By Sean Chaffin
Playing poker isn’t just about wins and losses for 75-year-old Ron Olson. After a 27-year career in the military, the game allows him to stay in the right frame of mind. An 18-month stint in Vietnam left the married father of two with post-traumatic stress disorder. That brought on nightmares, but through the years he’s found focusing on a pastime at a deep level kept the bad dreams at bay.
Poker now plays a big role in those efforts. He joined ClubWPT in 2008 and is a regular at the tour’s sweepstakes poker platform.
He’s now a Diamond-level member and after winning a 2,432-entry event, Olson now finds himself seated among some of the game’s best at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
“That was the first time I’ve ever come in first,” he says. “I’ve made the final table and won $600, $350, that kind of money, but this was the first time I’ve won.”
The victory now lands him in Las Vegas with a chance to make his poker dreams come true.
Serving His Country
When it comes to life in the military, Olson has seen much more than most. He spent four years in the Navy, 23 years in the Air National Guard, and worked for the Department of Defense (DOD) for 14 years. With the DOD, his job entailed maintaining generators and aircraft arresting gear.
That latter job came with some major consequences if something went wrong. Aircraft arresting gear allows fighter jets to land on an aircraft carrier where there isn’t much room for a traditional landing.
“Hook planes have to land on a runway where there are cables,” he says. “We have a cable at each end of the runway and we catch them and stop them within 800 feet. They catch it with a hook.”
After retiring in 2008, poker began taking up more and more of his time. Too much time on his hands wasn;t a good thing and playing at ClubWPT keeps his mind active.
“When I first came back from Vietnam, I got married and I woke up choking my wife one night before she woke me up,” he says. “I went to the VA and they couldn’t help me.”
A YMCA “circle of vets” program did offer some comfort however, and his outlook began to improve. Olson could talk about his problems with others who shared similar experiences.
Life at the Poker Table
Originally from Rhode Island and now living in South Florida, Olson normally estimates he makes only enough to cover about half of his annual ClubWPT dues. But that’s okay with him. He’s a recreational player out to have fun and can often be found playing three games at once.
“He plays on the computer all the time,” his wife Claire interjects.
Beyond ClubWPT, Foxwoods was also a regular poker spot for Olson when he lived in Rhode Island. He was a regular small stakes and tournament player.
“I played a lot of $1/$2 tables,” he says. “I’m not a rich guy. I sit down with $300 and I sit there and play all day whether I win or lose. It’s just fun. I have to keep my mind occupied or I start to dream crazy things. I try to keep my mind busy.”
A Much-Needed Poker and Vegas Vacation
The trip to the Five Diamond offers Olson not only a chance to play poker at the highest level, but also a shot at a well-timed getaway. In mid-November, doctors had to remove Claire’s kidney. She now faces a year of treatment and infusion procedures that will hopefully help her immune system attack cancer cells.
“I had surgery Nov. 16 and he won the tournament two weeks before,” Claire says. “We were iffy whether I could come or not. But the doctor says I was fine to fly.”
“It’s a semi-vacation,” Olson adds.
Looking back at his win, it almost seems surreal for Olson. As the field narrowed, the former military man became much more focused, considering the implications of every hand. A longtime poker and WPT fan, he knew only the winner would win the seat at the Bellagio.
“You were real quiet the last hour,” Claire said after his win.
“I think I just won,” he responded.
Winning one of the major ClubWPT events had been one of his dreams and he can now check off that box. Another dream remains – cashing in a major live WPT tournament. The entire experience at the Bellagio feels like landing a ticket to the Super Bowl. He’s a fan of Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Doyle Brunson and would love to meet some big-name players during the tournament.
Along with a shot at a payday in the tournament, Olson also has an opportunity at a $1 million bonus from ClubWPT if he can actually win the event. While that may be a longshot, he’s not afraid of what lies ahead.
“My dream is to win the whole thing, but I have to be realistic,” he says. “I’m a good player though and I’ll play against them. I’ll double-bet, triple-bet, do whatever I have to do to win. I’m not afraid to play somebody. But I’m also going to have a good time.”
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer based in New Mexico and Texas. His work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.