While the Dutch high roller's marathon took a break, he entertained readers with tales of his poker youth, playing on PKR and using his father's credit card for deposits.
Before we get into Dirk "VeniVidi1993" Gerrits' origin story, here's a quick update about his marathon to $1.1 million.
In the 38th-week report, he lamented the lack of action:
Total on account: +$850,154
Cash game results including rakeback: +$36,334
MTT results: +$3,469
"A like on this post is much appreciated.
Volume has been a bit lower lately because I’ve been enjoying life—friends visiting, birthdays, and celebrations. This will continue over the next few weeks, but despite the slower pace, we still managed to book a solid win. At the moment we are $250,000 short from our $1,100,000 goal.
The action at the tables has been a bit slow, so I’m thinking about sharing some stories from when I first got started in poker and the rollercoaster ride that was the early part of my career.
I’ll definitely be streaming again on Sunday, and you can catch the last stream, including the heads-up session against Sam, on YouTube at TheVeniVidi1993.
I’m also exploring the possibility of adding a second weekly stream, but it really depends on when the cash games are happening. With cash games, it’s tough to predict when the action will be there.
I’m super happy with the results over the past few months and incredibly grateful for all the support. I’m in a great place mentally and I’m excited to continue providing value and entertainment to keep everyone engaged. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like, and I’ll be back soon with more content!"
VeniVidi's Start – $100 into $16,000 in 6 Months
In the first chapter of his memoirs, VeniVidi said that he started gambling for money while still at school.
"I was 14 years old the first time I played poker with my friends. Back then, small home games were pretty common in the Netherlands. We'd all pitch in 2 euros for a set amount of chips, and you could rebuy if you busted.
During one game, I found myself drawing to a gutshot straight on the turn. My friend Roger made a big bet, and I called, hoping to hit the nuts. When the perfect card landed, I bet big and got called, feeling pretty pleased with myself for winning a sizable pot. But on the bike ride home (classic Dutchie move), I started reflecting. How lucky had I been to hit that gutshot? What would I have done if I hadn’t? Was it even a smart play? That moment sparked my interest in poker, and it was only the beginning.
A few months after that home game, I walked into my brother’s room and caught him playing poker online on PKR, a platform known for its cool 3D avatars. The games were softer compared to other networks since it wasn't purely focused on poker. I started out playing for fake money, and since no one took it seriously, I quickly rose through the ranks. Soon, though, I was craving a new challenge.
One day, my friend Ward casually mentioned, "Did you know you can enter these tournaments for free? If you go deep, you can win real money." That was all I needed to hear. I began grinding the freerolls with serious dedication. By then, I was 15, and I knew PKR's freeroll schedule better than my own high school timetable. Sometimes, I'd win a few bucks, but I'd usually lose it just as fast at the $0.02/$0.04 NLHE tables."
The PKR tables weren't bad looking for an early online poker app
"When my birthday rolled around, I typically got an envelope with 50 euros from my parents (and I still do, haha). This time, I had a different plan—I wanted to put that 50 euros into a poker account under my dad's name. When I brought it up, my parents were understandably hesitant. My mom flat-out disagreed, and my dad didn’t think it was a good idea either. But he had recently read a book on parenting, which suggested sometimes saying "yes" when your instinct is to say "no."
“Listen,” he said, “don’t tell your mom, but we’ll put the money into a poker account in my name. You can give this poker thing a shot. If you lose it, though, you’ll have to drop this dream.” And so we loaded 50 euros, which was about $75 at the time, into a poker account. I chose the username “kidpoker14,” a nod to Daniel Negreanu and the football legend Johan Cruyff.
I lost most of that modest bankroll in the first week. That’s when I made a big mistake—I used my dad’s credit card more than I was supposed to, eventually depositing around $1000 in total. I had to come clean to my dad before he found out on his own. To my surprise, he stayed calm and simply asked if I had lost it all. I told him the entire sum was gone, even though I had $100 left. “We’ll get rid of the credit card and this will be the end of your poker career,” he said. “And you’ll have to pay me back the extra money you took.”
In the six months that followed, I turned that remaining $100 into $16,000. Did I have a real edge over my opponents? I’m not entirely sure. But I felt confident that I was smarter than most of the field because PKR was incredibly soft at the time. When you're 16, $16,000 feels like a million, so I went downstairs to share the good news with my parents, fully expecting them to be thrilled.
Their reaction? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t what I imagined."
After reading, Charlie Carrel got an idea. "You've got a talent for storytelling. Want to do a podcast?"
– "I wish I spoke as eloquently as I write." Then Venividi added, "Got some stuff planned, but will let you know when I’m down."
Another reader asked Venividi, "When and why did you transition to PLO?"
– "Very early stage I don’t think my results in NLHE were great, just running hot. I found PLO in an early stage of my career and it was a better fit."
Someone else asked about the big names on the now-closed site. "Memorable PKR players?"
– "ScottyStarburst and this is where I met d.Apollo for the first time. GoldenEyeHD was winning heaps NLHE back in the day and "Beyne" was another crazy player that won and lost over a million."
"Beyne" was the PKR nickname that belonged to Russian Vladimir Geshkenbein. His HendonMob shows over $2.5 million, including several cashes in the 2022 World Series. He was a Team PKR Pro and gained notoriety in 2013 when he sold WSOP stakes on the PokerStrategy forum.
But, on the day of the Main Event, he wrote that he only had $500 to his name. He ended up playing the Main Event, thanks to funds from a friend, finishing in 62nd place for $123,000. Backers were slowly paid back, but with double the odds – Vladimir sold the tickets at 1.6 odds and returned them at 2.2 odds.
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