"cliquish" -- my first convention was in 2001, soon after I joined. I found this club to be anything BUT "cliquish". Some of the first members that I met were Bruce Landau & James Campiglia (both club "heavy hitters") at one of Jim Munding's CasinoRama shows. Didn't talk much to anyone on the showroom floor except those two people that I knew, who both took the time to talk with me during their busy show. At the club's auction, I got to meet Greg Susong (friendly as all get-out) & sat next to a wonderful club member, Fred Bergman, that gave me the "ins & outs" of the auction & just made me feel really comfortable. The following year, I volunteered at a couple of different club tables & really just forced myself on people and met even more of whom would become my good friends, including BRIIIIIIIIINE Watts & Andy Hughes. The third year, played in a $1-$2 No Limit game at the Palms after getting knocked out of the poker tourney, had a ball losing my money & getting to know people & I was hooked!! Every convention thereafter, I tried to meet more & more people because this club really does have some wonderful people that belong to it. I say hello to & talk with pretty much anyone & everyone. But one thing that you need to remember -- many of these friends that are made through this hobby get to see each other once a year & as such, spend a lot of time together. I know that every year, I come home from the convention glad that I got to see my friends but wishing that I had spent more time with SO & SO. New friends are a good thing & always welcome. I look at Mike "Monk" Vuolo -- man, he gets right in there, is friendly, interesting & participates in conversations with whomever!! That's how it seems to work best, at least as I see it. It's sometimes not easy to break into a a group of good friends sometimes, but it can & has been done -- but you have to make the effort.

Steve Bedo