PokerSchoolOnline Live Tour

NewJane Interviews pspitalnic, Won a Seat in the PSO Grand Live Tour Final 2006

NewJane: Congratulations on your excellent finish at the Live Tour event! Tell us about the event that qualified you for the Live Tour Final tourney next January.

pspitalnic: The event that qualified me was the $500 NLHE event at Harrah's Atlantic City on January 7, 2005. The event was scheduled to start at noon with a capacity of about 350 people. Needless to say, around 1:30 and ultimately with 628 runners, we were off. There were about 10 PSO members and I enjoyed meeting them all. My goal was not to outlast 10 but to outlast 627. I've been able to get to the money in a good percentage of the tourneys that I've played (about 25%) but have yet to make a final table. I'm convinced that the variance in tournament play is too great for most supposed professionals to endure, and for a passionate recreational player like me, as they say in my former home of New Jersey, fuhgedaboutit. Even though I know it's a bad deal, the competitor in me will continue to pursue my goal of winning one of these things.

Back to the tourney itself, I managed to not do anything too stupid for the first several levels. We started with $1000 in chips and after 4 levels I had about $1400. Not too great considering we lost about 60% of the field. In about 3 out of the first 5 hands of the 5th level, I got pocket Kings, pocket Queens and AK. More surprising than getting those cards were that they actually held up and I was over $6K. I will say that I'm probably a better short stack player than a big stack one, but boy do I enjoy playing a big stack.

For the next 3 levels, I had strong control over my table. I was playing aggressively and getting respect. Since all good things must come to an end, my pocket queens lost to AJ. A jack hit on the flop, all the money went in and a jack turned. I still had about 4K and we were getting close to the money. After putting in the blinds once at the 500/1000 level, I get KK in late position. There's one limper and I push all in and get called by AJ. Flop comes down KQT giving my opponent the nut straight. Turn blank, river T and I fill up and am back in the game at about 8K. Average stack to make the money is 10K so I'm pretty confident I'm going to get there. I then go into speeding mode as people tighten up as people are looking to make the money.

By the time the 55th player is eliminated (bubble), I've run my stack up to 15K. I actually pick up a couple of hands and get over 25K. The hand that kind of turned my good fortune was when at the 500/1500 level I find AQs in early position. I make it 6K to go and get reraised by an all-in for only 9K. This was an easy call and I was pleased to see jacks. I was not pleased to see the J on the flop. This put me down to an average stack and as comfortable as I am playing a big or small stack, I'm uncomfortable with a middle stack. You can't play with the fearless desperation of a small stack where everyone at the table knows that if you will play your hand, your playing it for all your chips and with a big stack, you can take the worst of it without even blinking.

Needless to say, I make a raise with eights get raised and reraised and easily let the hand go. A few hands later, the guy that I've made one of the bigger stacks goes all in from the first position. I look down and find AK. I reason that the likely hands for the raiser is jacks or tens or possibly even AQ. With a bigger hand he should be looking for action, not just trying to take down the blinds. Me being a shorter stack and not looking to ladder climb make what I'm convinced to be at least a coin flip call figuring that the dead money makes it more than worth the call. Unfortunately, I made a bad read and the guy had aces. No funny business and I'm done in 39th place.

Overall, I was pleased with my play. I've beaten myself up over previous events were I've played a cautious style and didn't give myself a reasonable chance to win. I didn't do that here; I went for it and came up short. Let me tell you, it's a whole lot more satisfying than the alternative.

NewJane: Tell us some interesting facts about your life, such as place of employment, family matters, hobbies, or educational background.

pspitalnic: I'm 33 years old, recently married and work as an actuary. Last August, Diane and I got married at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Three months earlier, I went to the World Series of Poker with the intention being able to pay for the ceremony via my satellite play winnings. Needless to say, it is terribly satisfying setting and achieving your goals.

