Well known for his incredible work ethic, both as a poker pro and as the founder of his own training site Learn Pro Poker, Ryan Laplante believes that life and poker reflect the hard work we put into them.  Laplante took down his first bracelet in a 2016 PLO event as one of the highlights of a live poker career that started the literal moment he turned 21. When Black Friday shut down online poker, Ryan waited an agonizing 4 weeks to be legally allowed to play live and he was standing at the doors of a casino ready to play the moment the clock struck midnight. That moment was the start of a live career which has netted him nearly $3 million in cashes, since.  A romantic at heart, Ryan married his partner of 12 years just a few months ago in a Star Trek themed wedding. He talks about how Black Friday hitting just after they started dating impacted their relationship and how important his now-husband's has been throughout the past 12 years.  Kara and Ryan go on to talk about how a difficult early childhood, that was marked by poverty, was part of the motivation that drove him. He also shares how a recently revealed family secret held for decades has resulted in his family circle becoming even larger and more full of love than he could have imagined.  Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with Jaman Burton, Katie Lindsay, Adam Pliska, Brandon Shack-Harris, Xuan Liu and Patrick Leonard and more.