æt wˈʌn kɐsˈiːnoʊ, hiː sˈɔː pˈoʊkɚ bˌiːɪŋ plˈeɪd ænd pˈɪkt ˌʌp ðə ɡˈeɪm ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv, tʃˈuːzɪŋ ɐ nˈɪkneɪm bˈeɪst ɔnðə kˈɑːɹl wˈɛðɚz fˈɪlm ˈækʃən dʒˈæksən.
At one casino, he saw poker being played and picked up the game in 1985, choosing a nickname based on the Carl Weathers film Action Jackson.