Antonius Interview About Isildur1

In Full Tilt interview Patrik Antonius opines Isildur1 and online poker

In a podcast interview for the Full Tilt Poker Academy, Phil Gordon held a Q&A session with online poker mega-star Patrik Antonius, where the two discussed everything from the strengths and weaknesses of Isildur1 –the mystery pro who has recently showed up in the ultra-high-stakes games—to the astonishing heights the high-stakes online poker games are currently being taken.

With regards to Isildur1, Antonius believes the young player from Sweden is changing the world of high stakes online poker, with a fearlessness never before seen in the online poker world: Antonius feels Isildur1’s isn’t afraid to go down early in matches because “He wants to play deep, to force you to make difficult decisions every hand.” Antonius further explained that Isildur1’s fast, multi-tabling style adds to this effect. In one telling part of the interview Antonius said he worries about going down $1 million in a matter of minutes when playing Isildur1: Using the example of being down $200k –a single buy-in-- only to lose consecutive pots of $400k, $300k, and $200k on three different tables, and therefore you are suddenly in the hole over $1 million.

Antonius did say he felt Isildur1 has tilted for brief spans, but really had nothing but praise for the young online poker phenom. Gordon, worrying if Isildur1 would play until he was broke asked Antonius what he thought the Swede would do should his current downswing continue: Antonius felt it wouldn’t matter much since he thinks Isildur1 is a strong enough player that he could easily build his bankroll from $2,000 to $1 million in a year! High praise indeed!

When asked about the current action in the high-stakes online poker games Antonius seemed to imply that it would be unsustainable, remarking, “you would need a bankroll of around $500,000,000 to play the game comfortably.” Of course, Gordon’s jaw dropped at this figure, but Antonius further explained that, “If you can lose $3 million in an hour why can’t you lose $100 million?”

Antonius says nobody is really rolled for the game, but he uses these ultra-high-stakes games much like he would when taking a shot at higher limits, explaining, “If you have a $10 million bankroll and you take a shot and lose $3 million it’s not that big of a deal.”

Antonius also explained how really good poker players can play under-rolled, not only because their edge is higher, but because it’s easier for a superstar player to drop a few levels and rebuild their bankroll, where it would take a lesser skilled player considerably longer to recoup their losses in this manner.

Erica Schoenberg Interview

by Aaron Angerman

Erica Schoenberg seemed destined to make a career out of gambling. The first piece of evidence: her parents first met at the Santa Anita racetrack in California. In 1978, the couple would add another gambling partner, Erica, to their Akron, OH, home. Later, the family would return to California. There Erica spent her days gambling with the family. On most days, the Schoenberg clan could be found playing rummy for chores, bridge for money or hanging out at the racetrack.

Erica excelled in school. Eventually, she made her way east to the College of Charleston, in Charleston, SC. After studying theater and dance, Erica decided that maybe she'd try acting. It only took a couple of years in Los Angeles to convince Erica that it wasn't the life for her. After dabbling in a handful of interesting professions, including working as a model, personal trainer, professional beach volleyball player and professional blackjack player.

The former model, turned personal trainer, turned beach volleyball player, turned "Blackjack Babe" now has more than $650,000 in live poker tournament winnings. She is also a Full Tilt Poker sponsored player. Just hours removed from a return flight from the East Coast, Erica is cooking a pot of chili and waiting for her hairdresser to show up. Thankfully, she had enough time to answer a few of my questions.

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AA - Thanks for squeezing me in. How's the chili coming?

ES - Not too bad. I wouldn't call myself a chef, but I like to make some down-home stuff from time to time. The first time I gave this chili a shot, it came out as some sort of chili-brick thing. I've gotten better since then. David loves my chili.

AA - What were you up to on the East Coast? Playing poker, or taking a break from the felt?

ES - Actually, I was at the College of Charleston, just hanging out with some old friends. All we did was drink, sleep and eat. I'm pretty sure I put on a few pounds after all the time at the beer pong tables. It was a lot of fun, but it's a weird feeling, being the oldest person at the party.
AA - You have been quoted saying you attribute your success at the tables to your gambling childhood. How was it growing up in the gambling Schoenberg household?

