Parker has had dreams of making it big in poker since before he can remember. He had posters of all the greats on his walls growing up. Doyle, Chip, Ivey…he knows them all, and their moves, by heart. He’s got what it takes, the desire, the heart, the cajones, but bad luck and a few wrong decisions continue to stand in his way. He is convinced that a black cloud or curse is the cause of all his woes. After moving out of New York City he hooked up with some friends in Vegas and together they moved into a big house on "Poker Road", where they study the game and host legendary home games.
Skylar Rapone :
Skylar’s bad. She’s tough. She has to be, in this world, where sometimes you go a month or so without seeing another chick. She plays well, and she talks well. Hell, she’s smacked around most of the guys on the tour a time or two. She met Parker in Vegas, after leaving Chicago, and it seemed like a perfect match to her, but he always seems more into that big poker win than anything else. The only person who may want that win worse than him is maybe Skylar…among other things
Drew Duffy :
Drew is great at sports, and great with the women. Jeez, Drew is basically great at everything he does. After he tore his knee up playing baseball in the minors for the Durham Bulls, he had a hard time fulfilling his need for competition. Drew had always competed at everything and now he just couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t see himself working in an office, or by someone else’s clock, and luckily he wouldn’t have to. The perfect thing dropped into his lap; poker. Wouldn’t you know it? Drew is pretty good at that too. He’s just started out, but he’s already making a name for himself, in typical “DrewForce”, as he’s known to say quite often, fashion.
Wallace Barkan :
aka Wally
After graduating from Berkeley, Wally knew he didn’t want to go into Computer Science, his major. He had zero fun all those years in school, and with San Francisco just across the Bay! Sure he got straight A’s, but he was still a virgin at 23! It wasn’t right, it just wasn’t! He had always played poker, backgammon, and chess his whole life, and he knew he was probably good enough to play professionally, but didn’t know if he had the balls. After he saw Chris Moneymaker win the WSOP in ’03 though, he decided he owed it to himself to find out! He wasn’t sure if he did have the guts, but he knew he had the math skills at least…
Sopko :
A light-hearted teddy bear of a guy. Wouldn't and couldn't harm a fly and is loved by all. However say something bad about the Denver Broncos or Ford model automobiles, and you have yourself a scrap. Sopko moved down to Vegas after much prodding from his best friend Worm. They met in Colorado years ago when he was working at Hebrew Dan's Pizzeria Joint. Nobody knows the pizza like Sopko. He has big hopes of owning his own pizza spot on the strip. You will not find Sopko without his trusty sidekick Big Red.
Worm :
Worm has skills. There is no denying that. Unfortunately, sometimes, he has more than just skills on the felt. He has skills at the bar, with the ladies, at the craps table, and with the prop bets! He’s one of the most fun guys around, but damn, if it doesn’t seem like he just doesn’t care what’s going on in poker as long as he’s getting into some trouble on the side, or getting his good buddy Parker to bail him out of some! He may just be trying to continue living his dreams out in Vegas, but what else can a ski bum from Colorado hope for? “Life is pretty damn good”, is one of Worm’s taglines, and he sure lives it that way.
BIG RED :
aka The Big Red Machine
Big Red is a legend. The Knight Rider of trucks. Sopko rebuilt Red from scraps and spare military vehicle parts he found sneaking on to a local base. She has a special aura about her that cannot be explained. A 1978 Ford Bronco, 33' BF Goodwrench TA all-terrain tires. 6' suspension lift, 4 speed manual tranny with super low gears. 351 Winsor V8 engine. The custom interior sports a mini-bar, a 4 player card table, a 20 inch LCD television with direct satellite, & a John Elway signed football. There are some other modifications that Sopko refuses to share with anyone, as well.