NewJane: Give us a little glimpse into your poker background. How long have you played? Do you prefer online play or live? Where is your favorite place to play live? Do you like tournaments or ring games? What is your game of choice?

pspitalnic: I've played poker since junior high school. My first notable poker achievement was when I was 14 years and I got to visit my brother who was off at college. He asked what I wanted to do during my visit and the first thing that came to mind was a poker game. I know, beating up on a bunch of drunken frat boys doesn't seem like much, but to this 14 year old, there was nothing finer. I can safely say that I enjoy online play more than live action. This may be due to the prevalence of single table satellites going with no more than a 5-minute wait.

One of the last live tourneys that I was looking forward to playing satellites was a completely disorganized Borgata Open. I came down the day before the 5K buyin event at about 5PM. During the next 8 hours, I got to play one satellite (coming in 3rd, one before the deal spot) and got shut out of the tourney. I play most of my live games in Atlantic City in either the Borgata or the Taj Mahal. I prefer satellites to tourneys and live action. I prefer to play 7stud, Omaha 8 or better, No-limit tourneys and frankly, wherever there is an open seat.

NewJane: How long have you been a member of PSO?

pspitalnic: I've been a member since February 2002 but haven't been playing much lately. I played at PSO passionately for about 16 months. I attribute most of my successes in my satellite/tourney poker game to the experience I gained over this period. Within 3 months of playing most days, I parlayed the experiences at PSO into a money finish in the first event I ever played at the World Series of Poker ($1500 no limit). 12 months later my satellite experience from PSO allowed me to earn my way into the Big One. Lately, I've been playing at some of the real $ sites where I've had mixed success.

I had a great run at PStars but blew almost of all it. I learned possibly the most important lesson in all of my poker playing experiences and that is the importance of discipline. Discipline in controlling your game selection. Discipline in money management. Discipline in managing your own expectations. On a whim about 5 months ago, I funded an account with Party and have had a great experience. Playing predominately satellites, and making sure not to make the same mistakes I've made in the past, I'm having a great time and success applying the lessons I've learned at PSO.

NewJane: What do you think was your greatest strength in the tourney? Your biggest weakness?

pspitalnic: Greatest strength: patient aggression
Greatest weakness: I have no idea how to AK in no limit holdem.

NewJane: What are some of the differences you notice in online play as opposed to live play?

pspitalnic: The differences that existed a couple of years ago are starting to narrow. With online play, it's so easy to click a button a bet all of your chips. If it works, great, keep it going. If it doesn't, I'll sign up for that other game that starting in 5 minutes. Generally, online play is full of fast, aggressive play. As these players shift to live action, they generally don't change their style and this has changed live action play.

NewJane: If you could have dinner with any current poker tourney pro, who would it be and what would be the question you would ask first?

pspitalnic: My first preference would be to have dinner with the players I've either met or respect here at PSO; TKO, Lloyd, Hazy, Mark & Tina and so many others. I've heard as many negative stories about these "tourney pros" as I've heard positive. The stories of this guy owes everyone money or this guy has a drug or alcohol problem makes not want to deal with these guys as anything other than the challenger on the other side of the table. As for what question I would ask: "Tim, how do you translate your ladder climbing skills that has earned you so many sponsorship points into live tournament success?

NewJane: What poker books have helped your game?

pspitalnic: ALL OF THEM. There's hardly a poker book that I haven't been able to take something from (even Hellmuth's Play Poker Like the Pros). The books that stand out in my mind are most of David Sklansky's work, and not just because he's a former actuary from New Jersey. The Theory of Poker and his Tournament Poker books are must reads but only after you've had a good deal of experience. There's a danger in trying to apply complex concepts when you don't have a complete grasp of the more basic ones.

NewJane: What new poker games are you interested in learning?

pspitalnic: Triple draw low-ball.

NewJane: Here is your chance to address anything I neglected to ask that you are dying to share.

pspitalnic: I feel like I've rambled on more than you were otherwise expecting. The one thing I'd like to add is how much I respect and value PokerSchool Online. If you play every tourney the best you can, learn more from your failures than your successes you will continue to improve your game. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the 2006 PSO Convention!

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