Most poker gamers would envy the spot Sam Laskowitz discovered himself in. He sat contained in the PokerGO Studio in February because the chip chief in a $15,000 PokerGO Cup occasion. The previous lawyer from Lengthy Island, New York had already notched three top-10 finishes within the collection, and with a win may put himself in competition for participant of the collection honors.
As an alternative, the 32-year-old discovered himself abruptly dashing in the direction of the exit. Though he nonetheless had chips on the desk, a significant life occasion had compelled his hand.
“My girlfriend was pregnant and the due date was someday in the course of the PokerGO Cup,” he recalled. “We didn’t know when it was going to be precisely, clearly. I used to be enjoying each event, simply form of ready for that decision. After which lastly, we have been on stream and she or he texted me that her water broke. I used to be truly chip chief with like 21 individuals left or one thing. It simply progressed tremendous quick. By 7:30 we have been all able to push the newborn out.”
The story had a constructive ending all the way in which round. His new son was wholesome, as was his son’s mom, fellow poker professional Melissa Schubert. And whereas he didn’t get to complete the event within the PokerGO Studio, Laskowitz nonetheless managed to complete eighth for $51,600 whereas merely getting his stack blinded off.
He’d have to attend a couple of month earlier than he discovered the winner’s circle once more, incomes a WSOP Circuit ring at Horseshoe in March, however heading to the hospital as an alternative was definitely value lacking out on the potential $350,000 first-place prize.
“It’s truly been very nice to have a girlfriend or a companion who understands poker life a little bit bit,” he mentioned of Schubert.
The couple met by means of mutual pals in Las Vegas.
“We knew there was a risk he must blind out of one thing if I went into labor in the course of the collection,” Schubert mentioned. “I used to be 5 days late, so we have been anticipating it any day. I began labor the night time of that event when he had numerous chips. As a first-time mother, I anticipated a protracted labor and no rush, however I progressed actually shortly and it was all fairly hectic. He made it although! Early on, Sam and I knew we had a shared imaginative and prescient of household and we’re blessed to have began. Our son Dean is already no stranger to poker. The day after he was born, he spent his afternoon on the hospital watching the ultimate desk on his dad’s chest.”
Laskowitz’s life has definitely been on the upswing since leaving his job as a company lawyer. The brand new profession started in 2022, when he performed in his first World Collection of Poker occasion. It was a protracted shot. The $400 Colossus drew a large discipline of 13,565 runners, however Laskowitz managed to navigate his strategy to heads-up play, settling for second place and a $256,170 payout.
Along with his new bankroll secured, Laskowitz ditched submitting authorized briefs for riffling poker chips and has since racked up $3.3 million in event winnings. He just lately spoke with Card Participant about his distinctive entry into the sport, enjoying with the excessive rollers, dwelling in Las Vegas, and extra.
First-Bullet Fortune
Laskowitz took up poker as a pastime at an early age again in New York. He and his father performed on the home and the Moneymaker increase solely ramped up his curiosity. He was into sports activities and performed numerous basketball, making good use of his 6-foot, 5-inch body.
All the time very aggressive, Laskowitz has additionally been a little bit little bit of a gambler.
“I’ve by no means been a degenerate gambler,” he says. “I’m not into sports activities betting or issues like that, however I’m all the time able to put my cash the place my mouth is that if I consider in myself.”
After highschool, Laskowitz attended the College of Delaware to check legislation, ultimately working in New York Metropolis for one of many large 4 accounting corporations. However that 2022 journey to Las Vegas would ultimately change his whole life.
“One in every of my pals satisfied me to return out to Vegas for the WSOP,” he recalled. “I performed my first severe poker occasion and I ended up coming in second. Then I left my job to attempt to pursue this professionally.”
“It was a surreal expertise. It was my very first dwell bullet in a event. It was fairly quick as a result of it’s over in three or 4 days, nevertheless it was loopy simply being on the livestream for the very first time. I all the time thought I may in all probability be knowledgeable poker participant and I appreciated the sport rather a lot. It was one thing I wished to do, and that was the massive push I wanted.”
As somebody pretty new to the most important event competitors, Laskowitz says he was surprisingly calm for a lot of the motion, which helped him in the long term. Whereas the six-figure end added gas to his new poker life, taking second was a significant disappointment on the time.
“It’s so humorous, however I swear, I [never got above] my resting coronary heart price,” he mentioned. “I used to be very, very ready for the second one way or the other. I’ve had large spots since then the place I’ve felt nerves. I might say I’ve felt the nerves on many events. However that one, it simply form of felt like a future sort of factor.”
