International
Where are They Now is a series of an in depth look at all poker players - not just the pros - as they travel through one long game. Some of the players profiled are deceased but not forgotten.In the “Where Are They Now” story about Chris Moneymaker, I pointed out that his name is an aptronym. An aptronym is a name defined as being “specifically suited for its owner.” Moneymaker obviously earned this title by winning the World Series of Poker, and has gone on to have some pretty solid results since then, particularly online. Other aptronyms I mentioned in his column include the baseball playing father-son combination of Prince and Cecil Fielder, and also the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt. If there was ever an anti-aptronym, it would come in the form of Scott Fischman. On the rare occasion Fischman has made a mistake at the poker table, I’m sure he has had to put up with an endless stream of jokes regarding his last name, but he has proven time and time again: an aptronym, he is not. The Full Tilt Poker sponsored pro continues to be one of the best young players on the tournament circuit, after making a huge bang shortly into his career.
Scott Fischman was born in 1980 in the small rural Pennsylvania town of Langhorne. Soon after his birth, the family moved to southern New Jersey. For the first 12 years of his life he lived there, until his parents both got jobs in a place about as far away from Southern New Jersey you could possibly get – Las Vegas.
When Fischman got to Las Vegas he met a kid his age named Jordon who introduced him to poker. Jordan was used to poker, as his family held a weekly game, and his father made routine trips to the casino to sit down in cash games. Jordan taught Fischman everything he knew, and together they spent the majority of their free time playing poker with any of their classmates who would sit with them. When Fischman was a teenager he had already come to the realization that he not only didn’t want to sit behind a desk at a job for the next fifty years, but that it scared him. Fischman thought the idea of being a professional poker player sounded beyond cool, and decided that he would put in the time necessary to make his dreams come true.
Unfortunately when he first turned 21 he didn’t have the money to fully go after his dream, so he did what so many successful poker players had done before him and got a job as a poker dealer. If you can’t play, then the next best thing is getting a front row seat to those that can, and learning and getting paid for it. Fischman’s first dealing job came at the Sahara, but he was only there for a couple months before heading to the Mirage. While at the Mirage he got to deal to many of the best players, and sometimes he was lucky that some of them would talk strategy with him when they weren’t in hands. After just over a year of learning and saving up his money Fischman was ready follow his dream.
Fischman worked his way up gradually, starting at smaller stake buy-ins, but at the same time building his bankroll in a safe way, instead of risking it all going for the big score. From September 2002 to the beginning of April 2004, Fischman didn’t play in any tournament with a buy-in of over $2,500. His biggest cash during this time was just over $5,000, but he had a total of 8 cashes in the four figure range, helping his bankroll to increase. During this time he was also playing online in both low-limit cash games and tournaments. During this time his name on the handful of sites he played on was “Emptyseat88.” Now with his deal with Full-Tilt, he plays under his own name.
At 24 years old, which almost seems ancient by today’s standards, he decided to play in his first World Series of Poker. When he first started off on the tournament circuit he had set what he called “attainable goals” and one of them was to win one WSOP bracelet over the course of his entire career. Fischman would prove he wasn’t only capable of that, but he was capable of doing it in short order. On April 30, 2004, he won his first career bracelet, winning the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event, winning by far and away the biggest cash in his career to that point, $300,000. Just three days later he doubled his career goals by winning his second bracelet. He also showed the versatility of his game, as this time he won the $2,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, this time winning $100,200. At the time he became the youngest player to win two World Series of poker bracelets.
While Fischman has been unable to secure another bracelet, he has gone on to earn the reputation of “The Hardest Working Man in Poker” (not to be outdone by “The Hardest Working Woman in Poker,” Linda Geenen!). Despite missing out on the bracelet, he has had continued success in just about every other poker tournament around the world. Since his history WSOP run in 2004 he has 25 five-figure cashes.
He also has four additional six-figure scores. The first one came one year after his $1,500 No Limit Bracelet win, this time finishing second, but earning $352,125. The next huge score in April 2007 at the $25,000 Buy-in at the World Poker Tour sponsored Fifth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic, finishing 8th for $247,525. Just five months later he finished 3rd at the Caesars Championship event with a $9,800 buy-in, earning $245,450. His most recent monster score came in 2008, when he won $312,727 dollars by finishing 6th at the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. For his career he has won upwards of $3,000,000.
When he isn’t playing on the live Tournament Circuit, which isn’t much, he can be found playing a ton of tournaments at Full-Tilt. He has also gained some fame on message boards because he will “rail” many live tournaments, giving his advice to players, not in a sarcastic way, but in a true effort to help players if they ask for it. What’s unique about this is that many professionals charge hundreds of dollars an hour for training and lessons, and if you are at the right place at the right time, you can get it for free.
