by Aaron Angerman
The poker tides have changed over the years and what was once a melting pot of mixed games has become the No Limit Hold'em dominated sport you see today. But thanks to online poker, mixed games are beginning to regain some of their sexiness. As you may have noticed, World Series of Poker bracelet winner and PokerStars Stud Consultant Adam Roberts has been contributing some of his is poker knowledge via his new, weekly PokerPages.com blog. In order to give the world ranked Stud poker player a proper introduction, Adam was kind enough to schedule an interview with yours truly.
Adam had agreed to answer a few of my questions, even though he was just 24-hours removed from a near fatal car crash. His latest drive to Las Vegas was all but complete, before a large item in the middle of the road forced his SUV into the median and onto its roof. The slide that followed would stop just short of a 50 foot drop off. His car was totaled. EMT's thought his neck was possibly broken and the blood was evidence that he would require a lot of sewing up.
His computer still runs like a charm, even after being thrown to the concrete from a tumbling vehicle. The next day, Adam was back at work, covering his section and spewing years of invaluable Stud info. "I could have taken some time off," he said, "but that's not my style."
I waited for him in the hotel lobby, trying to match the passing faces with what I recall of the winner's photo from Event 4 of the 2001 World Series of Poker. I was also using the description he gave me over the phone, keeping my eyes peeled for the "dude with stitches in my head."
When I finally spotted him, he looked more extreme sport than Stud specialist. The stitches turned out to be several dozen staples in the top of his head, a sight maybe not suited for reporters with weak stomachs, and his neck, while not severely injured, was lacking in the mobility department. I had doubts going in, thinking maybe we could postpone the interview, giving him a little more time to recover. But it takes a tough player to make a living at the Stud tables. Spend just five minutes with Mr. Adam Roberts and you'll realize it'll take a little more than a car crash to slow him down.
A longtime athlete, Adam held down the Point Guard spot at famed Lincoln High School in New York before NBA superstar Stephon Marbury became a household name. After college, the Brooklyn native would hear a few offers from European basketball clubs, before deciding to pursue a music career. Years later, with his pro bball window now closed, Adam wrapped up his recording business and hit the felt. Even after a personal poker-hiatus lasting more than four years, Adam remains one of the games' best Stud players, whether it be live or online, tournament or ring game.
AA - How did you start playing poker?
AR - Initially, it was a way for me to make extra money. I was an athlete and musician, so I didn't have time for regular job. I needed time and freedom to go along with my money. I needed time for school and my social life.
I'm not really sure how I picked up poker, because my parents didn't gamble in any way. I would have to say it was the environment I grew up in, a plethora of high rise buildings on Coney Island. There were lots of kids, but a lot of the time the weather was not conducive to hanging around outside. There wasn't enough city money to open a rec center. We would just hang out in stairwells of buildings, playing cards. That's where I spent a lot of my time, from the ages of 10 to 15-years-old.
What games did you start out playing?
We'd play all sorts of games, but my first poker love was Stud. Stud is a New York game, Stud high, Stud eight-or-better, etc... Nobody played Hold'em. Back then, high limit at the mirage was only stud games. Stud is more of an instinct and feel game than HE, which is more math game. Plus, I had some great teachers.
Is there any chance that Stud games will be popular with mainstream poker players, like Omaha is beginning to become?
Stud-high, no. Stud-8, for sure. It's the staple game in my section. The higher limit HORSE games are also becoming popular and you must know some Stud to play in those.
People say Stud is dying game. I don't see it. I don't play there, but here constantly about all the Commerce Stud action. Atlantic City, Connecticut, the same thing. Here [Las Vegas] it's dying. I think that sometimes there is just so much more Hold'em, it's harder to find the games. I don't think Stud has died, Hold'em just got so big. It's also hard to find anyone who wants to spread a Split game in the casinos, mainly because it just takes too long.
Is it safe to assume that there is less dead money in Stud fields?
Well, if you're looking at the short term, Stud is the most volatile poker game. There are just too many beats that can be had in any forms of stud, mainly due to the math of the game. There are more cards and betting streets, it's much more stressful to play.
In the long run, the best Stud players will make money, although the "long run" is an ambiguous term. The shortest long term run, which will allow you to make an accurate judgement, is at least 2,000 hours. Remember, online I'm playing twice as much live. Over that time, I would say that a good Stud player is going to win more than good Hold'em player during that period.
How's your Hold'em game?
I'm a basketball player, so I like to use a basketball analogy. Michael Jordan retired from the NBA to play baseball. After a while, everyone realized, including himself, that he can't play baseball. Not that he was terrible. No, he was a minor league baseball player. And I'm not saying I'm the Michael Jordan of poker. I'm an OK Hold'em player, but if stud games were gone from the face of the earth tomorrow, I could not make my living at Hold'em. But in HORSE, I can hold my own and make myself a favorite at every game.
Could you ever see yourself at $50K HORSE tournament?
If I had the money, I wouldn't buy in, I would satellite in. I think that I'd need $1 million in disposable money to play a tournament like that. That's a big buy-in, but I can't say I wouldn't do it if I had that kind of money.