“It was actually bizarre as a result of I used to be truly actually unhappy [after losing],” he admitted. “I actually wished it. I used to be a card away from successful the bracelet. We received all of it in heads up. I misplaced the flip for the bracelet (his pocket threes fell to A-Q when eventual winner Paul Hizer rivered a Broadway straight) and the rest of the heads-up. So afterward, I bear in mind form of simply sitting there and watching them have fun. It was a bittersweet feeling.”
New Full-Time Job
Up to now, enjoying full time has been a extremely worthwhile determination. Together with the massive runner-up, Laskowitz grabbed a win six months later in a $2,200 thriller bounty occasion at Borgata for $146,609. He additionally completed eighth within the championship occasion for an additional $144,006.
In 2023, Laskowitz transitioned to enjoying extra occasions within the PokerGO Studio, chalking up a number of ultimate desk appearances on the Poker Masters and PGT Dash collection. He additionally completed runner-up in a $1,500 thriller bounty occasion on the Wynn for $133,820 and closed his yr with a win on the North American Poker Tour at Resorts World for a rating of $180,850.
In 2024, Laskowitz turned up the warmth on the excessive curler circuit, successful occasion no. 3 of the PGT Final Likelihood collection for $205,000 whereas including two extra ultimate tables for an additional $102,200. He then picked up two extra ultimate tables on the PGT Kickoff collection a pair weeks later for a mixed $80,950 and one other two in April when the U.S. Poker Open was working for $315,310. Much more ultimate tables adopted up and down the Strip, together with a $250,000 rating on the Wynn Summer time Traditional.
Up to now in 2025, he has already made 10 ultimate tables, together with his most up-to-date WSOP Circuit win and runner-up end for a complete of $100,152, which Schubert credited on Twitter to some child run good.
Laskowitz now sees that first runner-up end for what it was, a significant windfall to springboard to a full-time poker profession.
“I really feel prefer it’s a reasonably frequent story in poker,” he mentioned. “A whole lot of the blokes which have had endurance ended up having one large rating or numerous success early on. So (a significant win) actually does assist and maintain you within the recreation.”
After previously working in company taxes, mergers, and acquisitions, poker has been a welcome change. Excessive-octane authorized work can imply lengthy hours and main accountability. Excessive salaries can include demanding workloads and a extremely aggressive surroundings. He now spends those self same lengthy hours betting and bluffing. How do his two jobs evaluate?
“They’re each fairly tense in their very own methods,” he mentioned. “There are much more similarities than it will in all probability seem. I might say this one’s a little bit bit higher on the time flexibility.”
Time flexibility is essential given his new household. He and Schubert plan to get married sooner or later.
“It’s good,” Schubert admitted. “I’ve undoubtedly taken a step again from poker since I received pregnant however I feel being in the identical trade and figuring out the identical individuals provides to our relationship. I’m capable of empathize higher figuring out the sport and way of life.
“Sam is hardworking, targeted, and has an unrelenting perception in himself,” she added. “He’s all the time trying to study and that’s why he’s been capable of enhance so shortly. In life, poker, and love – he is aware of what he needs and he’s good at getting it!”
Wanting Forward
Poker has not solely led to a change in profession, but additionally to his way of life total. Laskowitz enjoys the climate extra in Nevada and finds his new life extra peaceable. His routine consists of enjoying as most of the higher-stakes tournaments in Las Vegas as he can get into, however when not on the desk, finding out occupies a lot of his time – together with working with solvers and reviewing palms and pictures. His good pals within the recreation embrace Nick Seward, Landon Tice, David Coleman, and Nick Schulman.
He doesn’t have any exhausting objectives in the meanwhile, simply to enhance and get higher in high-stakes occasions. Profitable a WSOP bracelet is on his bucket checklist after getting so shut and he needs to probably play in some Triton Poker collection within the coming years. However he significantly enjoys battling it out within the PokerGO studio.
“I can’t think about there’s anyplace else that’s higher to play,” he mentioned. “They deal with you very nice. The buildings are wonderful. It’s my favourite place to play and it’s not shut. I’ve executed nicely there. It’s going nicely. The competitors is hard, nevertheless it’s not as intimidating because it sounds.”
With poker as his new 9-to-5, not being a flash within the pan is one among Laskowitz’s main objectives. He goals for actual consistency and doesn’t need to be remembered in poker as a man who simply went on a large heater or grabbed an enormous end in his first-ever event. Which means loads of work left to do on and off the felt.
“Once I’m not enjoying poker, I’m finding out poker. If I’m not finding out poker, I’m watching poker,” he says. “I’m fairly obsessed and I need to get good at this. That is my pastime, my ardour, my profession – it’s all the pieces proper now.”
