Get to Know "P0ker H0"
Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon owns Players Bar in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, where many locals like Phil Hellmuth and Phil Galfond have honed their poker skills. Kroon became an online pro in 2004 after he met Anne Duke on a trip to Aruba.
In a recent interview Kroon was asked how he got his nickname "P0ker H0." He responded:
"When I first started playing online poker, I used to play this game online where you could drive NASCAR, and you’d do it against other people. This one guy was called 'Crashing Ho' and he’d wreck everybody every time he raced. I thought his name was kind of clever, so when you first sign in [to an online poker site] you’re kind of locked into that name, and it was just unbelievable because everybody started to recognize it. UB started to sell 'H0' shirts. I think my name gave me a lot more prestige to do things online that a lot of people couldn’t do, as far as getting away with pushing people around."
Kroon, no stranger to the WSOP Circuit, won a ring in a $345 No Limit Hold'em - Turbo event at Palm Beach Kennel Club on Feb. 27, 2012 for $13,847. Three weeks later he followed up that impressive feat with a win at the Poker Springs Madness Tournament in Las Vegas for $6,787.