Who am I?

A fair question, and one I’ve asked myself a lot.

I’m Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger. I’ve played poker professionally for 20 years, mostly at the highest stakes, with over $23M in live tournament earnings.

I found poker as a senior in high school after a lifetime of loving games and strategy. School never fully clicked for me – I liked math and art, but the curriculum felt off. Poker was the first thing that made me think, “If I’m already winning at most games, and this one lets me make a living, maybe I can just play games my whole life.” I’m grateful I followed that thread.

I started in small home games and local card clubs on Long Island, then really committed one summer living with friends where we played and discussed poker non‑stop. In 2009, at 21, I came to Vegas, put up $25K for the WPT Bellagio Championship, and finished 13th. That summer at my first WSOP I took 2nd in a $5K shootout and 18th in the Main Event. Overnight, it felt like I’d “made it.”

But after moving to Vegas I realized that external success didn’t answer the deeper questions I had. I felt young, lost, and pretty confused. Around that time I dove into Eastern philosophy – Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism – looking for something beyond pure materialism and hedonism. That was the beginning of a more holistic way of life for me: maximizing well‑being, fulfillment, and yes, still success, but on different terms.

Over the next decade I had plenty of ups and downs – startups, over‑extensions, lessons I paid for the hard way – but those philosophies gave me a way through. I wrote The Yoga of Poker in 2014 to explore the game through the lens of yoga and spirituality. I built Khemset as a way to blend decision‑making, intuition, and state – first for myself, then for others.

Through 15+ years of teaching, I’ve found that coaching taps me into something bigger than playing alone ever did. Helping people understand themselves, make better decisions, and achieve their goals gives a kind of meaning that tournaments don’t always provide.

Today I still love improving my game, discussing hands with friends, and treating poker as the incredible lab that it is. I also live in Las Vegas with my wife Alyssa, our two doves Dovie & Blanca, and our daughter, Sedona Rose. Being a husband and now a father is the most grounding & fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.

If I’m remembered for anything, I’d like it to be this: you have agency and sovereignty over your state of being. Life may throw you unexpected and un-preferred experiences. You can’t always control the cards, but you can decide how you show up - and no one can take that from you.