In June 1999,[4] Amer entered Houston's Funniest Person Contest and made the finals. There another comedian directed him to The Comedy Showcase as the best guided comedy room. The owner of The Comedy Showcase, Danny Martinez, mentored and taught him about stand-up.[12] At the age of 19, he was being flown out to play to US troops stationed abroad.[3] becoming the first and only Arab-American refugee comic to perform for US and coalition troops overseas.[13]