Paul Zimbler

Paul Zimbler Aka "The Marbella Kid"

I started to play poker at home with my family aged 13. There used to be a game or two a month and was all for fun, well for coppers. By the age of 15 I started to play more with friends and was invited to play in a regular Monday night with the boys. I was the youngest there but these were friends of mine and my brothers but were all older than me by a few years. This game still goes on and I am still friends with all of the boys, some of who also play on the big stages and do ok for themselves.

When I turned 18 all I wanted to do was play in the casinos, I used to see so much money there and want to go and win it all. Those were the days... Two main casinos I played in were the Grosvenor in Luton and the Vic in London. It was said at the time that the VIC was the hardest place to make money but I thought they didn’t know what they were talking about. I was a regular there and played 7 card stud, dealers choice and Omaha. Holdem was not popular at that time and managed a healthy £800 + a week income.

The players there were all At least 20 years older than me if I was being fair to them all. I was called many times the young whippersnapper. I held my own there while picking up an education. I learned a lot by playing watching and talking to many people. Of course I know that poker players are not to be trusted and there were many sharks out there pretending to be a friend when all they wanted was my money. You soon realize who these people are and work it to your advantage. Luton was where there were many tournaments and I used to go there to play. The cash games were good up there also but so to was the black jack!

This is where it all went wrong...

Poker is one thing and gambling was another.
If you are new to poker and are doing well stick at it. Gambling will finish you so DON’T DO IT.

I was very lucky in a way, some may say unlucky but I learned a lesson and learned it early even thought it was for a hell of a lot of money.

I was not proud but gambling took over my life and ruined me. Hundreds of thousands if not more was passed back and forth over roulette tables and black jack tables and I was looked after very well by the London casinos and In Las Vegas. THIS WAS NOT GOOD, especially for a 20/21 year old.

I was more of a cash player than a tournament player as I wanted the feeling of being a winner. In a tournament if I came second I may have won money, but there would still be a feeling of losing which you get when you don’t win. At the time the prize money used to be a few thousand maybe 10K if we were lucky. Today is different you can win a million and still not win the tournament. Funny how times have changed.

I asked Julian Gardener his thoughts on this as I believe he was the first player to win a million dollars in an event and still not be the winner. To make this harder it was the main event of the WSOP he had the world championships in his sights and his name in history.

His answer was simple. 1 million dollars that was a win.

That says it all the words of a graceful poker player. I am sure he would have like to be the world champion, wouldn’t we all but he said not to achieve it but to win a million was a good day at the table for me!

I liked to sit, win and leave. Easy, in tournaments you needed to be ahead the whole time and my boredom at the table was not a good strategy to win tournaments.
Saying that I used to do very will, especially in the stud events.

At the age of 23 I loved poker so much and had a choice. Do I turn pro and just play for a living or keep it as a hobby for fun and concentrate on work.

I had a feeling that poker was going to explode and be how it is today and I always new I wanted to be part of it as poker is what I love. I am passionate about he game and I am grateful I am good at something like poker that provides me an extra income and also focuses my mind.

Understanding the game is just 1 part. Reading minds, body language and psychology is the other and this is what the hard part is and the greatest challenge.

I moved to Spain and decided to relax for a while after coming out from hospital with pneumonia. I needed some sun so moved over here where I could carry on doing some real estate and enjoy myself for a while. I had worked for 7 years between 6 and 7 days a week earned some money and thought life is for living.

In Spain I found a nice game to play in. I would play once maybe twice a week and do ok. As time went by and poker starting getting bigger I looked into opening a poker club of my own. There were laws here and poker in Andalusia was not legal. What the heck I thought and opened in November 2004 and started to teach and do beginner nights for the new guys.

It was fun and also a lot of hard work.

After moving premises and changing the name due to new partners the club was doing great. I decided to move on and leave them to do the business.

For me it is about teaching and playing. I enjoy traveling the globe playing poker and it is what I want to do. I also want to help others who just trough their money away.

No one thinks they need to learn and you can’t teach some people. What I can do though is save people money but explaining the game in greater detail.

I have been on the European scene for a few years and even though I have not won anything major like EPT or WPT let alone a WSOP bracelet I have managed to do OK and win many smaller events.

I am a big winner in cash games and have learned this is all to do with figures, and discipline.

I am now part of a team DUSK TILL DAWN which is without doubt going to be the largest and most successful club and on line poker site in Europe.

I am going to give a lot back to the poker world and especially in Spain. In 2007 will be the launch of the Marbella Kid Academy along side some special tournaments that I will be arranging.

The DTD tour also beings and the world is my oyster. Poker is very popular now and there has been a lot of controversy in the USA. But poker is here to stay. More people are playing it now and many more are learning. There are poker leagues set up all over Europe and I hope soon that there will be a pro league so that the sponsors pay the entry rather than the players.

You don’t see Wayne Rooney paying Alex Ferguson to play every Saturday at old Trafford but he collects his wages every week if he score or if he is sent off. GO FIGURE