Newspaper Article on the ACETENBOMBER
ORILLIA’S OWN CINCINNATI KID
The world of poker is a fascinating melting pot of interesting people, colourful characters and wonderful nicknames. At any given time, at any tournament or cash game around the globe, you just might find yourself sitting next to and matching wits with a physicist, a truck driver or professional card player who claims he’s “unemployed.” You might find yourself tangled in a pot with a school teacher, a neurosurgeon or a waitress. There may be a guy nicknamed “The Magician,” “The Mouth” or simply someone who others call a “Donkey.” Yes, it takes all kinds to make up the landscape that is a flop, a turn and a river. You will, however, be hard pressed to meet anyone as flamboyant, as charming and, at times, as irritating and antagonistic as Jeff Burnett. Meet the man they call “The Acetenbomber’.”
“I am a true Canadian,” he said with passion. “I am homegrown. That’s why I wear the hockey jersey and the helmet.” The 34-year-old aspiring pro, who hails from Orillia, has had his fair share of double takes over the course of his seven-year poker career. He has the ability to stand out in a crowd of people who would like to stand out. His sunglasses are quite often on display hanging from his ears and dangling under his chin. He protects his cards with a Phil Hellmuth bobble-head. And he is always talking. A lot of it is by strategy, most of it is by nature and it’s his presence and table demeanor that allow him to turn a profit when the cards fly.
Ask him who his favorite poker player is, and with a wide grin, he’ll emphatically say “Phil Hellmuth!” referring to the man known as “The Poker Brat” and a guy who some say is the greatest poker player ever. “I like Mike Matusow and Tony G. too,” he’ll blurt. That’s quite a trio of poker prowess. A trio so many others regard as loud, obnoxious and disrespectful to the game. A trio he regards to be highly entertaining and great for the game. “It’s a passionate game, with passionate people. I consider myself a Phil Hellmuth without the bad sportsmanship.” Burnett has passion in spades. Talk to him and his love affair with the game cannot be ignored. He will be in full uniform this weekend as takes in the Canadian Poker Expo Saturday and Sunday at the Toronto Congress Centre.
It’s a love affair that began at the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino in Port Perry where he played in a casino for the first time, placing second in a $100 sit-and-go with 11 players. Burnett is married with two children, Skylar, 12, and Jordan, 9. His wife Cindy is also a poker player. He lives and works in Orillia, where he is the valet supervisor at Casino Rama, a job he’s had since the casino first opened in 1996. Like so many players before him, Burnett’s development as a poker player was a slow one. He is part of the so-called “Moneymaker Boom,” getting into the game after Chris Moneymaker, an accountant, turned a $40 online satellite into $2.5 million at the World Series of Poker in 2003.
“That’s when the poker boom started and that’s when I started,” he says. Since then, he’s logged hundreds of hours online and spent many nights playing live at the Great Blue Heron. He organizes tournaments out of his garage, home games that have quickly caught on amongst his friends and other local players and he’s been running a home poker league since 2007. Like most competitive players, his dream is to play professionally. It is a dream born out of a trip to Montreal where he played in the Full Tilt Poker Open. The field was 1,500 deep and Burnett played some stellar poker to finish a mere eight spots from winning a trip to the World Series of Poker. “I felt larger than life that day,” he recalls. “I was chosen to play at the TV table and it was great to be in front of the cameras with my friends cheering me on. I played some great poker that day and even though I busted out, it was the kick in the butt I needed to take my play to the next level.”
The networks seem to like Burnett and his flash at the table. He’s been featured on a Rogers Sportsnet TV table and was the head table spotter during the Full Tilt Canada Cup this year. He won the 2008 Rama Open Poker Championship and is also gearing up for another project with Ultimate Bet, in which he will be the head table spotter for the Starlight Star Bright poker tournament.
“Like many grinders, my dream is to play poker for a living. That’s where I get my rush, but like many players I have other priorities and responsibilities. I will not cut into my bankroll until I know I’m ready.” So how did he get the name “The Acetenbomber?”
“I made a loose call,” he said, referring to night in the garage during one of his home games. “It was getting late. My opponent moved all-in and showed me pocket jacks in an effort to get me to fold. I didn’t! Of course, I spiked an ace on the river and the rest is history. The nickname stuck.”
Burnett doesn’t make too many loose calls in life or at the table. When he does he usually has enough chips to justify it. For now, this family man continues to put family first and poker a very close second, adding to his bankroll with baby steps. Balance is his key and he truly believes it is only a matter of time before he takes down a major tournament for a big score. In the meantime, you’ll find him in the poker room, in his garage or online jabbering at his opponents, talking them into making a bad call or a reluctant fold. And, as he likes to say, it’s “Bombs Away!”