What is it about Stud that keeps you faithful to the game?
I'm not sure what it is about stud that catches me. Sometimes I feel that maybe I just have an innate ability, just how I chose basketball over football or tennis. Maybe I just like the structure of the game.
Stud is more of an instinct and feel game than Hold'em, which is more of a math game. I was lucky to have great teachers in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. They tought me that math is definitely important, but there are a lot of people out there that don't quite understand math related concepts about Stud. They're not covered in books like Hold'em strategy is. Not too many people in the world understand Stud concepts.
Did you ever think about putting those concepts on paper?
I came close, but a lot of people wanted to pay me not to put them in a book. Back in 2000, I showed some of my work to another pro, who told me to write a book. Many of my mentors and others asked me not to do it.
You can teach somebody the right way to do something, but they still have to apply it. You can teach somebody how to shoot a free throw, but you have to be able to hit them in a game.
Did you accomplish anything with your poker hiatus?
Yes. My first passion is teaching, coach, mentoring. It was a tough time in my life. Suddenly, the music didn't work out and I had skipped out on basketball career. I followed that up by making some poor decisions financially. I decided to go back to Brooklyn, where I was able to teach and gather myself. If the money was good enough, I would prefer to do that, work in the field of social work. If it wasn't for a series of sports related injuries, I might not have stumbled back into poker.
After no less than seven surgeries, I was able to support myself playing both blackjack and poker online. It's nice. I feel that'd I had accomplished what I wanted to do. I still coach bball. That's why I like my consulting job. It gives me extra time and freedom. I feel that gambling in general creates a laziness. There are a lot of poker players out there no schedule. It is important for me to keep things in perspective, to help out other people and not be married to the table.
Does the current online poker situation alarm you at all?
Not really, but I don't' think online poker situation will change for the better. I also feel it won't matter who is in office. Besides, there are so many more important things going on in the world other than poker, how can we expect this to hurry at all.
It's a scary thing to think they could shut down online poker. Of course, I don't see it. There hasn't been a drop in business, at least not on our site. If it did fall by the wayside, I might play live, I also might go back into teaching.
Like the idea of walking to my computer in my gym shorts, playing 20 minutes and coming back an hour later, expecially Stud-8 games. I like not having to drive to the casino, then probably wait for a game. When you're there, there's tips, gas and all sorts of hidden expenses.
Casino people can also be a little much. Their even nastier at higher limits. I don't like berating at or around my table. I also don't like people asking to borrow money. Sometimes people recognize me at the tables and want to talk, which Is nice. But when I'm at home, I can just turn off the phone.
The poker tides have changed over the years and what was once a melting pot of mixed games has become the No Limit Hold'em dominated sport you see today. But thanks to online poker, mixed games are beginning to regain some of their sexiness. As you may have noticed, World Series of Poker bracelet winner and PokerStars Stud Consultant Adam Roberts has been contributing some of his is poker knowledge via his new, weekly PokerPages.com blog. In order to give the world ranked Stud poker player a proper introduction, Adam was kind enough to schedule an interview with yours truly.Adam had agreed to answer a few of my questions, even though he was just 24-hours removed from a near fatal car crash. His latest drive to Las Vegas was all but complete, before a large item in the middle of the road forced his SUV into the median and onto its roof. The slide that followed would stop just short of a 50 foot drop off. His car was totaled. EMT's thought his neck was possibly broken and the blood was evidence that he would require a lot of sewing up.
His computer still runs like a charm, even after being thrown to the concrete from a tumbling vehicle. The next day, Adam was back at work, covering his section and spewing years of invaluable Stud info. "I could have taken some time off," he said, "but that's not my style."
I waited for him in the hotel lobby, trying to match the passing faces with what I recall of the winner's photo from Event 4 of the 2001 World Series of Poker. I was also using the description he gave me over the phone, keeping my eyes peeled for the "dude with stitches in my head."
When I finally spotted him, he looked more extreme sport than Stud specialist. The stitches turned out to be several dozen staples in the top of his head, a sight maybe not suited for reporters with weak stomachs, and his neck, while not severely injured, was lacking in the mobility department. I had doubts going in, thinking maybe we could postpone the interview, giving him a little more time to recover. But it takes a tough player to make a living at the Stud tables. Spend just five minutes with Mr. Adam Roberts and you'll realize it'll take a little more than a car crash to slow him down.
A longtime athlete, Adam held down the Point Guard spot at famed Lincoln High School in New York before NBA superstar Stephon Marbury became a household name. After college, the Brooklyn native would hear a few offers from European basketball clubs, before deciding to pursue a music career. Years later, with his pro bball window now closed, Adam wrapped up his recording business and hit the felt. Even after a personal poker-hiatus lasting more than four years, Adam remains one of the games' best Stud players, whether it be live or online, tournament or ring game.
AA - How did you start playing poker?
AR - Initially, it was a way for me to make extra money. I was an athlete and musician, so I didn't have time for regular job. I needed time and freedom to go along with my money. I needed time for school and my social life.
