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Mangham's Mangle

Hello. My name is Matt Mangham, and I'm a juggling poker player. Well, not really a juggling-poker-player, because I don't actually juggle while I play poker. Wait a minute. Sometimes I do juggle while I'm playing on-line. So, my original title is correct. I am a juggling poker player. Where was I going with this?

Many of you may know me better as "Mangatang" (my screen name for poker forums, juggling forums, and on-line poker rooms). It's a nickname I received back in college, spawning from an alcohol-induced, monkey-like dance I used to do. Don't ask to see the dance, because it's been in retirement for many years now.

In the real world, I work as a process control engineer at an oil refinery in New Orleans. I went to school at Louisiana Tech University where I graduated with a degree in chemical engineering.

I guess you can say that poker is in my blood. My dad and granddad were both poker fanatics. I can still remember my granddad's favorite saying, "No pennies or drinks on the table." He actually passed away while playing the game he loved. He died of a heart attack at the poker table, in a game at his local country club.

I can't remember ever NOT playing poker of some sort. As a kid, we used to play nickel/dime poker with friends (5-card draw, 7-card stud were the games we knew). In college, there was always a dealer's choice game going on (Mexican sweat, follow-the-bitch, 5-card-no-peek, etc.) But it wasn't until '94 when my dad told me about a poker game he saw played in the casino called, Texas Hold'em, that I became serious about learning poker.

Although I made many trips to play poker at several Louisiana riverboat casinos over the years, I didn't become a winning player until I started playing on-line. Playing on-line allowed me more time to practice all the strategy I had been studying from authors such as Lee Jones, David Sklansky, and Mike Caro. Furthermore, when playing in an on-line poker room you can apply for rakeback and save lots of money.

I taught myself to juggle when I was about 12 years old. I distinctly remember my first day of learning because I was using tennis balls on a hardwood floor. This is the worst possible setup to learn with. I spent most of that day chasing down dropped balls that bounced and rolled out of reach. (Note: It's much better to learn using beanbags. They're easier to catch, and they stay put when they hit the floor.)

Over the years I gradually added a few tricks and even managed to teach myself to juggle five balls. Then in 2002, I met up with a group called the New Orleans Jugglers, who meet and juggle every week. It was here that my juggling passion took off. It is so much more fun to juggle with other people (seeing new tricks, passing clubs, comparing techniques).

You may have noticed in the KingsCascade logo that I refer to myself as "the world's greatest juggling poker player". This is NOT an official title. If you care to dispute my self-imposed moniker, feel free to send me evidence of your accomplishments (video of juggling and some sort of poker records) along with a $50 processing fee, and I will be glad to review your case. :)