From Fanboy to a WSOP Player

Ever since he started playing poker, he's been dreaming about playing at the World Series of Poker. Watching the videos and live reports, Vitezslav Cech was a true WSOP fanboy.

While many young kids hope to make it far in poker, not everyone meets their skills with luck to make their dream come true. While Cech tried to push his dream, his chances didn't look that big three years ago.

From Prague, Czech Republic, Cech was working in Starbucks, and played poker to seize a nice addition to his small salary from a daily job. Then he quit and decided to make a step further, pursue his poker career.

But he was unable to make his big breakthrough until last year. Back in May 2016, Cech scored a big prize in one of the 888poker major tournaments. That helped him gain traction. His confidence grew, the stress about having enough money to pay checks faded away. Suddenly, the doors were open for Cech.

The remaining part of 2016 was fantastic for Cech, who was riding his wave of success, increasing his bankroll. Money was no longer an issue, but there had been one other factor preventing Cech from playing at the WSOP: the Atlantic Ocean.

Cech isn't a frequent flyer, and he doesn't enjoy flying much. Scared of this type of transport, flying the endless hours from Prague to Las Vegas was a tough hurdle for him.

But, he's now here, after experiencing his first-ever long-haul flight. Cech is still a fanboy, but now also one of those who are trying to win a bracelet. As one would expect, he's wearing a WSOP cap today. "It's amazing to be playing poker here with such a crowd. You breathe the true poker atmosphere," Cech said.

He's in for The Giant, and he'll be in for many more as he's set to grind nearly the full summer in Las Vegas.