From cops to cooks, and athletes to actors, some people seem destined for certain careers from an early age.
Maverick Gaming’s Eric Persson felt such a calling, but not to be a veterinarian or firefighter, for example; young Eric wanted to work in the casino industry.
“It’s all I’ve ever worked towards, since first grade” Eric tells PokerOrg’s Craig Tapscott in a new instalment of The Interview. Gaming was the industry Persson set his sights upon, and it’s been an unbroken gaze ever since.
Which is not to say any of the journey has been easy. For example, as part of his ambitions Persson knew he wanted to attend Georgetown University Law Center, but without money and connections knew he had to do something to stand out from his peers.
Signing up for as many classes as he could, he ended up graduating with five Bachelors degrees, fielding calls from the New York Times, the David Letterman Show and even the Guinness Book of Records, all of whom were interested in America’s busiest and most qualified student. Did that get him into Georgetown Law? You bet it did, but that was just the start.
It's all part of Persson's ultra-competitive persona. When he says "I will chew glass to get to where I want to go", we believe him.
Playing with Patrick Antonius, trolling Phil Hellmuth
Our extensive interview with Persson, above, comes hot on the heels of the news that Maverick Gaming will be partnering with Bally’s to create the largest poker room on the east coast. Persson expands on his plans to bring live poker rooms to other parts of the country, as well as:
- Tales of butting heads with Phil Hellmuth in live-streamed cash games
- Why Andrew Robl is the best cash game player in the world, “and it’s not even close”
- What he learned growing up poor, but with a burning competitive spirit
- Paying his dues as a poker player, dealer, croupier and more
- The lessons he’s learned from the top casino executives in the world
- His growing friendship and business partnership with Patrick Antonius
- An upcoming deal with “the biggest name in poker”
Click the banner above for the full interview.
Additional image courtesy of the WPT.
