At its core, poker is a people person game; all walks of life come together to play a game for fun, for profit, or for a profession. That also means there’s a whole service industry built around offering the best game in town, the fastest action and ARIA Resort & Casino’s Poker Room is no different.

But they have a secret weapon – Clyde “Snack Attack” Gaskins.

He’s the most beloved dealer in town and in his off time, he hosts your favorite poker player’s favorite YouTube show, the “Snack Attack Podcast.” Dan Smith, Jesse Lonis, Andrew Lichtenberger and Alex and Kristen Foxen have all appeared on the podcast.

Poker Famous Meets Famous Famous

“I can’t believe this is all happening to me,” Gaskins said. We caught up with him during the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship. “Every day I have people coming up to me and saying they love my show. People are so nice to me, they treat me like I’m their brother or something.”

Gaskins’ celebrity extends beyond poker; he gained national attention when he appeared in an episode of Netflix’s “Queer Eye for a Straight Guy.” But it was almost derailed when, days before he was supposed to film, he was rushed to the hospital for quadruple bypass surgery.

He recovered, filmed the show and the journey changed his life. He admitted that all the recent attention freaks him out a little bit. “I’m a painting contractor from Lakemore, Ohio, and here I am at the center of the poker world, dealing the best pros in the world.”

“Just a Guy from Ohio”

Gaskins didn’t start dealing cards until later in life. He owned a painting company that did well working on new home construction, and then the bottom dropped out of the housing market.

Gaskins continued to grind by, taking smaller jobs and more work on his own. “By the time I paid my crew and covered my costs, there wasn’t anything left over for me,” he said. “So my nephew convinced me to move out here with him in 2008.”

Gaskins first started dealing at Sam’s Town and started calling the action there. “I really just did it at my home game and VFW games,” he said. “I called games at Sam’s, but here it just really took off.”

“I grew up at the horse track and at night I’d listen to Joe Tait call the Cleveland Cavaliers games,” Gaskins said. “The Cavs owner was blind, and Tait called the game in such a way that the owner could visualize it. I loved the excitement he brought to the game.”

Gaskins brings the same energy to the game and calls small pots snacks, hence the “Snack Attack” nickname. He went viral for how he calls the game; more of a golden era radio play-by-play man than robotically announcing bets.

Gaskins’ Venn diagram of selfie requests with fans might be the most diverse in poker. While at work, he deals the dailies all the way up to the nosebleeds on Table 1; he’s ARIA’s Swiss Army knife.

“I can’t explain it,” he said, referring to his popularity. “It means so much to me,” pointing at goosebumps on his arm. “They asked me on my first day of dealing school if I thought about it because my arms are so short,” he joked, gesturing to his 5’5” frame.

Poker Started at the Family Table

Gaskins’ dad worked for Goodyear Aerospace, builders of the famous blimp, and would bring guys over to play cards. Young Clyde’s dad put him in the game, and it changed his life. “It was Seven Card Stud and I just seemed to know what I was doing,” he said. “It was a family thing and years later, after my dad died, I played penny-ante poker with my mom.”

Gaskins wears his passion for poker plainly on his sleeve. “The love of poker brings me into work every day,” he said. “I love seeing the excitement, seeing people come together over a game, I love the energy – you have to love it.”

Gaskins couldn’t wait to reveal that he’s got world-class players lined up for his show. “I’ve got Darren Elias, Jeremy Ausmus and Stephen Chidwick coming on when they have time after their summer,” he said. “My dream guest is Daniel Negreanu – fingers crossed.”

The Next Chapter

Gaskins manages to find time to play the game he loves so much. “I just love poker, I can’t explain it any more than that,” he said. “Do you think I spend all that time in the box not paying attention to what the best guys are doing?”

“If you want to be good, you have to study and be smart about it,” he said. “One thing I said to myself when I came to Vegas to play was that I was never going to get felted (go broke). No matter what, it ain’t happening to me. Even though I know I can play against anybody, I can’t buy in for the events that I want, I don’t have that bank.”

Gaskins is careful not to overextend himself, but would love to play bigger buy-in events. He’s not dreaming of winning the WSOP Main Event or playing high rollers; he’s got much humbler goals.

“I want to buy a house, that’s my main motivation,” said Gaskins. “I don’t want to climb stairs anymore; I’m getting older and there’s going to be a day when I just can’t do it. I don’t want to worry about the future.”

Play Poker Online Now with BetMGM

To get started on your own poker journey, register with BetMGM Poker and use the special poker welcome bonus, good for new players.