Get to Know Family Man & Stock Trader Don "dhimp20" Himpele

Anthony Thompson

If you��ve ever played poker either at Borgata or online in New Jersey, there��s a good chance you��ve crossed paths with Don Himpele, who has more than $630K in online lifetime tournament earnings and $89K in live scores on HendonMob.

Himpele, a father of five who has been married for 24 years, graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in Business and Economics, and for the last 25 years he has worked as a trader on the New York Stock Exchange as a Managing Director for Goldman Sachs and IMC Trading. So how did the professional family man find poker?

��I began playing as a teenager,�� he told PokerNews. ��My mother was an early influence and taught me many ��gameplay skills.�� I have combined that and my skills as a trader to make strong decisions on the felt.��

He continued: ��I consider myself a recreational player, as family and work obligations don't allow for a robust live game tournament schedule. I do play the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main yearly, and many Parx Big Stax tournaments. I am a regular online tournament player who targets buy-ins usually ranging from $200-$2,000. I play in local cash games �C usually $5/$10.��

While he only plays when his schedule allows, it��s worth noting Himpele has been playing for a long time. In fact, one of his favorite poker memories stems all the way back to the 2004 WSOP Main Event.

��My most notable experience was my first WSOP Main Event in 2004 and sitting at ESPN feature TV table with top pros,�� he recalled. ��Also, I cashed in the 2010 WSOP Main Event after being sponsored by Absolute Poker.��

While his Absolute Poker days are behind him, Himpele does spend a fair amount of time competing on the partypoker US Network, which is comprised of partypoker US, Borgata Poker and BetMGM Poker.

��partypoker US brings a strong level of competition and I particularly like when they run a series as it brings a variety of games and a strong turnout with a commensurate prize pool,�� said Himpele. ��I have a lot of respect for New Jersey's top pros such as Mike Lavenburg, Mike Gagliano, Katie Stone and David Coleman. I enjoy the challenge of battling against them as a test of skill.��