Posts Tagged ‘interview’

Interview with Pro Poker Player Joe Sebok

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

Joe Sebok burst on to the poker scene in 2005 in a huge way and has been going non-stop ever since. This is one poker player with his hands in several pots (pun intended). Between playing world class poker, running his website PokerRoad.com, and doing whatever young rich guys do, he was cool enough to take a few minutes of his time to answer a few questions for us.

RockStar Holdem:  You’ve been playing poker for about five years and are still a young guy.  Do you see this as a stepping stone to something else or is this looking like a solid career to you?  (It does to us.)

Joe Sebok:  Everything in my life has always been a stepping stone to something else.  Translation:  I get bored easy.  Haha.  I’m sure I will always play poker in some capacity, but there are other aspirations that I have in life, aspirations that poker is helping me to achieve incidentally.  I’ll always be invovled, but I’ll definitely be involved in other things as well.

RH:   We’ve read that you’re an entrepreneurial type of guy.  What kind of business would you be running had you not clicked so well with poker?  And, growing up with The Bear (Barry Greenstein) what took you so long to get hooked?

JS:  Well Bear never played cards with me as a kid, to his credit.  He pushed sports and education, so those were the things I focused on most.  I think he understood that those foundations would enable me to have a strong and successful life, more so than poker alone.  I owe the poker boom itself to getting involved with the game.  Without it, I probably would never have at all.

As far as another business, it would probably either be a web one (like PokerRoad.com) or something in music.  Maybe a mixture of both.  I just like to be doing new things all the time, so maybe it would be several.  You never know…

RH:   We’ve read that you are pretty competitive; do you and your poker buddies ever play heads up just for bragging rights?

JS:  Haha.  Nope, not at all.  More like headsup for shots of vodka.  :)  I think we all love having fun, more than we love having money.  Maybe that’s just me though…wait a minute…

RH:   We know you’re a big fan of prop bets.  Tell us about a crazy one and with whom you bet and who won.

JS:  The most public one was the one with Gav and myself at the WSOP, where I lost and had to dress up as superheroes for 4 days.  It was…the best.

The best ones that never happened were when I was trying to create a poker reality show based around prop betting.  Would have been super sweet, but it ended up collappsing in pre-production.  Too many cooks in the kitchen…sigh…

RH:   According to Wikipedia (I guess you’ve made it if you have a Wiki entry), your three-year winnings total close to $2 million.  That’s not a bad living.  What do you splurge on?

JS:  Man, I see that number and all I can think of are all the close finishes and almosts.  It probably should have been about 5mill.  The funny thing about me is that I really don’t value or care about money at all.  I am probably the least materialistic person that you will ever meet.  In fact, I still drive my old Nissan Xterra that I had in college.  Not even a new car!  I really enjoy doing things rather than having things, so my money will always go towards trips and things like that.

RH:   Have you seen any good movies lately, perhaps Jeff Goldblum’s The Fly?

JS:  Ahhhhhhh!  Why you gotta bring that up!?!?  Terrible childhood memories…see my blog, as I guess you already have!

I love movies actually and it’s one of my favorite things to do; go out to see them. Haven’t seen anything amazing recently, but did catch “Last of the Mohicans” on tv, and that’s one of my favorites.

RH:   For anyone who has never been to your site pokerroad.com, tell us why we should check it out.

JS:  Wow. It’s a one-stop-shop for all things poker entertainment related.  No one else has the kind of access into the professional poker world that we do.  They just don’t.  We will continue to bring that world to all of you, and we’ll only get better at it.  In fact, I have some pretty sick plans for the ‘09 WSOP on PokerRoad, so stay tuned for it…you won’t want to miss it!

RH:   You’re becoming a well-recognized face.  What are the perks of being a hot young poker player?

JS:  Haha.  Well, thank you.  Hmmm, I dunno.  Panties thrown at you?  Millionaires giving you their car keys?  Nah, none of that happens of course.  The coolest thing is when fans come up and tell me how much they love PokerRoad and how whether it was a funny radio show or an interview they saw, it helped them through something that they were going through.  That kind of stuff is just priceless.

RH:   We’re music lovers here at RockStar Hold’Em.  What types of music might we find on Joe Sebok’s Ipod?

JS:  Oh man, right in my wheelhouse!  There’s nothing I love more in life than music, so you asked the right question.  I have over 70 gigs of music and I have been seeking out new stuff since I was about 14…it’s my passion for sure.  Some of my favorites are Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Butler Trio, Beatles, Fall Out Boy, Citizen Cope…trust me, the list goes on and on and on and on and on and…

RH:   Being the music aficionado that you are, given the choice, would you rather win a grammy or a WSOP Main Event bracelet?