I'm not really sure how I picked up poker, because my parents didn't gamble in any way. I would have to say it was the environment I grew up in, a plethora of high rise buildings on Coney Island. There were lots of kids, but a lot of the time the weather was not conducive to hanging around outside. There wasn't enough city money to open a rec center. We would just hang out in stairwells of buildings, playing cards. That's where I spent a lot of my time, from the ages of 10 to 15-years-old.
What games did you start out playing?
We'd play all sorts of games, but my first poker love was Stud. Stud is a New York game, Stud high, Stud eight-or-better, etc... Nobody played Hold'em. Back then, high limit at the mirage was only stud games. Stud is more of an instinct and feel game than HE, which is more math game. Plus, I had some great teachers.
Is there any chance that Stud games will be popular with mainstream poker players, like Omaha is beginning to become?
Stud-high, no. Stud-8, for sure. It's the staple game in my section. The higher limit HORSE games are also becoming popular and you must know some Stud to play in those.
People say Stud is dying game. I don't see it. I don't play there, but here constantly about all the Commerce Stud action. Atlantic City, Connecticut, the same thing. Here [Las Vegas] it's dying. I think that sometimes there is just so much more Hold'em, it's harder to find the games. I don't think Stud has died, Hold'em just got so big. It's also hard to find anyone who wants to spread a Split game in the casinos, mainly because it just takes too long.
Is it safe to assume that there is less dead money in Stud fields?
Well, if you're looking at the short term, Stud is the most volatile poker game. There are just too many beats that can be had in any forms of stud, mainly due to the math of the game. There are more cards and betting streets, it's much more stressful to play.
In the long run, the best Stud players will make money, although the "long run" is an ambiguous term. The shortest long term run, which will allow you to make an accurate judgement, is at least 2,000 hours. Remember, online I'm playing twice as much live. Over that time, I would say that a good Stud player is going to win more than good Hold'em player during that period.
How's your Hold'em game?
I'm a basketball player, so I like to use a basketball analogy. Michael Jordan retired from the NBA to play baseball. After a while, everyone realized, including himself, that he can't play baseball. Not that he was terrible. No, he was a minor league baseball player. And I'm not saying I'm the Michael Jordan of poker. I'm an OK Hold'em player, but if stud games were gone from the face of the earth tomorrow, I could not make my living at Hold'em. But in HORSE, I can hold my own and make myself a favorite at every game.
Could you ever see yourself at $50K HORSE tournament?
If I had the money, I wouldn't buy in, I would satellite in. I think that I'd need $1 million in disposable money to play a tournament like that. That's a big buy-in, but I can't say I wouldn't do it if I had that kind of money.
What is it about Stud that keeps you faithful to the game?
I'm not sure what it is about stud that catches me. Sometimes I feel that maybe I just have an innate ability, just how I chose basketball over football or tennis. Maybe I just like the structure of the game.
Stud is more of an instinct and feel game than Hold'em, which is more of a math game. I was lucky to have great teachers in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. They tought me that math is definitely important, but there are a lot of people out there that don't quite understand math related concepts about Stud. They're not covered in books like Hold'em strategy is. Not too many people in the world understand Stud concepts.
Did you ever think about putting those concepts on paper?
I came close, but a lot of people wanted to pay me not to put them in a book. Back in 2000, I showed some of my work to another pro, who told me to write a book. Many of my mentors and others asked me not to do it.
You can teach somebody the right way to do something, but they still have to apply it. You can teach somebody how to shoot a free throw, but you have to be able to hit them in a game.
Did you accomplish anything with your poker hiatus?
Yes. My first passion is teaching, coach, mentoring. It was a tough time in my life. Suddenly, the music didn't work out and I had skipped out on basketball career. I followed that up by making some poor decisions financially. I decided to go back to Brooklyn, where I was able to teach and gather myself. If the money was good enough, I would prefer to do that, work in the field of social work. If it wasn't for a series of sports related injuries, I might not have stumbled back into poker.
After no less than seven surgeries, I was able to support myself playing both blackjack and poker online. It's nice. I feel that'd I had accomplished what I wanted to do. I still coach bball. That's why I like my consulting job. It gives me extra time and freedom. I feel that gambling in general creates a laziness. There are a lot of poker players out there no schedule. It is important for me to keep things in perspective, to help out other people and not be married to the table.
Does the current online poker situation alarm you at all?
Not really, but I don't' think online poker situation will change for the better. I also feel it won't matter who is in office. Besides, there are so many more important things going on in the world other than poker, how can we expect this to hurry at all.
It's a scary thing to think they could shut down online poker. Of course, I don't see it. There hasn't been a drop in business, at least not on our site. If it did fall by the wayside, I might play live, I also might go back into teaching.
Like the idea of walking to my computer in my gym shorts, playing 20 minutes and coming back an hour later, expecially Stud-8 games. I like not having to drive to the casino, then probably wait for a game. When you're there, there's tips, gas and all sorts of hidden expenses.
Casino people can also be a little much. Their even nastier at higher limits. I don't like berating at or around my table. I also don't like people asking to borrow money. Sometimes people recognize me at the tables and want to talk, which Is nice. But when I'm at home, I can just turn off the phone.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου