Earning millions as an online poker grinder, Dusty Schmidt's incredible success at the virtual felt has earned him both respect and reverence. For years, Dusty Schmidt has held the enviably rewarding Supernova Elite status at PokerStars, and in 2010 joined Team PokerStars Pro, where he plays online under the screen name "Leatherass9".

Dusty has also authored the poker books Treat Your Poker Like a Business and Don't Listen to Phil Hellmuth. Both books have received tremendous positive feedback for helping players to improve their bottom line, and correct the most common mistakes made by novice and experienced poker players, alike.

Born into a wealthy family in the suburbs of Los Angeles, one might expect that Dusty Schmidt grew up in a privileged environment; this was not the case. Expected to make his own way in the world, an unforeseeable heart attack at the age of 23 brought an abrupt halt to Dusty's childhood dream of playing professional golf, and Dusty Schmidt soon found himself in a critical financial jam.

Having begun dabbling in poker just prior to his heart attack, Dusty Schmidt decided to invest everything he had - $1,000 - in playing online poker as a last ditch effort to pay his rent. Dusty focused on clearing bonuses at the low stakes Limit Hold'em cash games, and within two months managed to earn enough money to pay off his bills, and still have a small bankroll to work with.

Dedicated to playing only the stakes that are within his means, Dusty Schmidt stands as a shining example of the viability of playing online poker for a living without taking the risk of busting. Slowly grinding his way up to higher stakes, Dusty Schmidt has never failed to step down to a lower limit when his bankroll required it, and is always looking to improve his game.

Dusty's unwavering confidence in himself, and business-like approach to online poker, have turned a desperate effort to avoid eviction into a multimillion dollar career, with which he can fulfill his primary goal - to ensure that his children are never cut off from their dreams by financial concerns.