ES - My childhood was cool. I grew up in the sticks. We only had three stoplights and maybe three cops. If you wanted McDonalds or Subway, you'd have to move on to the next town. We made our own fun, and that usually meant gambling. Gambling seems to be in my parent's ancestry, or just in their blood. My dad more than my mom. My dad is a hardcore gambler.
AA - So how did you end up in poker?

ES - First, it was blackjack. Some early blackjack success landed me on a blackjack team. All of a sudden, GSN asked me to play poker show. David Williams was there, as was Michael "the Grinder" Mizrachi. I remember that I was a little full of myself at that point. Needless to say, I got totally pwned. It was easily one of the worst poker performances ever. From that point on, I made it my personal mission; I was going to get better at poker. Pretty soon, the blackjack team disbanded and I started playing online poker. Not long after I began playing online, I won my PokerStars Caribbean Adventure seat in a satellite. I was really happy to make my first $10K tourney. Didn't do anything there, but a short time later, I took 16th at the WPT Championship. The rest is history.

AA - Are you still playing blackjack?
ES - No, not really. They won't let you count cards anywhere. The last thing I want to do is get into trouble and lose my Bellagio privileges.
AA - Speaking of the Bellagio, what'd you do with all the WPT winnings?

ES - I might have used some of it to buy my dream car, a Mercedes SL convertible. David made me sell it, because he thought I'd kill myself. For the first time, I could afford it, so I just went out and bought it. I had it for a year and absolutely loved it. I drive a Range Rover now. Very soccer mom-ish. I think it looks a little too Stepford; me driving out of my gated community in a Range Rover. I'll definitely get another SL convertible when I get the chance.
AA - Are you a crazy driver, or was he just being overprotective?

ES - Oh, I'm a pretty crazy driver. Surprisingly, I'm not a patient person. That strikes some people as odd, because I'm a very patient person at the poker table.

AA - You have followed up a big 2006 and 2007 with just a few small cashes in 2008. In your mind, and in your home, does David's big 2008 make up for a somewhat quiet year on your part?

ES - Yes and no. It's hard to talk poker with David, sometimes. You know his limits. He's playing the biggest online games in the world. For example, he'll be playing for millions in the office, in the other room I'm playing a tournament for $50,000 on my computer. I'll try to get some sympathy from him after a bad beat, but then he'll ask, "How much do you get for first?" I tell him $50,000 and sometimes he just laughs it off. That might be nothing compared to his stakes, but it's still a big tourney for me.

What does happen is David's success helps me by proxy. When he's playing well, not only does it motivate me, but I can talk to him about hands. I love hearing what he thinks about my play. He's a genius. It only helps me up my game.

In the end, I'm just so proud of him. David is the best player in the world, and I'm not just because he's my boyfriend. He's amazing.

AA - In that case, could you live with busting out in every Day 1 if it meant David would be at the final table? If so, do you think he'd do the same?

ES - Interesting. I might be down for letting him have it every other time. Sometimes, being a poker couple can be tricky and annoying. Poker players are mostly ego driven. I would have to say that I would be much more apt to say "I wish that he'd have the success, rather than me." For me, success isn't measured by money.

AA - Do you ever get tired of the 'poker couple' stuff?

ES - Being engaged to a poker player doesn't bother him much, but it bothers me sometimes. Normal significant others leave home for work. When they come home, they talk about your how their very different days went. Not that I don't love talking to him, I just get a little tired hearing about poker, especially after spending all day at the table.

AA - You sound like somebody who likes to get away from the poker room.

ES - I really do. The vacation was nice. I needed a break. The whole poker thing, I'm just not into it right now. This is a new feeling for me. For the past three years, I would eat, sleep and dream poker.

AA - What are you doing when you're not taking people's money?

ES - I have two dogs, Jerry and Mooney. When I am not playing, I try to spend time with them. I also love playing golf. When I was out east, I was able to get some rounds in with my dad. I think I hit the ball really well. I'd love to play more, but Las Vegas is just too damn hot.

AA - Any places you like to go to get away from the heat?

