Are your kids really excited for you too?

Lopez: Two of them are really small, they’re two and five, but I have a daughter too. She's 11, and she’s pretty excited about it.

ClubWPT: Are you hoping they’ll get to see Dad on TV?

Lopez: Yeah, my daughter is off from school tomorrow, so I think she’s excited to follow along online. All of my other family have been tracking me online and watching my interview [with Amanda Leatherman]. I have a cousin who is really good at poker, I think, and he’s been giving me a lot of pointers. I’ve been calling him every break to give him updates and get advice too.