From the Ground Up: The Ongoing Journey of Rene Mar David

Sometimes life throws an unexpected twist that re-routes one’s supposed path onto a better (and sometimes) more lucrative one. Take the case of then budding Philippine billiards pro Rene Mar David aka Revo when his envisioned road to stardom wound up in a completely different realm.

Getting To Know Rene Mar David

Even when poker gripped the archipelago in the middle portion of the millennium, pocket billiards has been one of the ambitions of young aspirants hoping to gain acclaim. The Philippines produced such renowned names like Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ronnie Alcano, Johann Chua and, of course, the legend himself Efren “The Magician” Reyes. It is innate in many Filipinos to take the avenue that brought success to these iconic individuals.

Philippine poker, though, has one distinct name attached to its greatness: Mike Takayama, the only locally born and raised Filipino to attain a bracelet in the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Takayama shares something similar to David: they both began as up-and-coming pocket billiards professionals. In an interview with David, he recounted,

I actually used to be a professional billiards player back when I was younger, I was in the same circle as Mike Takayama. We were like the young guns in billiards. But I gave it up to focus on poker because you really have to sacrifice something to focus on what you want and get good at it.

Rocky Start For Rene Mar David

It wasn’t always a straightforward goal for Rene Mar David. He began playing small stakes daily tournaments at the Metro Card Club with varying degrees of success and wasn’t consistent.

I started out playing daily tournaments at Metro Card Club around November 2023. I didn’t have the money for buy-ins at first, so I’d play money games in billiards and use my winnings to enter poker tournaments. I also played cash games in poker, and whenever I doubled up, I used that money to buy into more tournaments

In my first couple of months, I played every day but kept losing. I even thought about quitting because of those constant losses.

Learning the Hard Way

To many who eventually make their mark, David’s early stages is referred to as “Tuition”. Then, with enough self-belief, guidance and talent, a shift occurs.

But then I adapted, learned, and realized I was playing too tight. In tournaments, you have to take some risks. After about three months, I finally won a daily tournament at Metro and used that as my starting capital to join more events.

The decision to make poker a means for income is not without its share of pitfalls, especially if initially not financially capable for sustaining the grind.

I remember going to poker venues with just enough money for the fare. II’d eat a big meal at a carinderia (an eatery that serves affordable meals) because food at the poker spots was expensive. Sometimes I’d wait around hoping someone would stake me, but if registration closed before that happened, I’d just go home. That went on for over a week. I even rode home on a motorbike holding back tears, telling myself, ‘One day, I’m going to get to play’.

David stayed vigilant and began cashing.

Eventually, I went back to daily tournaments, and after four months, I won a weekend tournament at Metro Card Club. Things started to pick up from there. Sometimes I could only afford half the buy-in, so I’d look for someone to stake me just so I wouldn’t burn through my bankroll too fast.

Throughout his plight, he always kept his inspiration’s journey on his mind.

Mike Takayama was the player I really looked up to. I watched him play, and I liked his style, not too aggressive, balanced, very patient. That’s the kind of game I wanted to play. Seeing him in person made me want to take poker seriously.

After Takayama, he began to watch more Filipino pros extremely close.

I also remember a tournament at PokerStars Okada where I saw ‘Big Time’ Christopher Mateo. He saw me and asked me to buy him coffee, then asked why I wasn’t playing. I told him I didn’t have a staker. He let me play, but I lost. He got a bit upset but gave me advice, telling me, ‘If you see someone who can help you, offer to help them, buy their coffee or food’.

Finding A Mentor And His First Win

From budding billiards pro to gofer isn’t the usual direction one takes in achieving greatness, but David was willing to do almost anything to get better, so he followed the advise.

He told me to come back the next day, and that’s when he started staking me. If he said to come early, I’d be there an hour before the tournament started. I think he saw that I was hardworking.

After getting the necessary extra push and experience points, David finally earned his first score.

At first, I kept losing but finally won a side event at PokerStars in January 2024, my first spadie and my first trophy.