ES - When I have to get out, I escape to my place on the beach in LA. Although, David and I have been talking about finding a home in Europe. Maybe the south of France. The move would be kind of hard for me. I love Europe, but get tired of Euro attitude. Maybe I'm just too much of an American girl at heart. It seems like I'm always pining to come home.

AA - What's your upcoming schedule look like?

ES - It's off to Europe. We'll be hitting up the Cannes tourney, then WPT Barcelona and the WSOP London. Probably do a little house shopping while we're there.

AA - Any goals for the rest of 2008?

ES - I try to not be results oriented. I used to be, but doing so only sets you up to fail. I don't want to be bummed all the time. I think of it like golf. I just want to play my best, bogey, double bogey or whatever. I'll be content with a few good shots. I'm happy I'm extremely grateful that this is what I do for a living. I could be doing a lot worse things.

AA - Are you going to do anything different in next year's WSOP?

ES - Well, I mostly play no limit. I'm going to play more events next year. No limit best game, but maybe I'll venture out into the mixed games a little more. I'd like to not be just a NLHE player, but I feel most comfortable in them. I have seen my best results in NLHE. I think every good player is a better bet in NLHE, mainly because of the weaker fields.

AA - Will you ever drop $50K and enter the HORSE event?

ES - Eventually, yeah, I can see myself playing the HORSE event. I'm would like to tighten my Stud game a little more first. I'm a weak stud player. I hate stud. Don't enjoy it, at all. At this point, there is no way I would spend $50K on tourney. With that money I could buy another Mercedes SL.

AA - Just watch out, you might get berated by intoxicated final tablers, like Scotty Nguyen.

ES - You know, I don't really know him well, but for years, he's rolled around tournaments in wife beater shirts, a mullet and white jeans. He got away with it for a while, but now, people might see him as a jerk. His HORSE final table performance was definitely not cool, especially with poker trying to gain exposure and a clean reputation.

AA - Are you ok with drinking at the table?

ES - I'm fine with drinking at the table, but only if you can hold your liquor. Personally, I never drink at table.

AA - Some people commented that the WSOP needs to do a better job enforcing rules. What do you think?

ES - I think the WSOP did a crappy job enforcing rules this last year. I had a problem in main event, one I wrote about in one of my blogs. I was forced to share the table with a very dense lady, who was slowing the game so much. She would get up out of her seat in the middle of a hand. If you're not seated as the last card is dealt, your hand is supposed to be dead. This lady was on the rail, talking with her friends as the last card was dealt. This kid dealer from Palm Springs just let her play it, as did the floor. Stuff like that should be cleaned up. It's about time we have standardized poker rules, ones that everyone uses.

When it all comes down to it, poker is poker. It's gambling. Professional poker players are a tawdry group. I don't think they'll be enforcing any of these rules anytime soon.
AA - Enough with the negative WSOP stuff. Are you pumped up for the Main Event final table and the "November Nine"?
ES - Actually, I think it is kind of a bummer final table. Sorry. I think it would have been a lot cooler if Tiffany Michelle had made it. I'm good friends with her boyfriend, Hollywood Dave [Stann]. We're both Ohio kids and go back to our blackjack days. We're reppin' the "O-H". I think it would have definitely helped the final table, seeing how she's a lady. I'll always root for a woman to make the final table.

AA - Do you think you'll see a lady win the Main Event in your lifetime?

ES - That'd be awesome. I'll just be optimistic and say yes.

AA - Maybe you'll have to do it. How long do you plan on playing?

ES - I think I'll always play for fun. Don't get me wrong, I love it. No matter what, I think I'll always want to play. My ultimate goal is to have a family. I'm not getting any younger. One day, I would like to have kids.

AA - Are you going to let your kids play poker? There's a pretty good shot they'll have poker in the blood.

ES - I'll let my kids play, but only if they take it seriously. That means no getting hammered. No skipping school. What I really want is for them is to go to college and have the experiences that I did.

… Erica didn't clarify if the experiences she's referring to includes beer pong.

An Interview with Adam Roberts

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.

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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.

An Interview with Jason Young

by Aaron Angerman

It was Sunday night, June 8th. The eve of Event #17 on the 2008 World Series of Poker schedule, a $1,500 No Limit Shootout. Jason Young was sitting in his room at the Rio in Las Vegas, at the midway point of his 10 day pilgrimage to Las Vegas. After years of working jobs that only left him unfulfilled, the then 26-year-old from Suffern, NY, decided to take a shot at a poker career that was hundreds of Atlantic City trips in the making.

