Heads Up Poker Player Wade "ricestud" Townsend's Poker Profile

Welcome to Wade "ricestud" Townsend's player bio. Here you can find loads of information about the former baseball and current heads up poker professional.

Quick Stats

Started Playing HUSNGs: Early 2006 (2004 MTT/SNG)

Poker Handle: ricestud (PokerStars)

Birth Year: 1983

Went Broke on the Way Up: Once in 2004.

Secrets to Success: Playing high volume, positive expectation sessions against "fish."

ricestud's Strengths: Multitabling, long sessions, consistency, game selection.

ricestud's Weaknesses: Hyper Turbos

Early Years

Wade "ricestud" Townsend started playing poker in the summer of 2004, shortly after being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.  He lost about $4,000 on the site Pokerroom.  "I was bored and had nothing to do," says Wade.  "After I lost the $4,000, I quickly disabled my neteller account.  But I kept reading a lot about poker strategy and soon enough I had my friend, Jeff Niemann [of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays] transfer me $20 and I played .10-.25 limit hold em for about 6 months straight, building myself a bankroll," said Wade.  This was going on while Wade was negotiating a multi million dollar contract in major league baseball.

In 2005, Wade moved some money to Party Poker and Bodog.  He cashed a $16 tournament on Bodog for $600 and took some money onto PokerStars to try to win a seat to the Poker Carribean Adventure (PCA).  It was a success.  "I won the first $3 rebuy to the $650, then the $650 itself for the PCA package.  I was just hilariously bad at the time, but decided that tournaments were my thing.  And after some initial success in the $20 180 player sngs, I figured I'd conquer $55 buyin rebuys without knowing how to really even play the game," he says.

Starting HUSNGs

Ricestud had grown accustomed to tournaments during his recovery from Tommy John surgery, a serious arm injury familiar to major league baseball pitchers.  "I'd grown to be pretty good at tournaments.  But when I got healthy, I just didn't have time for them anymore," said Wade.  "Then I realized I could beat heads up sngs at the $50 and $100 levels."

It took ricestud about a year to realize his full potential.  "I realized I could multi table better than anyone else in these games, probably due to how many nine man games and cash tables I was playing early on in my poker days," said Wade.

As of July 2011, ricestud had over 80,000 heads up sngs played, the most in the world.  He had over $350,000 in direct profit to match at the tables, and over $200,000 more in rakeback/cashback earnings.

Growing and Improving

Ricestud has always kept his baseball money separate from his poker money.  "Since I received that $20 from a friend, I haven't dipped into my life or baseball money." 

He's also had his fair share of battles against regulars.  "I've had some immense battles.  Madamadonk specifically, I probably learned more about HUSNGs from him than anybody else, and he wasn't even coaching me," laughs Wade.

"HokieGreg is another regular," he says.  "He plays a very tough game that is unchanging, almost in a good way for him because he isn't as easily influenced by his opponents.  I've just absorbed everything these good players were doing and I became pretty good at beating most decent players solely because I had to play the best in the world for literally thousands of games."

But ricestud doesn't allow his ego to get in the way of his priorities.  "My biggest strength is that I beat fish at a higher rate than anyone," Wade says.  "I think the best player in the world is la gachette."

Baseball Career

Wade played college baseball at Rice, initially as a relief pitcher and later becoming a starter.  He went 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in his freshman year and 11-2 with a 2.20 ERA as a sophomore.  He beat defending champion Texas twice in his second season and made it to the College World Series, where he recorded one of those wins.

Junior year Wade went 12-0 with a 1.80 ERA and two saves.  That year he came four outs away from a no hitter against San Jose State.

Wade was selected with the 8th pick by the Orioles in the 2004 MLB draft, but could not agree to contract terms.  Wade returned to Rice to complete his degree.  He opted to finish his degree in 7 semesters instead of 8, and in doing so chose history instead of two other fields he had also been majoring in, economics and managerial studies.

In 2005 he was again taken 8th in the draft, this time by the Devil Rays.  Wade pitched at the Class A level but in the fall of 2005 had to undergo Tommy John surgery on his elbow.

In 2008, Wade against was sidelined with shoulder problems.  He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and rehabbed for the majority of the 2009 season.  The rehab was not successful, however, as Wade was released from the Toronto Blue Jays minor league program in 2010, after tearing his shoulder again.

Black Friday

Ricestud moved to Mexico in April 2011, where he's often traveled over the years.  Wade takes claim to Black Friday.  "I am Black Friday," he says.  "That's my new motto.  Kenny Powers shares a lot in common with me; we're ex-athletes, self absorbed, immaculate hair, love jet skis, moving to mexico and the list goes on."

"And I'm planning on having surgery number four on my arm and trying to see if I can throw well again, maybe even come back to baseball," he adds.  "Because why the fuck not?  I want people to know that I appreciate the encouragement because getting publicly condemned and embarassed solely because of injuries and things you have no control over honestly sucks."

Ricestud enjoyed a fantastic June 2011 in the poker department, with over $75,000 in total profit.

Life in Mexico

Ricestud has recently been getting back into MTTs, largely crediting his friend cal42688 for helping him in that respect.

Ricestud also plans on starting a local charity.  "Weeks after I moved to mexico, my friend and I heard a metallic noise in the bushes," he explains.  "We didn't think much of it, but on the way to dinner we see this skeleton dog with a chain around its neck walking down the street.  So we leave a hamburger out and when we get back from dinner the hamburger is gone.  So we grabbed some margaritas and quesadillas and used the quesadillas to get the dog to come near us.  It was hesitant, and terrified of the light, but when it finally came out it could barely walk, barely stand and it was all bones."

"My girlfriend was there and just started crying, "he continues.  "So after feeding this dog nonstop for weeks, she's completely healthy. This dog is just the bomb now!  Fast as lightning, fiercely loyal, she'll bite your head off if you mess with me and sleeps by the bed every night.  So that became my inspiration to start a little campaign in August or September [2011], to send a small portion of my winnings as well as my friend's winnings to the humane society of Cabo San Lucas.  Animals and kids just can't control their own destiny and I'd like to help," says Wade.