Tipping the Clinkscales
If you’ve traveled the 2012-2013 World Series of Poker Circuit at all, you’ve no doubt crossed paths with Rex Clinkscales. The heavily tattooed Vegas pro has been playing tournaments for just over two years, and already he has established himself as one of the most formidable players on the Circuit with 30 cashes for $249,209 and a ring.
Clinkscales explained his start in the game in a recent interview with PokerNews:
“I made the decision and moved out to Las Vegas the summer of 2006 and started grinding away at cash games. I won't say the transition for me to move from Texas to Las Vegas was an easy one because being away from my daughter and family was very difficult, but I felt it in my heart that Vegas was were I needed to be. At first, when I got out to Vegas, things were rough. I didn’t have very much of a bankroll and before you knew it I got felted and was questioning my move to Vegas. Since my support system, my family, was back in Texas I went home to regroup. Before I knew it, I was back on the felt in Vegas again. This time I was a little more prepared. I didn’t play tournaments very much at all and thought they were too boring. Playing cash when I felt like it was ‘the nuts’ at the time. I didn’t have very good bankroll management so I was always just grinding to pay bills and expenses.”
Clinkscales managed to turn his game around and things started to go his way in 2012-2013, but despite all his early success, a coveted ring eluded Clinkscales all season long as he finished runner-up in both the 2011/2012 Harrah’s Rincon Event #1 $355 No-Limit Hold’em and 2012/2013 IP Biloxi Event #10 $365 No-Limit Hold’em for $13,504 and $8,460 respectively. He also had a third-place finish in the 2012/2013 Horseshoe Bossier City Event #10 $365 No-Limit Hold’em for $8,097.
“All I can do is just keep putting myself in a position to win, and soon enough I will,” Clinkscales told PokerNews back in April. “I plan on getting over that hump and winning multiple rings. I have been one card away and lost it on the river. If a few cards fell differently, I would have four rings right now. All though it does suck to not have a ring, I know my time will come, so I just got to keep playing my game and stay focused and not worry about the ring. As for the record for most WSOP Circuit final tables without a ring, it can be a little irritating at times, and obviously I get needled about it a lot by my friends, but I can guarantee, I will have my name off that list in the very near future.”
Indeed, Clinkscales’ prediction came true just two weeks later when he won the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Philadelphia Main Event for $121,097 and the long-awaited ring. Needless to say, it was a moment that justified the 30-year-old’s decision to turn pro.
“I have never been the type of guy to work a nine-to-five job. Clocking in and being micro managed day in and day out just wasn't appealing,” said Clinkscales, who has a daughter and is being cheered on by his mother, Bonnie Clinkscales. “I love to travel and experience new places and meet people from different walks of life. Poker gives me the ability to do all of that. It isn't the easiest of "jobs," but to me it's the most rewarding.”
Check out Clinkscales' PokerNews Player Profile and the recent interview he did as a part of the popular Circuit Grinder series.