After some ribbing from a fellow pro, and some surprising words of encouragement from his dad, Young arrived in Vegas on June 3rd. Bankrolled with remnants of a loan for a business that never materialized, Young struck out in his first three tourneys. During a much needed off day, Young felt a calm come over him.

"I felt like over the course of the day, my Universe had been realigned," said Young. "Good things were destined to happen to me."

By Monday morning, Young was signed up for Event #17. He had also predicted to no less than four people that he was going to take it down. Thirty hours later, Young made good on his promise.

He pocketed over $330,000 for the win, along with his first WSOP bracelet. Over the last year, Young has added several more cashes, including a win at the Borgata Winter Poker Open. Since deciding to hop on the plane, Young has ran his career tournament earnings up over the $500,000 mark. He is also the newest featured blogger on Poker Pages and was kind enough to answer a few questions.

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AA: Who´s responsible for introducing you to poker, or more specifically, No Limit Hold´em?
JY: My Grandmother taught me how to play 7 Card Stud when I was really young. I think it actually came right after she taught me how to play Memory.

I didn't get into Hold'em until the "Poker Boom" hit. And I had absolutely no idea what I was doingthe first time I sat down to play. Oddly enough, I'm still not sure I have any idea what I'm doing at times...

AA: Many players say they have a hard time balancing life at the table and life away from the table. How are you handling the balancing act that comes with being a pro poker player?

JY: I really am doing my best to keep everything balanced, but it gets hard sometimes. Being away for extended periods of time, I start to miss my family, my dog, etc... So when I am home, I like things to be laid back.

AA: When you do get some time away from the tables, how are you spending it?
JY: An ideal night is going out with my bro, Paps and Scottie K. Grabbing some wings, a few beers and just watching a game. Maybe head home early to play some Xbox and just hang.

I've really found out who my true friends are over the past year. They are the ones that go out of there way to see me when I am home, even though they have work in the morning. They never give me S*** for being away, forgetting something, or not being able to call right back.
I've made a few really good friends from poker as well. And with these people, poker is the last thing we will talk about. I'm thankful for being able to travel with some people that are on the same page I am.

AA: You said that your prediction before Event #17 was your first. Any feelings before your Borgata win in January?

JY: That's kind of funny actually. I did predict tw0 cashes and one final table for the series. The win was kind of a bonus.

I was rooming with my friend Al and he actually said he saw some sort of weird focus in me. I was convinced by my words and actions from before we even got to Atlantic City that I was winning the first tournament. And sure enough, I bulldozed through 1,600 people over the next four days.

AA: While we're on premonitions, any feelings about this year´s WSOP?

JY: Unfortunately, I haven't had any feelings about the World Series yet. But that's okay, because they just come out of left field unexpectedly. I did, however, have a dream that I won the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio. I don´t know if dreaming it means it will happen, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

AA: Do you have any personal goals, or expectations, for the 2009 WSOP?

JY: My expectations for this WSOP are HUGE!

I am a very competitive person. I have navigated my way through huge fields on more than one occasion. Knowing that only makes me want to jump into that elite class of multi-bracelet winners.

Cashes, final tables and deep runs are all great... The money is great too. But my emphasis will be on putting myself in a position to win another bracelet.

AA: In that case, how many events do you plan on playing? And will you be trying your hand at games outside of Hold'em?

JY: I think I'll be playing somewhere in the range of 20-25 tournaments. I'll be playing the Limit Hold'em tournaments as well as the No Limit. Definitely the shootouts. Razz. Maybe take a shot at a smaller HORSE buy-in and a Stud tournament, or two. Ideally, things will be going well this summer. And if that's the case, I would love to play the $10k Heads-up as well.

AA: You made a decent run in the Main Event last year. How was the experience for you, and what happens if Jason Young is at the final table this year?

JY: The whole Main Event experience for me was a blast. It ended on the 4th-day, but I would have loved to have it last longer. The feeling has a chance to really sink in. It's also nice to be able to plan it out so that whatever family and friends you would want there would be there.

