David Eldridge Hits the Ground Running in Thunder Valley

By Matt Clark

In the span of a year, David Eldridge (pictured) has gone from a relative newcomer to the WPT universe to a staunch participant of events across the country. Eldridge is best known for his second-place result in the Season XV WPT Fallsview Poker Classic. In the 13 months since that time, Eldridge has put together seven more WPT cashes across all tours, including three top-20s in Season XVI of the WPT Main Tour.

The Pittsburgh-based business owner flew across the country this morning to make his WPT Rolling Thunder debut.

Poker is part of a delicate life balance for the 37-year-old. Last weekend, Eldridge was in a gym watching his six-year-old daughter participate in a cheerleading competition. Eldridge wanted to play the WPT L.A. Poker Classic and says he had “FOMO” on missing out on the event.

Thanks to a recommendation from Allen Kessler, Eldridge jumped on a plane to come to WPT Rolling Thunder.

Making the Right Call

Eldridge comes from a background of business success wired in cell phone companies. A roster of over a dozen retail provider stores was acquired and sold by Eldridge, which led to his latest venture. Eldridge is an investor in a cell phone accessory company. Since Eldridge bought into the company four years ago, it has undergone a growth of almost 10,000 percent.

Poker came into the fold for Eldridge when he was working to build his business portfolio and has maintained a part of his life ever since.

“I really just played to play,” Eldridge told WPT.com. “I used to play a lot before I started my companies and then I quit because I working really long weeks. Then I got back in the cut and started playing some tournaments and some cash. Things weren’t going well economically, I added up some loss figures that were unacceptable for me.

“My goal with tournaments, because I love them so much, was to play break-even. I would have been really happy with traveling around, seeing some different places, enjoying some tournaments, and I’ve played profitably. I’ve had a profitable ROI for the last four years.”

Finding the Right Fit

According to Eldridge’s Twitter bio, poker is third on his list of priorities behind family and business. His family includes three children ages six and under.

The activities happening in those two respective categories determine his tournament travel schedule.

“For me, it’s mostly about timing,” Eldridge said. “I heard the room here is new, which is cool. I try to play whenever I can, which is usually two or three tournaments a month. I was playing last year and had a lot of good results. Then, I had a kid and was selling a business so I hadn’t played for [a few] months from October through November, December, and then I started to get in the swing in January.”

Eldridge is competing in his third tournament of 2018 and all three have been WPT Main Tour events. He opened the campaign with a min-cash at the WPT Winter Borgata Poker Open and then went to Fallsview and took seventh to complete consecutive Canada strong runs.

Prior to his runner-up in the WPT Fallsview Poker Classic, Eldridge had two cashes in WPT events. That is not to say he didn’t have impressive results in other phases of his tournament career. Eldridge’s poker résumé is decorated with a Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open side event victory and a PCA Main Event final table appearance.

Becoming a “Notable”

Now that he’s formally indoctrinated in the circuit, Eldridge is a familiar face at the table. The read on Eldridge is diverse, according to him. His table presence is mute, but his tweets speak to someone who is knowledgeable about different facets of the game.

“I think it’s a mix,” Eldridge commented about his perceived image. “There’re some people that recognize me as some flounder from some cash game that they saw or something. Sometimes I don’t always try my best in the cash games. There’s definitely a dynamic of people who respect me as an, at least, OK tournament player because I’ve put up a few results.”

Never-Ending Journey

The competition of tournaments exposes Eldridge to unique situations that he enjoys the challenge of. Eldridge stays close to the East Coast for most events, but says he will continue to expand his schedule to see more properties and experience new adventures.

If he wins a WPT Main Tour event in the near future, Eldridge is adamant that his schedule will remain the same.

“It wouldn’t change anything,” he said. “If I win a tournament or brick 25 tournaments straight, it won’t change anything that I play.”

The flexibility Eldridge allows himself to have between poker and his other priorities means he won’t book travel plans until two days before he takes off. When asked about the upcoming WPT schedule, Eldridge says he hasn’t looked beyond this weekend.

“I play things on a whim,” Eldridge said. “I have to see what’s going on with my family, what’s going on with my kid’s schedule, what’s going on with some of my businesses. Even if there’s a trip I’m confident about, I’ll wait until last minute.”

Looking to win your way to a World Poker Tour event for your shot at becoming a WPT champion? Play for your chance on ClubWPT.com, where eligible VIP Members can play for over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, including seats to WPT events, no purchase necessary.