David took down the Bubble Rush event at the Manila Megastack 19 for a modest ₱46,192 (~US$830) and it brought him over the proverbial hump.

After that, I started going deeper in tournaments and winning more,” he said. “But everything before that was really tough.

Being staked usually entails playing with “scared money” since someone invests in the player’s abilities to earn a Return of Income (ROI). At the onset, this kept David from playing optimally. Eventually, it toughened him.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Just make sure you learn from them and work hard so your backer sees their money is worth it, and that you can win. Also, be smart about the events you pick. Choose tournaments that you know are worth it and profitable when you win. I’m more careful when there’s a staker involved. When it’s my own money, I tell myself it’s okay to lose because it’s mine anyway. At first, I thought if I lost or made a wrong move with someone else’s money, staking might stop. That pressure was real.

Learning to Trust Himself

The time finally came when he could buy-in to tournaments of his choosing without worrying about stakers. 

Of course, there’s something about playing with your own money, you really feel when you’re ready to win. I’m selling action and getting backers mainly to build my bankroll. My target right now is 1 million pesos. I also ask skilled players for advice on how to manage my bankroll properly. When it’s my own money, no one gets mad if I make a mistake, there’s less nervousness, less pressure. Now I try to balance both. Sometimes I play with a staker, sometimes with my own money. I’ve won a lot but also lost a big chunk like ₱650,000 in Taiwan because I didn’t cash in any tournaments. That was my own expenses for ticket, room, food, everything. For big buy-ins, I sell action to manage risk.

He lauds fellow Filipino forerunners like Takayama, John Tech. Lester Edoc and Flo Campomanes, among others, for indirectly showing him how to treat poker as a business and maintain his drive for the game.

They’re talented, for sure. But what really sets them apart is their hunger and dedication. When they don’t win, they feel that fire to get better. They have discipline in both their game and their money. They adapt quickly. And importantly, they already have a solid bankroll. They play really well with that security. But if you took away their bankroll and had them play the same way, they’d probably struggle a bit. Proper bankroll management is huge.

Breakthrough Year

December of last year was the turning point in David’s career as he pocketed his biggest career haul by finishing as the runner-up of the Manila Megastack 20 Main Event to fellow Filipino Richard “Hot Sawz” Marquez for ₱2,320,000 (~US$ 38,540) followed a week later by a triumph at the Metro Christmas Special for another seven-digit snare of ₱1,000,000 (~US$ 17,115). In a span of seven days, David became a Bonafide poker millionaire. Not bad for someone who could barely afford travel and food expenses to arrive at competition venues just months prior. Now, he speaks to young aspirants.

Don’t be afraid to try if you believe you can do it. Stay consistent, work hard, and don’t give up. If you don’t try, you’ll never know your potential. Don’t stay in your comfort zone. You need to go through the struggle to push yourself. Nothing’s easy in the beginning, everything’s hard at first. You have to go through those tough times because there’s no shortcut. Once you get through it, you’ll be motivated even more. You’ll slowly figure out if you really have what it takes to win. If you fail, maybe poker’s not for you, but at least you tried.

If you love poker, give it a shot. Look at me, I improved fast through hard work, dedication, and believing in myself. Don’t be shy about asking for a stake if you need it.

He also gave a personal outlook change.

I remember before, whenever I left the house, I’d just think about how I could even get to play. Even if I wasn’t sure, I’d still go out. Now, my mindset is different. I think about how I can win, and I make sure I’m in the right condition to do so. It’s only been about a year, almost two. In the future, when things stabilize, I’ll start thinking about how to grow my winnings even more.

A championship abroad still eludes David, although he has nine cashes in Taiwan and a couple in Vietnam. 

At rate of his exponential growth in the game, it won’t be long before those feats—which seemed like such a distant dream when he was buying nourishment for those he subsequently shares table time with in major tournaments—are accomplished.

David could be on the precipice of an international breakthrough. The sky’s the limit for the man they call “Revo”.

*Third photo by Metro Card Club