Considered a legend in his field, Dusty Schmidt has an impressive track record: playing almost 10 million hands, dedicating 12,000 hours to poker, and achieving staggering win rates. He has garnered $4 million from cash games and has the highest win rate in both $5/$10 NLH and $10/$20 NLH for two consecutive years. Prior to his poker career, Schmidt was a highly ranked golfer and even broke two of Tiger Woods’ junior records. However, at the young age of 23, he experienced a heart attack that brought his golfing career to a halt. His remarkable journey has been highlighted in Sports Illustrated, Golf Magazine, ESPN, and other renowned publications.
In his younger days, Schmidt was a highly-ranked golfer in Southern California. He spent a year at UC Irvine, but found college wasn’t for him and decided to go pro. His skills continued to develop and by the age of 23, he was a semi-professional golfer on the brink of qualifying for the PGA tour, all while working part-time at his father’s grocery distribution business. However, one day at the grocery store, he experienced intense chest pain and suffered a heart attack. Doctors informed him he would need six months to recuperate and advised him to steer clear of all stress, including his job and golf. It was during this period that he stumbled upon online poker.
Schmidt approached poker with a professional mindset, treating it as a business and dedicating considerable time as a diligent player. Over a span of five years, he has amassed more than $3 million in cash games, without experiencing a single month of loss. He has engaged in approximately 7 million hands and invested over 10,000 hours. His record includes some of the top winning rates in no-limit cash games.
He also authored a poker guide titled “Treat Your Poker Like A Business”, which provides insights on topics that professional players must confront. These include bankroll management, handling variance, multi-table play, advancing in stakes, avoiding tilt, and enhancing profitability. The guide also dedicates a section to strategy, focusing primarily on frequent scenarios rather than rare situations that seldom impact players.
In 2009, Schmidt made a comeback to golf following his recovery. He sought to reclaim his amateur status and is optimistic now that he has the funds for a swing coach and a sports psychologist. Given his proficiency in both golf and poker, he launched a “Million Dollar Challenge,” where he proposed to wager his own money against anyone in a joint poker and golf contest. The challenge was issued to ascertain if anyone was superior in both golf and poker, and also to publicize his golf-oriented social networking site – 10thGreen.com.
Upon employing a publicist to publicize the contest, the United States Golf Association became aware of the challenge and revoked his amateur status, citing a violation of Rule 7-1, which prohibits “behaviors detrimental to the best interests of the amateur game,” as well as Rule 7-2, which forbids “behaviors related to golf gambling that contradict the purpose and spirit of the Rules.” Schmidt is contesting the USGA’s decision in federal court, hoping to regain his eligibility to participate in amateur golf competitions.
Two of his literary works have been selected by Oprah’s Book Club. Currently, he imparts his knowledge of writing at the Janet York Correctional Facility for Women and his introduction to I’ll Fly Away is a tale that’s not easily forgotten.
