“I’ve actually always looked at it as a blessing in disguise just because I really value my privacy,” he said while on break at the 2013 WSOP.
“I don’t really like the whole fame aspect of poker.”
A young Wasicka finished second in the 2006 WSOP Main Event to take down a staggering $6 million. Jamie Gold won the tournament, but was maligned in the poker industry after getting sued for 50% of his winnings.
From Poker Superstar to Marijuana Business
Going on a decade since that famous final table Wasicka, now 32, no longer considers himself a professional poker player.
Instead he started a medical marijuana business in Colorado and has been content to play a handfull of events every year. It seems to suit the Texas-born Wasicka, who never cared for the limelight.
“I thought it would be a good business venture,” he said. “So far it’s gone alright. The margins aren’t quite as big as we thought they would be. We’re profitable though, so that’s nice.”
Unlike some of his Main Event comrades, however, Wasicka was far from a one-hit wonder and has NBC Heads-Up and WSOPC titles on his poker résumé.
His experiences weren’t all positive, though. Wasicka maintains he’s learned a lot since becoming a multi-millionaire in 2006.
“It’s kind of sad to say but I trust people a lot less,” he said.
Despite that, Wasicka says he still has the same group of friends and hasn’t changed all that much since 2006.
Looking Sharp at 2013 World Series of Poker
Wasicka does still play some poker and is off to a hot start at the 2013 WSOP with three in-the-money finishes.
“Honestly I didn’t really enjoy being a professional poker player,” he said. “Now that I’m not, I kind of like to play. I’m feeling pretty good about my game and confident about my reads.”
Wasicka is also looking forward to online poker potentially returning to the United States.
“I would be excited to get back into online poker,” he said. “Living in Colorado it would be a lot more enjoyable and a lot more convenient if I could just play from home.”
For the meantime Wasicka will keep hunting that illusive gold bracelet during the summer. You get the feeling, however, that he’d be just fine with another big second-place finish.
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