If I'm the November Nine, I would go to bed every night with a big-ass smile on my face and wake up in the morning with the same big-ass smile on my face. Also, I'd probably take everyone in the Rio out to for dinner and drinks when it was over.

AA: That one´s in writing. Outside of the WSOP, any goals for 2009, on or off the felt?

JY: I fell like I've already started the year off strong, but my goals are somewhere along the lines of just being successful. Continue to expand my knowledge of the game and try to keep getting better and better over time.

More importantly, I want to focus on just being happy and enjoy the life that I'm allowed to live, for the time being, at least. I am extremely lucky to be where I am and I think about that all of the time.

AA: Early at the Shootout final table, you ran AJ into AK in a battle of the blinds. Your stack was about to get shipped to your opponent, until running jacks gave you new life. What do you think you´d be doing if big slick is good there?

JY: I think about the AJ hand at least 10 times a day. It was literally a life changing hand for me. If I lost that hand like I was supposed to, I would have been back home in Suffern, selling refrigeration equipment to restaurants. Wondering if this was all life had in store for me. I'd be dreaming of how cool it would be to be living the life I am living right now.

AA: Have you given any thought to a life without poker? How long do you see yourself playing professionally?

JY: I would love to play for as long as I can. Either make enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life, or quit when I stop enjoying it. The bad beats, and stuff that come with them, they suck, but this is really a lot of fun. I love doing it and can't see that changing anytime soon.

AA: Given your winner´s photo, I´m guessing you are a baseball fan. Was that your first love?

JY: Baseball was definitely my first love. I think the first time I picked up a bat, I was 2-years-old. When I was 12, my all-star team was two wins away from the Little League World Series.

My senior year of high-school we made it to the state quarterfinals. We played in the Mets AA stadium in Binghamton. I hit a ball further than I ever had in my life, 411 feet to dead center field. But the fence was 412 ft and he caught it up against the wall. That sucked.

I was in the on deck circle when my high school career ended. Down 4-1, there were two on and one out. Our #3 hitter lined into a double play to end the game. I always wished that ball got through. I still think about how exciting it would have been to get up there as the winning run.

… Probably almost exciting as winning a World Series of Poker bracelet.

An Interview with Jeffrey Lisandro

By Nolan Dalla
THE RACE IS ON!

JEFFREY LISANDRO WINS HIS FOURTH CAREER WSOP GOLD BRACELET

VICTORY IN YESTERDAY´S RAZZ CHAMPIONSHIP GIVES LISANDRO RECORD-TYING THREE WINS AT 2009 WSOP - WITH A DOZEN EVENTS REMAINING FOR AUSTRALIAN POKER PRO TO SET NEW MARK

Jeffrey Lisandro is originally from Perth, Australia. He currently resides in Salerno, Italy. On June 24, 2009 Lisandro won his fourth career WSOP gold bracelet. He won the Seven-Card Razz championship, which currently gives him three wins at the 2009 World Series of Poker.
The victory also gives Lisandro three wins this year, which ties him for the most gold bracelets won within a single year. Lisandro became only the fifth player in the 40-year history of the WSOP to achieve this mark. He joins poker greats Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Ted Forrest, and Puggy Pearson as the only players in history to win three gold bracelets in one year.

On the morning following his record-tying victory, Lisandro was interviewed at the WSOP.

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QUESTION: What were your expectations coming into this year´s World Series of Poker?
LISANDRO: Before it all started this year, I was very disappointed. I could not get a sponsor. I made the usual rounds to find out if anyone needed a player. I could not get a response. I spoke about it with a few of my friends. Finally I said, you know what - never mind. I am going to blast them right out of the water. I think I have done a lot in poker. But I´ve always been a little bit short of doing something really great. So, there was this doubt and maybe an excuse that I had not done quite enough to deserve (being sponsored). This year, I asked around. There was no response. No one got back to me. I´m just going to go ahead and win three (gold bracelets). I said that to a few of my closest friends. And, now I have done it.

QUESTION: So, is there now a greater sense of joy in winning, especially after you may not have gotten the support you probably deserved prior to the start of this year´s WSOP?