JS:  Hmmm, I think the Grammys have really gone down in appreciation. It seems that they have the same people voting on the awards for 50 years, so a ton of the newer stuff always gets lost on them.  I would probably have to go with a WSOP main event bracelet here.  Now, if the question was to be a huge rock star of a huge poker star…that answer is easy…rock star!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions Joe.  Good luck at the tables!

Ty, ty… :)

You can find more on Joe Sebok at www.PokerRoad.com.  Joe Sebok is the founder of PokerRoad.com, Co-Host of widely popular PokerRoad Radio show and regular blog contributor.  PokerRoad reaches out and provides industry news as only poker insiders can.  As well, PokerRoad is reinventing the concept of poker radio, one show at a time.  PokerRoad has your ears covered for everything from strategy to gossip to just general poker tomfoolery.  PokerRoad is a one-stop radio network.  Along with the addition of video content in the pipe line, it is obvious that  PokerRoad is a must for any serious poker fan.  PokerRoad supplies the very best in “PokerTainment,” from the people who invented it.

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Interview with 2-time Bracelet Winner Jeff Madsen

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Talk about a poker young gun, Jeff Madsen came out firing from the get go. At such a young age, this poker madman already has two WSOP bracelets! Everyone should be keeping an eye on this professional.

I recently got to ask Jeff a few questions about all kinds of good stuff. Here is the interview:

RockStar Holdem: In 2006 you became the youngest player to win a WSOP bracelet at 21 years and five weeks old when you took home $2000 No Limit Hold’em title, and then shortly after won the $5000 No Limit Hold’em Shorthanded event. What was it like to be so young and accomplish something so magnificent?

Jeff Madsen: It is really a surreal thing to think about. When something like that is happening to you, you can’t really grasp the enormity of it until much later. I am very lucky that I was able to harness all my luck and skill so early to be able to set a poker record.

RH: After you collected all of that prize money, did you splurge on any crazy big ticket items?

JM: I definitely splurged a bit on the standard stuff: clothes, food, clubbing. Since then I have a house and a nice car, which are really the big ticket items that are the most important in my life. furniture/art are things I have spent some money on. Really my bankroll would be fine if I didn’t do a lot of non-poker gambling with the winnings, but losing money is all part of the learning experience!

RH: Having had so much success early in your career, do you ever feel pressure to live up to the expectations that come along with winning two WSOP bracelets?

JM: Of course. Anyone would, whether they would like to admit it or not. Finally, this year I am worrying about pressure and expectations less and just playing my game.

RH: You began playing poker while you were attending college in California. When did you realize that you had the skills to become a professional poker player?

JM: I always knew from the beginning that poker was something I was good at, because I’ve always been into strategy type games, video games, etc, and always excelled at them. But you don’t think about becoming a real “professional” until you make enough money to live the lifestyle of a professional.

RH: You are obviously very skilled in several variations of poker. Which form do you feel is your strongest? Which do you find most enjoyable?

JM: No-Limit Hold-em is the obvious choice as my strongest, but I wouldn’t say I’m much weaker at any of the other games, I just play hold-em more. Sometimes when you play hold-em so much, playing HORSE can be enjoyable because there is a constant variety and shuffle of games. So it depends. I just enjoy poker tournaments in general.

RH: What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of being a professional poker player?

JM: Probably just having to deal with the swings of the profession, and coming to terms with the idea that you could go a whole year and be losing money. It can be difficult to adjust to the lifestyle, even if it is really fun most of the time.

RH: You have mentioned that when you first started honing your poker abilities, you read several books on the subject. Can you share any titles that you found to be very helpful?

JM: I just read some standard books, Doyle, Hellmuth. Right before the series I was reading Dan Harrington’s books.

RH: You are known to be very good at reading people at the table. Is this something that just happened all at once, or did you slowly get better and better the more you played?

JM: Any aspect of poker will improve the more you play. Certain people are better at certain parts of the game, but obviously if you get more experience, you better be improving. Or you better quit.

RH: What advice do you have for other young poker players that dream of following in your footsteps to great poker success?

JM: Make sure you have other interests so you don’t go crazy when poker isn’t going swimmingly for you. Learn good bankroll management. Never think you’re better than you really are. Have confidence, not ego.

RH: Here at RockStar Hold’em we are all huge music fans. What bands would we find on Jeff Madsen’s iPod playlist?

JM: Well I like all kinds of music, but if you are asking me about my Ipod, I wouldn’t start by mentioning a band. It would probably be Jay-Z, Eminem, Aesop Rock, RJD2. Stuff Like that. Fo Sho.

RH: Thank you very much for you time Jeff, and good luck at the tables!

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Interview with pro Justin Bonomo

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a great young professional poker player,  Justin Bonomo.   So without further ado, here it is:

RockStar Holdem:   Many online players aspire to move to the live tournament arena.   In 2004 you made the move yourself, playing in a WPT event in Aruba.   What made you decide that you were ready to make the jump to live events?

