Beat 4,000 players to claim his seat on Poker After Dark
Arnold Thimons' trip from his home in Greensburg, PA to one of the most exclusive poker rooms in Las Vegas began with a freeroll. Without spending a dime, he sat down in an online poker tournament and began beating players - 360 of them in the first round. Out of a field of 3,011, he made the final table in the second round. In the Finals, he was up against 863 very determined players. All of them had beaten the odds to get there. All wanted their shot to win $120,000 on Poker After Dark. But thanks to his solid skills and winning some key races, Thimons was one of the last two players standing. But even after coming so far, heads-up wasn't going to be a cake walk. He found himself sitting across from poker pro Jordan Morgan. Morgan, who has won over $1 million in tournaments and made two final tables at the WSOP, battled Thimons for several hands but in the end was out-played by the amateur.
Thimons started playing poker at a young age. He loved the game, and as soon as he was old enough he made frequent trips to Atlantic City. But he was never tempted to do his life's work under neon lights. Even with money in his pocket, he was always happy to go back home to Western Pennsylvania. Thimons began his career in the building materials industry but he's now the assistant director of admissions for South University. With his busy schedule, he plays most of his poker online, but still makes monthly pilgrimages to the Jersey shore to hone his game.
Thimons and his family live outside Pittsburgh. As much as he loves poker, it's no substitute for being outdoors. In his free time, he plays golf and rides dirt bikes.