*Read Billy Monroe’s Blog*
Major Tournament Results
Oct-2009 Heat 4
PartyPoker.com World Open V, London 5th
27-Sep-2008 £ 10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em
2008 World Series Of Poker - Europe, London 6th £ 171,950 $ 312,727
02-Mar-2008 Finals
NBC National Heads-Up Championship 2008, Las Vegas 9th $ 25,000
10-Dec-2007 $ 5,000 No Limit Hold'em
2007 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 27th $ 8,780
22-Oct-2007 $ 9,800 No Limit Hold'em - Championship Event
Caesars Palace Classic, Las Vegas 3rd $ 245,540
19-Sep-2007 £ 500 Omaha Hi/Lo
The European Poker Championships, London 5th £ 1,580 $ 3,163
08-Jun-2007 $ 5,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em
38th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2007, Las Vegas 16th $ 17,771
21-Apr-2007 $ 25,000 WPT - No Limit Hold'em Championship
Fifth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 8th $ 247,525
04-Apr-2007 $ 5,000 Circuit Championship Event
WSOP Circuit - Caesars Indiana, Elizabeth 9th $ 14,738
08-Mar-2007 $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em
The Wynn Classic, Las Vegas 6th $ 57,618
02-Mar-2007 $ 25,000 No Limit Hold'em
2007 NBC National Heads-Up Championship, Las Vegas 9th $ 25,000
23-Jan-2007 $ 500 No Limit Hold'em
2007 Borgata Winter Open - WPT, Atlantic City 28th $ 992
14-Dec-2006 $ 15,000 WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic - No Limit Hold'em
Fifth Annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 12th $ 84,570
06-Nov-2006 $ 600 No Limit Hold'em
Ultimate Poker Challenge, Las Vegas 2nd $ 9,370
16-Oct-2006 $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em - Championship Event
Festa Al Lago V Poker Tournament, Las Vegas 62nd $ 12,525
03-Oct-2006 $ 9,700 No Limit Hold'em - Championship Event
2006 United States Poker Championship, Atlantic City 25th $ 25,317
27-Sep-2006 $ 500 No Limit Hold'em
2006 United States Poker Championship, Atlantic City 3rd $ 11,560
23-Jul-2006 $ 1,000 No Limit Hold'em
37th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2006, Las Vegas 73rd $ 2,730
07-Jul-2006 $ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em
37th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2006, Las Vegas 46th $ 8,901
01-Jul-2006 $ 2,000 No Limit Hold'em
37th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2006, Las Vegas 89th $ 5,239
29-May-2006 $ 1,000 No Limit Hold'em
Mandalay Bay Poker Championship, Las Vegas 27th $ 1,635
09-May-2006 $ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em
The Mirage Poker Showdown, Las Vegas 10th $ 4,417
06-May-2006 $ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em
2006 WSOP Circuit - Caesars Las Vegas, Las Vegas 6th $ 17,169
13-Apr-2006 $ 3,000 No Limit Hold'em
Fourth Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 17th $ 6,825
03-Mar-2006 Heads Up No Limit Hold'em
2006 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Las Vegas 9th $ 25,000
04-Feb-2006 $ 294 No Limit Hold'em
2006 L.A. Poker Classic, Los Angeles 4th $ 45,203
22-Jan-2006 $ 485 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
2006 L.A. Poker Classic, Los Angeles 14th $ 1,222
13-Jan-2006 A$ 1,500 Speed Poker Final
Crown Australian Poker Championships 2006, Melbourne 2nd A$ 50,000 $ 36,645
11-Jan-2006 A$ 1,500 Speed Poker Semi Final 1 - No Limit Hold'em Shootout
Crown Australian Poker Championships 2006, Melbourne 1st
15-Dec-2005 $ 5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout
FullTilt.net Poker Global Poker Challenge, Las Vegas 6th $ 20,000
02-Dec-2005 € 100 No Limit Hold'em
Campionato Italiano di Poker (Italian Poker Championships) 2005, Nova Gorica 2nd € 5,340 $ 6,258
01-Dec-2005 € 200 Pot Limit Omaha
Campionato Italiano di Poker (Italian Poker Championships) 2005, Nova Gorica 3rd € 3,768 $ 4,416
20-Nov-2005 $ 25,000 No Limit Hold'em
2005 Monte Carlo Millions, Monte Carlo 60th
16-Oct-2005 $ 3,000 No Limit Hold'em
Bellagio Festa Al Lago IV, Las Vegas 14th $ 7,280
12-Aug-2005 £ 8,500 Week 9
Party Poker Poker Den, East London 5th
25-Jul-2005 $ 10,000 Main Event - No Limit Hold'em
Ultimate Poker Challenge, Las Vegas 6th $ 27,100
20-Jul-2005 $ 3,000 No Limit Hold'em
Ultimate Poker Challenge, Las Vegas 6th $ 6,285
08-Jun-2005 $ 1,000 No Limit Hold'em
36th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2005, Las Vegas 54th $ 5,285
03-Jun-2005 $ 1,500 No Limit Hold'em
36th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2005, Las Vegas 2nd $ 352,125