LISANDRO: This is all one the record. Even after winning three bracelets, the sponsors have not approached me. They are still not approaching me. Maybe there is a little bit of jealousy. Maybe it is because I have knocked out so many high-profile players.

QUESTION: Jeffrey, you are part of a very elite group of poker players. Yet, most of the public does not see what goes on inside your inner circle. Are there rivalries and are bragging rights at stake when you win multiple gold bracelets?
LISANDRO: No. Not for me. I have no one who I am racing against. I want to accomplish something in poker for myself. If I´m the fifth-ranked player all-time, that will be great. If I´m tenth, that´s okay. If I make the top-100, that´s still an accomplishment. You can´t say ´I am competing with the number one player.´
QUESTION: You probably have the best chance of anyone in history of winning four gold bracelets within a single year. Have you thought of the historical implications of what another win would mean?

LISANDRO: That would be nice -- to be remembered one-hundred years from now.
QUESTION: You´ve been playing high-stakes poker for a very long time. But only in recent years have you been focusing on playing in poker tournaments and winning WSOP titles. What made you change your ambitions?

LISANDRO: You are right. I have not really played in that many tournaments, up until the last few years. I remember back in 1994 and 1995, I won like ten tournaments over in Europe. It was an incredible run. But I remember that (some magazines and websites) spelled my name wrong and I never got credit for the results. During that run I went to Ireland, and I played in four tournaments. They were all really great players. Each one of them had Irish professionals - like 150 or so in each one of them. I went there and no one knew me. I won the first tournament and they said, ´we don´t event know that guy. Why is he here?´ And then the second tournament - I won it. And then -- the third tournament (I won). And in the last one I had the chip-lead heads-up and ended up coming in second. Then I won like three more tournaments after that and afterwards I looked at all the money I won and it was something ridiculous. It was like $100,000. And I said, I couldn´t do any better and I still only made $100,000 which does not count my travel and hotel, and expenses. So, I didn´t play many tournaments for the next seven or eight years. It was in 2003 when the prize money started getting much bigger that I came back and started to play them again. Now, it´s worth it.

QUESTION: Imagine had you played in WSOP events during that period how many gold bracelets you might have won?

LISANDRO: Yeah, I waited a little too long to come back. I should have come back around 2000. I definitely would have had a few more wins than what I have now. I might have even been a better player than I am now. I think I am a fairly good player. I am improving all the time. I´m getting a little bit better, marginally better, each time.

QUESTION: That´s a remarkable statement; you are still getting better and improving as a player. What do you mean?

LISANDRO: I learned how to achieve better results in tournaments.

QUESTION: What do you mean? You have been playing poker for a lot of years. What have you learned recently that you didn´t know a year or two ago?

LISANDRO: Take for example, the H.O.R.S.E. tournament. If I go through all the five games, I am going to be playing Limit Hold´em. The whole field knows how to play Limit Hold´em. So, I am going to adjust my strategy marginally. I am not going to waste chips in that game. If it was a cash game and there was a value bet, I might get involved. But in a tournament I am going to save those chips. I want to use them for one of the other games where I have a massive edge (such as Stud, Eight-or-Better, and Razz). In Limit Hold´em I am playing with people who all know the game as good as me. So, I fold the marginal situations to conserve chips for the game where I have a bigger advantage. It is something I am perfecting. You only have so many bullets. You have to pick your best spot to fire.

QUESTION: On a more personal level. You are known for your trademark fedora. Why the hat?

LISANDRO: The hat makes me feel better. It helps me to get into the zone. When I put that hat on, it´s all concentration. It´s business. It´s war. It´s time to go to work. When I take the hat off, it´s time to relax.

QUESTION: So, how many hats are in Jeffrey Lisandro´s closet?

LISANDRO: Let´s just say, I´ve got a few (smiling).

QUESTION: Who is the best poker player from Australia - Joe Hachem or Jeffrey Lisandro?

LISANDRO: In Australia, I don´t think anyone is bigger than Joe Hachem. Winning the Main Event is a huge achievement. He´ll always be remembered for that. It´s like in horseracing. I could win ten races in a row. But everyone remembers who wins the Kentucky Derby.