If you’re somewhat familiar in the gambling world then you’ve probably heard of Bobby Baldwin. He is a professional Poker player and an important businessman with a lot of influence who managed to make it to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2003.
He is mainly known for his impeccable playing style which has earned him a total of four so-called Poker Bracelets (trophies at the WSOP) during his career. These are awarded by the World Series of Poker.
Bobby Baldwin, top boss of MGM/Mirage
It won’t surprise you that Baldwin lives in Las Vegas these days. He is the president and top boss of the MGM/Mirage resort and a well-known and beloved person in the gambling world. How he got into this you will read in the following text. To begin with, let’s have a snippet from the early life of the businessman and gambler.
Baldwin’s Young Years and the Game of Poker
Baldwin was born in 1950 in Tulsa, Oklahoma into a normal somewhat upper middle class family. When he was 12 years old he played a game of Poker for the first time and despite the fact that he lost, he was immediately hooked. Among his classmates he was known as the person to beat and played the game a lot while still in high school.
He made quite a bit of money on campus and decided to travel to Las Vegas with a few other players, holding about $5000 (€4300). The gambling did not go so well because after a few hours they were virtually bankrupt. Baldwin didn’t take it lying down and after some urging, he was given a $500 (€430) credit and he took it. The odds turned and he even managed to win almost $180000 (over €150000).
Betting on all kinds of sports
A no small feat that led to him being heavily involved in sports betting throughout his college years. He was particularly interested in betting related to the National Football League (NFL) but he also gambled on other sports. In 1977, Baldwin started his career as a professional Poker player.
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Very successful in the World Series of Poker
In the same year he won two bracelets of the World Series of Poker and also more than $100000 (€85000). Not bad for someone who had just started playing professionally. He won the bracelets three years in a row, something few people have ever managed.
When he won the 1978 No Limit Holdem World Championship, he was at the time the youngest person ever to do so but this record was later broken.
Personal life and book of tips
Shortly after college Baldwin married but the marriage lasted only a year. In 2012 he married Audra Henley with whom he lives on their estate. In addition to being a professional Poker player, he is a good billiard player and an avid racer. He wrote the book Bobby Baldwin’s Winning Poker Secrets in 1979.
After he later rewrote it with Mike Caro it was re-released in 2004 and it is still widely read and used in the Poker world. His tips and strategies are used by beginners and advanced players alike and are very popular.
Fast Career in the Casino World
However, Baldwin was not only concerned with becoming a professional Poker player. He had another goal in mind because he was extremely interested in managing the gambling industry. He became a consultant at the famous Golden Nugget casino in 1982 and only two years later he was already managing the company. How to make a career, we think. This was certainly not the end of his rise because in 1998 he became president of the Bellagio hotel and casino.
Bobby’s Room for High Stakes Poker
When at the turn of the century Mirage and MGM merged, he also became the highest boss there. The contract he signed for this was, of course, financially very significant. Just think of seven-digit numbers. Five years later he became director of Project City Center but also stayed on at MGM/Mirage. In 2007 came Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, where Poker can be played with high stakes only and you have to pay to play there.