08-May-2005 $ 10,000 WSOP Circuit Championship Event - No Limit Hold'em
Harrah's Lake Tahoe Poker Festival, Stateline 13th $ 19,720
27-Apr-2005 $ 1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo
Plaza World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 4th $ 3,590
13-Apr-2005 $ 3,000 No Limit Hold'em
Third Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 26th $ 4,385
05-Mar-2005 Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em
2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Las Vegas 5th $ 75,000
07-Feb-2005 $ 970 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo
2005 L.A. Poker Classic, Los Angeles 4th $ 7,938
03-Feb-2005 $ 970 Omaha Hi/Lo
2005 L.A. Poker Classic, Los Angeles 2nd $ 23,038
12-Jan-2005 $ 500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo
The Sixth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open, Tunica 2nd $ 22,393
09-Jan-2005 $ 500 No Limit Hold'em
The Sixth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open, Tunica 26th $ 3,579
19-Dec-2004 No Limit Hold'em
World Poker Tour Young Guns of Poker Invitational, Las Vegas 1st
04-Dec-2004 $ 1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em
Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 2nd $ 71,295
01-Dec-2004 $ 1,500 Seven Card Stud
Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, Las Vegas 5th $ 9,603
10-Nov-2004 Consolation Tournament
2004 Monte Carlo Millions, Monte Carlo 9th $ 2,000
01-Nov-2004 $ 500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo
2004 World Poker Finals, Mashantucket 13th $ 1,384
31-Oct-2004 $ 500 No Limit Hold'em
2004 World Poker Finals, Mashantucket 16th $ 3,943
15-Oct-2004 $ 2,000 No Limit Hold'em Final Day
2004 Festa al Lago III Poker Tournament, Las Vegas 3rd $ 39,936
14-Aug-2004 $ 200 No Limit Hold'em
2004 Legends of Poker, Los Angeles 13th $ 2,665
11-Aug-2004 $ 500 Omaha Hi/Lo
2004 Legends of Poker, Los Angeles 9th $ 1,285
28-Jul-2004 $ 2,000 No Limit Hold'em
2004 Mirage Poker Showdown, Las Vegas 3rd $ 47,918
22-Jul-2004 $ 100 No Limit Hold'em
2004 Orleans Open, Las Vegas 1st $ 40,500
18-Jul-2004 $ 300 No Limit Hold'em
2004 Orleans Open, Las Vegas 2nd $ 26,570
Jul-2004 $ 500 No Limit Hold'em
Bellagio Weekly Tournaments - Jul 2004 (2), Las Vegas 5th $ 1,627
11-Jun-2004 $ 1,500 No Limit Hold'em Final Day
California State Poker Championship 2004, Los Angeles 7th $ 8,415
10-Jun-2004 $ 1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em Final Day
California State Poker Championship 2004, Los Angeles 3rd $ 10,575
06-May-2004 $ 2,000 Limit Hold'em
35th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2004, Las Vegas 19th $ 3,160
03-May-2004 $ 2,000 H.O.R.S.E.
35th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2004, Las Vegas 1st $ 100,200
30-Apr-2004 $ 1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
35th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2004, Las Vegas 1st $ 300,000
27-Apr-2004 $ 1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em
35th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2004, Las Vegas 14th $ 5,000
09-Apr-2004 $ 2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em
2004 Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic/WPT Championship, Las Vegas 16th $ 3,395
03-Apr-2004 $ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em
2004 Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic/WPT Championship, Las Vegas 21st $ 5,101
22-Mar-2004 $ 2,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship
2004 Winnin' o' the Green, Los Angeles 15th $ 4,500
Jan-2004 $ 500 No Limit Hold'em
Bellagio Weekly Tournaments - Jan 2004 (2), Las Vegas 5th $ 2,728
20-Jan-2004 $ 200 No Limit Hold'em
2004 Grand American Poker Classic, Robinsonville 4th $ 6,464
01-Oct-2003 $ 200 Tag Team - Half Hold'em/Half Omaha Hi
2003 Four Queens Poker Classic, Las Vegas 9th $ 142
30-Sep-2003 $ 500 H.O.E
2003 Four Queens Poker Classic, Las Vegas 5th $ 2,010
03-Jun-2003 $ 100 Limit Hold'em
2003 Summer Pot of Gold, Reno 3rd $ 2,705
02-Jun-2003 $ 100 No Limit Hold'em - Twilight
2003 Summer Pot of Gold, Reno 2nd $ 2,810
04-Apr-2003 $ 200 No Limit Hold'em
2003 New England Poker Classic, Mashantucket 27th $ 517
02-Apr-2003 $ 20 Seven Card Stud
The Back 9, Inglewood 7th $ 310
26-Sep-2002 $ 100 No Limit Hold'em
Sweet September 2002, Gardena 4th $ 630
20-Sep-2002 $ 100 No Limit Hold'em
Sweet September 2002, Gardena 6th $ 424
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