Andy Bloch

infobox poker player
firstname=Andy
lastname=Bloch
nickname=

---

caption=Andy Bloch in the 2007 World Series of Poker
hometown=Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas, Nevada
wsop bracelet count="None"
wsop money finishes=20 [ [http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/players/playerprofile.asp?playerID=110 WSOP player profile] ]
wsop main event best finish rank="None"
wsop main event best finish year=
multi-year wsop winner=
wpt titles="None"
wpt final tables=2
wpt money finishes=7

Andrew E. Blochcite web|url=http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28990237823|title=F.E.C. Image|publisher=Federal Election Commission|date=2007-12-31|accessdate=2008-08-24] (born June 1, 1969) is a professional poker player. He holds two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Poker

Bloch started playing seriously in 1992, though he was part of the MIT blackjack team, entering some small $35 weekly tournaments once a month. By the end of the year, he had won one of the World Poker Finals tournaments, a $100(US) entry fee no-limit Texas hold'em tournament. That was the first time he ever played no-limit Texas hold 'em.

In 1997, he skipped the last week of law school classes to play in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He was the guinea pig in a low-tech hole card cam trial. Tom Sims was looking for a volunteer to "sweat" and record all his hole cards, and he agreed. His records turned into a 2-part CardPlayer Magazine article. After passing the bar exam in 1999, he decided to delay his law career and went back to poker.

That career got delayed even further after making two WSOP final tables in 2001, a first place finish back at Foxwoods in 2002 (playing seven-card stud), and two World Poker Tour (WPT) final tables its first season, finishing 3rd both times. Bloch has since chosen to boycott the WPT in protest to its player release process. [ [http://www.andybloch.com/gl/pub/article.php?story=20051212152037696 Andybloch.com: Why I'm not playing the Bellagio WPT] ]

Bloch was the second season winner of the Ultimate Poker Challenge.

Bloch is also an accomplished blackjack player and was featured in the blackjack documentary "The Hot Shoe", as well as starring in his own instructional blackjack DVD, "Beating Blackjack", which explains card counting. Andy Bloch was a member of the MIT Blackjack Team featured in the book "Bringing Down the House". [ [http://casino.pokernews.com/news/2006/6/poker-blackjack-foxwoods-card-counting-bloch.htm Pokernews.com: Andy Bloch and Bringing Down Houses] ] Bloch said he has made up to $100,000 in one session while playing blackjack. [ [http://mylifefrommidnighton.blogspot.com/2008/05/d2v-interviews-andy-bloch.html Dayton2Vegas.com interviews Andy Bloch] ]

He is a member of "Team Full Tilt" at Full Tilt Poker.

At the 2006 World Series of Poker, Bloch finished 2nd in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event when his cards|9♣|8♠ failed to improve against David "Chip" Reese's cards|A♣|Q♣ in the final hand, on a board of cards|J♠|7♣|7♠|4♥|4♠. The heads-up battle lasted 286 hands and was the longest recorded in WSOP history.

In 2006, he defeated Phil Laak heads up to win the Pro-Am Poker Equalizer taking in the grand prize of $500,000. The tournament was broadcast in early 2007 on ESPN.

In March 2008, Andy Bloch finished runner-up to Chris Ferguson in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Bloch finished runner-up to Nenad Medic in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship at the 2008 World Series of Poker, earning $488,048.

As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,000,000. [ [http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=25 Andy Bloch Hendon Mob tournament results] ]

Charities

Bloch donates 100% of his winnings on Full Tilt Poker to various charities around the world. After qualifying for the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event via a tournament on the website, Bloch decided that any money he won in the event would go directly to charity. He is also contributing $100,000 of his winnings from the Pro-Am Equalizer to charities working in Darfur. [ [http://craigsjournal.pokerworks.com/2006/09/29/andy-blochs-time/ pokerworks.com] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.andybloch.com Official site]
* [http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/andyBloch.php Full Tilt Poker profile]
* [http://www.hobotrashcan.com/interviews/andybloch.php HoboTrashcan.com interview]
* [http://www.onlinepokercenter.com/articles/player_interviews/andy_bloch_interview_2005_wsop.php Online Poker Center interview]