Justin Bonomo:   I had played a tiny bit of live poker before my first WPT in Aruba.   I even won my 2nd ever live tournament which was a $30 rebuy tournament at Turning Stone in upstate New York.   For the most part,  I viewed major live tournaments as the next competitive step to becoming a great player,  and with very profitable online satellites,  there was no way I could say no.   I had so much success early on,  winning my 2nd live tournament,  cashing in my 2nd WPT,  final tabling my second EPT,  that I basically caught the fever.   After all by age 19,  how could I say no to live tournaments?   In that sense,  it just kind of happened.

RH:  You have said that you credit a lot of your knowledge to studying poker literature.   What book(s) would you suggest to a young player that have really helped you?

JB:  Theory of Poker and Holdem For Advanced Player (note this book is about limit, not no limit) really helped me out a lot early on.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many great books about no limit out, but I think Harrington’s books are great for teaching beginning players how to analyze certain concepts, although I must admit the advanced strategy in that series lacks a bit. For the most part, I really recommend books by the two plus two publishing company. These days, online training sites are superior to books for players once they get beyond the beginning stages of learning the fundamentals.

RH:  If you could put together the final table of your dreams, who are some of the players that would be sitting around you?

JB:  The final table of my dreams would have nothing but loose passive fish at it. Sure, I enjoy being competitive and playing against the best players in the world, but when there’s millions of dollars on the line, I want it to come as easily as possible. Prestige and fame is nice and all, but winning is more fun than losing to even the best players in the world.

RH:  What player are you most proud of knocking out of a tournament?

JB:  I started off as full ring limit player. In a 9 handed game, the best
player in the world will have a slight edge over a random veteran, but even that edge is going to be slight. Eventually, I became good enough at sit’n'gos, that even the best player in the world would barely show a profit over me. And eventually I became good enough at MTT’s that the same thing was true. If you have two cards like anyone else, and play a baseline strategy of tight, solid, and straightforward, you’ll always have a fighting chance against even the best players in the world. Because of this, I’ve never been afraid of playing against anyone, and I’ve never been proud to knock anyone out. I’ve probably gotten lucky in the vast majority of times I knocked out one of the best players in the world. I don’t necessarily mean a huge suckout, but if you get kings against Daniel Negreanu’s queens to bust him, there’s not really much reason for you to feel proud about it. I’ve played with the best in the world. They’ve beaten me. I’ve beaten them. Getting prideful over one single hand is a bit silly.

RH:  What is your favorite aspect of living the life of a professional poker player?

JB:  From 6th grade on, I knew that the 9-5 lifestyle wasn’t for me. I
know this is kind of elitist and arrogant to say, but I hated the fact that my teachers that weren’t smarter than me had so much power over me. There was no way I could continue that my whole life, answering to some random boss that I just might end up having no respect for. I wanted to be in control of my life. Now that I am, I love it so much. I do what I want, when I want. If I make a mistake, I pay for it. If I work really hard, it shows in my work. Every decision I make affects my life directly, and outside factors like a stupid boss not knowing what he’s
doing don’t matter.

RH:  If you weren’t a poker player, what would you be doing with your life these days?

JB:  I’m not sure what I would be doing if I wasn’t a poker player. I’m
only 23 so I might still be in school. All I know is, I probably
wouldn’t have a typical job. I’ve always wanted to be self-employed in some way shape or form. Whether or not that means being an entrepreneur or owning my own business, I never knew.

RH:  Besides playing poker, what else do you have going on in your life right now? Any big projects in the works?

JB:  In terms of career, it’s pretty much all poker and representing
Bodog. I have a couple of small projects with Bodog and such, but nothing major like a training site or anything. Outside of poker, I live at Panorama Towers, which is like the poker mecha of the world. There are about 80 poker players that live in these condos. So all my best
friends are poker players which means we never have to work when we don’t want. We go out a lot in Vegas to all the nicest restaurants. We watch a lot of movies, and play random non-poker games. I’m also very passionate about music, and love going to concerts.

RH:  Who are some good bands that we would find on your iPod playlist?

JB:  Too many to name! Here are a few: Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, Black Lab, Radiohead, Our Lady Peace, Muse, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Counting Crows, Postal Service, Sparta, Glen Hansard…..  

RH:  Anything you would like to say to all of your fans and supporters?

JB:  Ummm…. think outside the box? I guess I’d have to attribute most the success in my life (even non-poker success) from straying from the standard path. Think for yourself, and look for unique solutions to any of life’s problems.

Be sure to check out Justin’s radio show “All Strategy” found on PokerRoad.com, where he co-hosts alongside Daniel Negreanu and Scott Huff.

I would sincerely like to thank Justin for taking the time to do this interview.  We wish him the best of luck and we know there are more great things to come from him.

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