The story is about to begin...

      Coming from a divorced family, I've learned a lot from both of my parents. Often, a person will react either two ways. During a childhood experience, a person will learn and reciprocate the experience and apply it to his/her future or that person will learn to do the opposite of the experience depending on how it has affected the outcome of the person's life.

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." - Sir Isaac Newton, Third Law of Motion

Even though this law is for that of physical science, in my experience, theoretically you can apply this law to psychology as well. You will be involved in situations in your life, where you either react negatively or positively from it, and there will be other factors that are affected from this effect either as a benefit or a loss. The unique thing about our lives individually is that we can control whether or not we have a positive or negative impact on our lives. Ultimately, something will be learned from each experience in your life and that is why we are here to Learn, everything, all the time. It is a lesson and the capacity of our brain is endless.

Top: Myself, Mom, Older Sister
Bottom: Younger sister, Step father

Mom, Dad, If you read this, I know you were very young when you had both my sister and I, and you had many things you were learning on the road of life for yourselves. One thing you accomplished that I have not is seeing your children grow up to be educated, goal oriented, hardworking individuals. That is something to be proud of and I love and am appreciative for helping us get to where we are now. Without y'all and my stepfather, none of what I have accomplished would have been possible.

My Dad, Marques Colston, Myself

What I have learned growing up as a kid, is how ugly divorce is. How much pain it puts on everyone affected by it no matter what age. There will be sadness, pain, confusion, etc. Sometimes, the reactions are vented involuntarily to other parties; family, friends, but most of all children. The love from your child does not compare to the love from your spouse. In a child's eyes, the love for a parent is the world to them. When the child sees the parent hurting, the child hurts with them, same with every other emotion that the parent may experience. (This is my personal observation from being both a parent and child in a situation of Divorce).

In both scenarios it was also decided it was best for the child(ren). What I promised myself and Madilynn even before I was married, before I had a child, is that I would never get a divorce, I don't believe in it. I also made a promise to myself that I would love my daughter endlessly, so she would never feel a void from me and could always trust that her daddy was gonna be there for her. I did the best that I could and still hold true to that belief, but sometimes life has other plans that are out of my control. The only thing I can do is sit here and wonder where do I go from here, how do I adapt from this. I don't have all the answers, might not ever have them, but I can't give up.

Dedication to Madilynn Noel Stroud - Prologue

        Starting today, and one time for every following week, I will express a dedication to a love so beautiful, so profound, and an angel so sweet and loving who loved to laugh and play, that I can not fathom why God would want to take it from me so soon and not allow me to watch it flourish before my eyes as the years grow older. Madilynn Noel Stroud was only two years, one month, and 25 days when she left my life to experience the divinity of Heaven (Yes I know she is there, and that gives me peace, even though I miss her constantly). It was the longest day of my life as time seemed to have stopped and then move slowly. then the week began to drag out even longer. I try to write as many memories as possible of the times we had together, and I am happy that I was able to experience every bit of that time with Madi, I just wish I could have had more. She was the only person I have ever had touch my heart to where she could make me laugh right after I have been crying, or after a long taxing day at work, when I would go pick her up, her wide open arms, huge smile, and sprint to me with a sparkle in her eyes, that would suddenly brighten my day. Ultimately my new lifelong goal is to master patience as this has been one of my greatest flaws. I hate that this is the way I have to master this challenge of life, but it is the only way I will get to love, kiss, and hug my sweet baby girl again for eternity in Heaven.

      Throughout the days of my intense mourning, constant questions, feelings of worthlessness, empty stomach and insufficient sleep, I also managed to write something that I felt that was sent straight from God. Please feel free to share this following message. I honestly believeHis message is to love unconditionally and forgive often. But learn from the past. The day before Madilynn's funeral I printed 150 of these papers. I still own the original but the message I am expressing is very powerful. The message comes directly from my heart and mind, and if I didn't believe it was true, I would not be sharing it with you right now.

       "If there is anything that Madi taught me, it is that God surrounds us in life. He is everywhere and in everything, constantly reminding us that He is there with us. What I never noticed or understood, until I had my baby girl, is that if you do not allow God into your HEART, then you are just going through the motions. You cannot experience unconditional love, you cannot truly forgive anyone or honestly understand anything if God is not allowed into your heart.

         You can go to church, surround yourself with Christian people, read the Bible over and over, and throw verses at people like rocks to try to break their spirit. If God is not in your heart,then you may never understand the lessons the Bible holds. A person can go through every motion possible, but if God is not allowed in your heart, 100%, then you will not appreciate your purpose in life and never understand or accept unconditional love for anything else. This world is so deep, and has more than just individual feelings or thoughts. Madi and I loved each other and I would sacrifice everything for her. She was my life, my world, my everything, now she's gone and left me with this message.

Share love for everyone, so God can fill your heart and not just surround your life. That is the only way you will truly appreciate anything."

