Mike Schneider plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Like a lot of guys, Mike started playing poker in small-stakes home games with his friends. After "doing pretty well," he moved to playing online. As it turned out, his competitive nature and aptitude for the game allowed him to build a substantial bankroll and a career as a professional poker player.

Mike spent a couple of years at the low/mid stakes, working on his game both live and online for a before he made the decision to move up. This strategy paid off in March of 2006 as Mike demonstrated his command of the game by winning the PartyPoker Million V $10K Limit Hold ‘em event, earning $1 million. Since then, he has made notable appearances in the Fall Poker Classic, cashing on four separate occasions. His performance this year earned him the 2007 Fall Poker Classic Player of the Year Award from the Canterbury Casino.

He’s earned the respect of his peers as one of the most revered Limit Hold ‘em players in the game. Mike’s known to operate at stakes as high as 1,000/2,000 both live and online. While his performance at this level has been extremely lucrative, he still enjoys playing at lower levels when time permits.

Mike currently resides in his native Minnesota. He spent the summer of 2006 writing for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune doing a weekly poker lifestyle column while in Vegas for the WSOP. Away from the felt, he’s into sports both as a spectator and an active competitor. Mike rounds out his free time with friends, listening to music or taking in movies.

While he is a successful tournament player, he considers himself a ring game specialist first and foremost. As a member of the team at CardRunners.com, he’s an excellent resource for players looking to improve their Limit Hold ‘em game. You can catch Mike in action online at Full Tilt Poker.