By Sean Chaffin
It was a crazy time in Austin, Texas, in the 1960s. Students regularly protested the Vietnam War and for other social causes. And while there were plenty of rallies and tumult, Longhorn football still attracted plenty of attention. Coach Darrell Royal led the team to a National Championship in 1969 and then again in 1970.
Poker player Peter Lockwood (pictured) was a student at the university at the time and experienced the sights and sounds the capital of the Lone Star State had to offer first-hand.
“Mainly, my major was drugs and girls,” he says with a deep laugh. “It was kind of crazy back then, but I’m still alive.”
“I had a bunch of buddies who went to Vietnam, but I didn’t have to. I had a high draft lottery number.”
While he may have changed his major a few times and been preoccupied with things outside the classroom, Lockwood says he eventually straightened out and went on to a successful business career.
For the last two years, Lockwood has played poker full-time after selling his businesses. His work life was busy as owner of a roofing business, real estate investment firm, and a distributorship. After a few decades of being an entrepreneur, he decided a few years ago that it was time to move on to more leisurely pursuits.
“I owned several companies and played poker as a hobby,” he says. “And when I’m not playing poker, I play golf. Basically, I just travel and play WPTs.”
The 69-year-old is among the Day 1A field at the WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open this weekend. The poker player has two children and grew up in Tennessee and then San Antonio. He now calls Arlington, Texas, his home when not on the poker road.
So far things have gone well in his new poker life. Lockwood has $186,000 in live tournament winnings and already has plans to play in the WPT Five Diamond Poker Classic at the Bellagio in December. He finished 30th in the event last season for $37,807 and is hoping to improve on that. He has several final table appearances and a few nice wins in smaller buy-in tournaments.
Earlier in November, Lockwood finished runner-up in a $250 seniors event at the WSOP Circuit event at Choctaw for $10,958.
Growing up, competition was always part of Lockwood’s life. He played baseball quite a bit, but quickly found he was more cut out for cards than more physical games.
“I broke my wrist playing football, so I figured I wasn’t big enough,” he says.
Poker was soon a bit of a preoccupation, taking the place of sports as he continued to play more at the tables.
“I played Seven Card Stud, and skipped every Monday to play in high school – until I got caught,” he says laughing.
By the dinner break of Day 1a, Lockwood sat on a stack of about 70,000. He hoped to make Day 2 and head to a golf course tomorrow during the second starting flight. There are numerous great options in the South Florida area, and he was certainly looking forward to swinging some clubs.
Looking back, that time as a student back in Austin is still very memorable for him. Coach Royal’s 1969 National Championship team and that magical season still stick out in his mind. The team went 11-0 and defeated Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl that season.
Almost four decades later, Lockwood was able to relive some of those days with Royal himself. Lockwood was playing a celebrity golf event and had lunch with the College Football Hall of Famer. Former Texas Governor Royal passed away in 2012, but Lockwood was able to talk with him about some of those great teams from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Even a Texas Aggie seated at the table, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, had to enjoy some conversation about those old days in Austin
“We were all playing in the golf tournament and seated at the same table,” he says. “That was really nice. It was a hoot.”