WHEN DID YOU FIRST STEP INTO THE GAMBLING WORLD AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

It happened 16 years ago. I was in England back then and I was browsing a newspaper when I noticed an add: “We are looking for bright, interesting and attractive people.” I called and they hired me. I followed training and that’s how it all began.

WHICH ARE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS?

It’s hard to say. Maybe that in the last 5 years I have been involved in top level management, or that in the US I have brought poker to a company and we managed to make 2 million $ from texas hold’em poker in the company’s second year of existence. And there’s of course my success here, in Romania, in terms of the position on the market, which is due to the approach.

WHAT DO YOU THINK COMES FIRST FOR THE PLAYERS – MONEY OR PASSION AND ADRENALINE?

I think it’s always about the money, it should be that way. This is why they all start playing, but after a while money comes in second, after the adrenaline and the feeling you get from the game. In the beginning, it was only a job for me. However, it is a job which requires a lot from one, and if you have been doing it for a while, you can’t help not being interested in everything about it. It becomes your life.

IS TEXAS HOLD’EM POKER YOUR FAVORITE GAME?

I can say it is now. Last year I enjoyed playing craps. In a certain period I was so obsessed with becoming evermore better that I put a lot of effort in it. People don’t play it nowadays, it is considered old-fashioned.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A LUCKY PLAYER?

I am not a big player first of all. I gamble from time to time, but nothing serious. The reason I don’t play, even on lottery, is because I am not lucky. I consider my self a lucky person only in my private life, regarding my wife and children.

WHAT IS TERRY SMITH’S POSITION CURRENTLY?

I am a poker director. I take care of organizing texas hold’em tournaments here at the Platinum Casino, of promotions for Las Vegas and World Series, of our collaboration with the Draculaholdem website, which attracts people to play here, in the casino. Recently we have recorded a TV show here and it has been very successful. We also bring players from other countries and vary the size of the pots on a daily basis, in order to broaden the dynamics of this sector.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE AND WHAT DO YOU HATE ABOUT THIS JOB?

I hate the fact that money matters so much and that it can affect people’s lives. Apart from that, the job is fantastic. As my mother used to say, I work and play at the same time. Each day is a new game for me. Another wonderful thing about this job is that you build a lifetime career, because gambling will never disappear.

HAS EVERYTHING WORKED RIGHT FOR YOU OR HAVE YOU ALSO HAD FAILURES?

You cannot succeed without failures. You must learn from mistakes. That is what I did, especially since everything in this business moves very fast. The fact that I am a manager at the age of 35, which I think isn’t bad at all, goes to prove it.

HAVE YOU EVER FELT ADDICTED TO THIS WORLD, OR THAT YOU CANNOT ESCAPE BECOMING ADDICTED?

It is impossible to prevent becoming addicted. There are very few which enter this environment and remain shortly. Everybody arrives here thinking it will only be a year, until they graduate, or as a second job, but 99% end up staying for 15-20 years in the field.

IS GAMBLING GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

Gambling is an excellent source of entertainment, if you stay at that. You can go grab a beer, see a movie or take a walk in the park, but why not go to a casino? If you also decide to gamble a fixed amount of money, then it can be a great means of entertainment.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON THE GAMBLING MARKET IN ROMANIA?

The market is huge here. The fact that on every street you see an electronic casino tells a lot. Bucharest is one of the biggest European cities and it has a considerable number of casinos, many of which are very large. I often go with my colleagues to other casinos in order to see what the others are doing, if they are bringing anything new, if there is anything special there.

DO YOU KNOW ANY ROMANIAN PLAYERS?

Yes. Just a few months ago I attended a large poker championship in Europe and I met a few Romanian players there. Some of them are famous in Europe for their poker skills.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THIS YEAR?

We hope to organize a very big tournament here, in Romania. For the time being the law does not allow for such, so we are trying to discuss with the authorized people about changing this situation. It would be very nice to hold a tournament bringing 300 – 400 players.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CASINO MAGAZINE?

It is very good, a necessary magazine in which you can find the information you need. We must present the world of gambling to as many people as possible, through more and more media channels.

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