From 30-Tabling SNGs to Running for Chicago Alderman (and my priors on BTC)
If you were to run a regression analysis on the typical life trajectory of a 2p2 user, the confidence intervals would be exceptionally wide. The variance in this community is staggering, and I’ve been a data point in this distribution for a long time.
I’m 37 now, but I’ve been posting on 2p2 since I was about 12. Structurally speaking, this means my early days on this forum violated several federal laws (oops). But over the last 25 years, my dataset has expanded across poker, tech, and politics in some fairly unpredictable ways.
For those who want to look at the baseline metrics before asking questions, my full bio is over at pocz.cc/resume, but here are the key variables in my current model:
The Poker Sample Size
The Grind: I paid for roughly 30% of my college tuition by 30-tabling Sit & Gos. Then the double or nothing payout structure came out, so I increased lol
Da Politics
I spent about four years working Washington D.C. during the Trump and Biden terms.
Currently, am staffing up to run for office, 47th Ward Alderman, City of Chicago. It will be my first run for office.
Da Computer
I've been using a computer since my earliest memories. My mom invented how to target market cosumers in the 1980s. My dad invented a version of ctrl-F.
Silicon Valley Proximity: I married the only daughter of the head of Tax for Apple Computer (specifically from the early 90s era of the company). I shop at the same model train store as Google co-founder Sergey Brin. You should waffle stomp your iPhone.
Growing Up
I was raised by my ESL Polish grandmother. She grew up during the 1920s and lived through the subsequent financial crash, a macroeconomic collapse that resulted in the loss of two of her siblings. Because my priors are so heavily weighted by her historical experience, I was incredibly bearish on stupid digital assets early on. In college, I actually wrote a white paper arguing that BTC should not exist because it was destined to trigger a systemic financial crash identical to the one in the 1920s. Being a fan of history—and perhaps overestimating my own historical significance at the time cause I was a child—I nailed the white paper to a parish door.
Ask me anything/
4 Replies
Will you help defend the little people you dragged into persecution with your ambitions?
I was raised by a woman who saw what happens to society when the rule of law collapses. The last time that happened on a world wide scale was in Europe but it routinely happens across the globe. Because of those priors, I think the greatest defense for the "little person" is a system where the laws are followed and anyone is allowed to speak up, but more importantly the means to do it.
When we stop applying the law evenly to everyone, it isn't just the people in power who suffer, its the neighbors who don't have the resources or time to protect themselves.
In my campaign, I do not believe you have to wait until you are elected to make peoples lives a little better. My campaign is in the process of setting up a mutual aid organization for our Ward and simply, our neighborhood.
While I am a supporter of our current Alderman, I believe he has lost sight of what he was elected for. An alderman serves the neighbors: helps them file for their senior homeowner exemptions, gives them guidance on opening a business or getting a job, helps them when they are having problems with a landlord. Solutions to these problems do not operate on a M-F, 9-5 time period.
In our mutual aid organization, we will have a dedicated hotline that will be staffed 24/7/365 [or 366] to respond to the administrative needs of our neighbors, in real time.
Will I help defend the little people? Call and find out.
You’ll never beat Matt Martin. He’s one of the good ones.
I agree on the latter.
I campaigned for him in 2019. Voted for him twice. But couldn't bring myself to vote for him in 2023. No one should run unopposed, especially in a democracy. If candidates begin to run unopposed, its means one of two things:
(1) We have too many elected positions, at too many levels of government, that require too much in administrative costs to keep up
(2) It takes too much money to run for office
While its at least a little bit of both, it is significantly (2).
If I lose, it'd almost be a comfort to me. My fall back plan is to enroll in DePaul University's one year teaching program and fully complete my career change to early education teacher, most likely in Chicago Public Schools.
But everyone should have an opponent when running for office, and if no one else wants to do it, I guess I will.