I love you Madilynn Noel,
You were my one and only "lil butt"

Matt Stroud

Good people deserve Great Recognition

A Good friend of mine, Brent Hulin, Recently participated in a Charity Poker Event related to his profession. What was great about Hulin not only participating in this event, but actually Winning it and putting the winnings to great use.It is safe to say that not many of Brent's coworkers are aware of his hidden talent....well not really hidden for those who know him and play against him regularly....but in the real world where poker is just gambling and a game of chance, Brent's skills may have been a surprise to many.He shared this awesome news with me and I wanted to jump on the chance to interview him because what he did with his winnings from the tournament is what very few poker players would do and shows just how much of a class act guy he is!

Where was this tournament held? Anaheim Convention Center

Did the tournament have a name? Milestone Aviation Group 2^nd Annual Poker Tournament                       

Was there a buyin or was it sponsored? Sponsored by Milestone Aviation Group. There was a field of 90 entrants in the helicopter, leasing and aviation world in attendance. Final table spots won prizes from charitable donations to a $20K watch (first place).                        

Is this a yearly event? Or just a one time thing, sounds like a great way to meet fellow colleagues in your field. This was the 2^nd Annual Tournament.

It’s an event that is held one evening during the Helicopter Association International https://www.rotor.com/

Upon entering the tournament was it a requirement to have charities to donate to? The winners were able to choose their charities after the tournament.

How long have you been playing poker and who would you say have been your biggest influence in learning the game? I started playing poker about 10 years ago. Texas Hold Em’ was very popular at the time. I joined some co-workers after work at a bar called Pete’s. They taught me about the game and I won a few bucks that night. I was hooked! I started playing in some online games and started playing house games and hosting cash games of my own. There were some nights I’d play till 6 in the morning at friends houses winning a few hundred bucks. I cashed 5^th place in 2009 in the United Way Poker Tournament for $1k. The buyins were split into charity / cash payouts. Due to my busy work and life schedule I hadn’t played poker in about 18 months. I just got back into the game in February. I followed my good friend Kevin Eyster while I took my hiatus. He has a special talent and never gave up on his dream. He is definitely an influence to me when I think about the psychology of the game.

What was the coolest thing you have won/received that has been involved with poker. My good friend Kevin Eyster and I played poker together for many years when I was in college. I signed a deck of cards for him once when I beat him up in a cash game. After he moved away and started playing in some big name tournaments he stopped in town one night by my apartment to visit. He had the munchies and ate a box of Cheez-its Hot & Spicy. I told him when he wins a big tournament he better send me a signed box of Cheez-its and it better be the Hot & Spicy! A few months ago I received my signed box of Cheez-it Hot & Spicy after he won the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown and cashed a cool $660K. I won’t be eating those anytime soon!

I hope you don't eat those Cheez-Its buddy. One that is priceless story, and two I can't guarantee the health risk you would be taking haha.


If you still don't know who Kevin Eyster is,here is a short clip of the WPT Seminole Event Mr. Hulin is referring to where Tony "Bond18" Dunst breaks down the great poker play of 1$ickDisea$E

Update: The original article is no longer available online, but here's what it said....I'll make his fame last forever ;)

March 31 -- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and a local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation are each receiving a $7,500 donation, thanks to Brent Hulin’s poker-playing skills in a charity tournament held at Heli-Expo.

Brent, who works in global aircraft sales and acquisitions in New Iberia, took second place in the event, which was sponsored by aircraft lessor Milestone Aviation Group. Approximately 90 people entered the tournament.

“I started playing poker for fun about 10 years ago and mostly play home games but I have done well in tournaments before,” Brent says. “So you could say I have some poker skills but there is always luck involved.”

Special significance
Brent’s choices of St. Jude and Make-A-Wish are not random selections, as both organizations had a major impact on his life while he was battling leukemia when he was 15 years old.

“I was being treated at Tulane University in New Orleans and was having a difficult time with the chemotherapy treatments,” Brent says. “They consulted with St. Jude to change up the treatments and it helped but it was still a tough year.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation offered Brent a wish and the avid football fan made the most of it, choosing to attend the Super Bowl in San Diego in January 2003 (Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21). His only regret is that his favorite team, the New Orleans Saints, wasn’t playing.

Now 29, Brent is in full remission. “It was almost half my life ago but I am glad to be able to make these donations and thanks to Milestone for putting on the tournament.” 

caption: Bristow’s Brent Hulin (right) won second place at Milestone Aviation Group’s poker tournament at Heli-Expo and $15,000 in charitable donations.

Posted 31-Mar-2014 17:49:14 CDT

F@*& Cancer! And Everything about it.

Recently I have learned that some people close to me have either just found out about having some type of cancer, or have been battling it for a while now. This is crap, just the fact that I don't understand it, like many. The only way to cure it is to basically put your body through pain and stress known as Chemotherapy and actually pay doctors and hospitals for this unusual form of torture. I guess my aggravation with the whole matter is that I just don't want to believe that this is the only way to kill it. One day as I was actually thinking about this. There was an article that came up in my facebook news feed how a group of Students at Stanford University actually came up with an alternative way and have been researching this. You can actually read this article HERE if you are wondering what I read. 

