Nate Bandy is on some kind of heater over the last month. Less than a year into his career as a poker player, Bandy won his first gold ring at the previous Circuit stop at IP Biloxi, then won two more at Horseshoe Southern Indiana on his way to claiming the title of Casino Champion for that venue. The back-to-back victories were worth 100 total points, more than $40,000 in combined earnings, and a seat in the 2017 WSOP Global Casino Championship. He now leads the season-long points race, as well, having already accumulated 150 of them across the series' first few months.
Bandy is a 38-year-old professional poker player from Chattanooga, Tennessee. That job title is a new one for him, as he only recently gave up his secular career to pursue the game full-time. After retiring from a stint as a professional football player, Bandy became the Vice President of a large sports management company with facilities nationwide. Late last year, he sold his portion of the business to focus on poker. So far, so good for the new pro. He's earned more than $70,000 playing tournaments since making the transition less than a year ago.
Bandy's first victory in Southern Indiana came in Event #5, the $365 six-max event that drew 170 entries. The eventual champ stormed through the final table on his way to collecting his second ring and the top prize of $14,280. The following day, he returned to play Event #7, the $365 Monster Stack. It was one of the largest events of the series, drawing a field of 415 entries with a top prize of $27,390 up for grabs. Bandy snapped that one off, too, and his victory in back-to-back events ended a run of four consecutive days of tournament poker without being eliminated.
"Poker has been good to me,” Bandy said as he reflected on his first win in Southern Indiana. “It really has. I’ve played maybe 20 tournaments, so to have a second ring? I’m really happy. Very blessed.” He added the third ring to his trophy case just two days after making that statement. “This is so cool," he said in the follow-up interview. "As we got down to 18 [players], I started thinking, ‘Man, can I really do this? Back-to-back events?’”
In addition to his experience at the table, Bandy draws on his prior careers in his decision-making process. “My sports management background helps me more than anything,” he said. “Football taught me how to manage my bankroll, because when I played professional sports, I went through a little bit too much money. But dealing with investors and professional athletes and handlers — you learn who you can push, who you can’t, and their different personalities. I learned a lot about reading people in those meeting rooms.”
The life of a poker pro can be a stressful one, but Bandy seems to have his head in a good spot as his new career takes flight. “I love this,” he said. “It’s not relaxing by any means, but I love the competition. You can’t lie to yourself in poker. You’re either winning or you’re losing.”
In Bandy's case, it's mostly the former, so far. Here are his results from Horseshoe Southern Indiana:
Event #5: $365 Six Max 1st place ($14,280, 50 points)
Event #7: $365 Monster Stack 1st place ($27,390, 50 points)
And here's the final leaderboard as the series concludes:
Nate Bandy 100 points
Robert Hankins 95 points
Al Hencheck Jr. 77.5 points
John Coffman 57.5 points
Scott Fitzhugh 55 points