The World of Professional Gamblers

This week's FM scrutiny takes a look at professional poker players. Take, for example, "Darkhawk-2000." It's the online moniker used by one Harvard student who frequents online poker tables. Darkhawk, as he requested to be named, once lost $8,000 in one sitting. But he's had good streaks, too—a grand-prize package that included partying with Charles Barkley and, not to mention, about $80,000 in profits over the past year. You see, Darkhawk is a professional poker player. He's out to win big, and win hard.

And he's not alone. Gambling is a known phenomenon, but professional gambling? That's a whole different story. Find out more about these professionals, including acclaimed player Matt Hawrilenko, and how they manage to get on the good side of luck.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Jamie Adams.