I'll be honest, I don't know much about Cancer, how its formed, and what it takes to get rid of it.  I do know that it is my astrological sign, (which is totally irrelevant to this blog) and that I hate it and everything about it. I also know that in order to get through it, You must stay positive and be optimistic, and the larger of a support group you have, the better, but above all, you cannot let the cancer defeat your spirit. If anything, getting through this will make you a stronger person and more influential to others that are close to you in your life.

The first I would like to talk about is a beautiful baby girl who has been battling a cancerous tumor by her face and neck since August 2013 at 19 months. She has had a very great spirit and she is also very loveable. I think what is even better about this story is the huge following she has gained and support system that has grown thanks to the extreme unselfish love provided by her Nanny Jennifer and Uncle Ryan Romero. They have been there every step of the way and Jennifer has literally been by her side to care for lil Aubrie. Recently there was an awesome benefit to help raise money with multiple bands, silent auctions, great food, just an awesome celebration that I unfortunately had to miss because It fell on my work week, but from what I heard the turnout was amazing.
You Can learn more about Aubrie and her battle at the website http://www.prayers4aubrie.com/


I just recently learned that my wonderful Aunt Holly was also diagnosed with breast cancer. I was actually in shock when I heard this and it still feels unreal to me. But I am confident that she can defeat this because she is a very strong woman and every single memory I have of my aunt she always has the Greatest smile on her face. She recently retired from Teaching after 30 years of putting up with bratty children, I don't blame her haha. But to be honest, I've never heard one complaint and everyone who she taught loved her. I just want her to know that even though this battle has just began for you, There will be many people around to love you, Especially your children Tim and Shelly, your silly grand babies, and of course your loving, goofy husband Uncle Glenn. Oh by the way, sorry but I had to put an embarrassing picture of you as well ;) love you!


Finally, a good poker buddy and friend of mine, Francis Nguyen, recently learned that his mother was also diagnosed with cancer. I don't know much details about this, but I know that all things are possible if you pray, stay optimistic, and believe that nothing is impossible and that you will prove it by getting through it! If there is anyone else out there that I may have left out I just want you to be strong and believe that things can only look better! If you ever need to talk, or a little extra support, I'm here for you.

Guess I'll revive this thing before it is forgotten

As some of you may know, I used to write these blogs regularly. Then I took on the task of starting a website formerly known as Acadianapokerplayers.com. I had a huge vision for this and wanted to eventually see it flourish. but I forgot to focus on the small start and build a strong foundation. It didn't take long for it to crumble beneath my feet. I think I've met many great people over the years and more than fortunate to have met many friends, poker players, and even some I have learned lessons from. Well I have new opportunities and even new life events from two years ago. Now that the dust has settled I want to find time to write my thoughts every now and then. Whether it be about Poker, My daughter, or just random life situations and events. I always enjoyed expressing my thoughts through literature, even if the grammar wasn't always the greatest.

I will also be posting my FULL article submissions that I usually submit to AnteUp Magazine for my monthly article being the Louisiana Ambassador. Mainly for the fact that I am limited to only 250 words and usually have more to say than that. So use this to your advantage as a sneak preview and inside view of whats to come in upcoming AnteUp issues, atleast for the state of Louisiana. I am also a great source for getting you a relaxing Poker Cruise provided by Ante Up. Just click on the link and let them know the Louisiana Ambassador Matt Stroud sent you. They will be sure to take care of any questions or needs that you may have!

Well I'll keep this short but stay posted, I have started to play more homegames lately as I took over the task of distributing the poker issues monthly as well and hope to see some  of you at the next games I go to. The main goal I have for this year is to earn enough money to go play in Las Vegas for a 3-4 night stay mainly because I have never had the pleasure of  visiting and I want to experience what  all the hype is about.

Other than that, I am finally able to focus more on my Job and feel that I am learning more and more each day and excited about every new thing that I learn! My daughter also turned two today and she had an awesome day. She has always lifted my spirits even when I hit rock bottom and she did it with little to no effort, I am so grateful to have such a wonderful daughter and wouldn't know what I would do without her in my life. I'm no longer married and have moved on from that chapter in my life, but no time for dwelling on the negative, its too easy to be pessimistic, sad or upset. You actually have to put forth effort and work to have happiness and confidence. Even more so when other unhappy people see you smiling and want you to be on their miserable level. You have accomplished new steps in your life when you don't allow them to defeat you. I will step off my philosophical soap box and just encourage you to never stop improving yourself. Always believe that you can become something more. The reward will be worth it.

Goodnight and glad to be back.M. Stroud

"Life is like poker, Eventually you are dealt a new hand"