PokerSchoolOnline Live Tour

NewJane Interviews Siberianex, Top PSO Finisher of the BUS Poker Open

NewJane: First, let me congratulate you on your fine finish in the US POKER OPEN event at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, a PSO LIVE TOUR event. Tell us a little about the qualifying tourney.

Siberianex: Well thank you Jane! It was $300 +35 buy in at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. I think the quality of the field was very tough. I played at 4 tables during the tournament and there were several pros at my tables during the day. Vinnie Vinh, Chip Jett, Asher Derei (he won the event), Chris Tsiprailidis (finished 4th in the main event at the Borgata), along with some local pros.

NewJane: Tell us a little about yourself, such as where you live, etc. Any interesting facts about your life would be appreciated!

Siberianex: I am 37 years old and I live just outside of Philadelphia PA with my beautiful wife and son. I am a computer consultant for a large software company.

NewJane: Share with us some of your poker background, such as how long you have played, games of choice, limits you like when you play live, other tourney successes. And anything else about your poker background that you want to share.

Siberianex: I actually started playing poker while in college, but it was mostly 7-card stud at that time. As our poker game eventually broke up, I did not play poker for over 10 years. I got back into the game while watching the WPT and ESPN shows last year and learned to play No-Limit Hold'em. This is my favorite game. I usually play online and almost always it is in tournaments. I have had some success online winning couple of smaller tournaments and many money finishes.

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

Siberianex: I have been with PSO since December of 2003.

NewJane: Where is your favorite place to play poker, both live and tourney action?

Siberianex: My favorite place to play is online or at a home game with friends.

NewJane: What were some hands you remember from the tourney..both won and lost ?

Siberianex: I am not too good at remembering exact hands, but I will try and explain them as best as possible. I am on the button and the player under the gun raises to $600 (blinds 100/200). It is folded to me and I look down and see K-Ts. I have about 7K in front of me and decide to call. The blinds both fold and the flop comes out KJT rainbow. I have 2 pair. Under the gun person thinks for a little bit and then finally bets $600. I think for a while and decide to see where I am, so I make it a total of $2000. He again thinks for a while and raises me an additional $1500. Now that looked very strange to me, as he not only called my bet, but raised a very low amount (he was begging for a call or an all in). I put him on at least a set or maybe even a straight. Even though I had 2 pair, I laid it down and showed. I heard a lot of ooos and aaaahs from the table. The person under the gun, tells me "nice laydown" and shows me A-Q. I am not sure if I played it right or not, but I know I made a proper laydown even though I had invested good money into the pot.

I am curious to see how some of our PSO experts would have played the same hand.

After that hand I went completely card dead and I was getting to the point where I would be very short stacked. At that point I decided, once I get a playable hand, I am moving all in. Three hands later, everyone folds to me and I look down and see 4-4. I do not think twice and push all in. The BB calls me and turn over A-Js. I flop a set, but it also contains 2 hearts. The turn pairs the board so I double up with my full house.

The very next hand, I get 5-5 and decide to push all in as I am still somewhat short stacked. I get 1 caller and I hit a set again. Now I am in decent shape. Next hand I get is 7-7 and now I only raise 3X BB, I get no callers and I show the 7-7.

Next hand after that I get A-8s and raise 3X BB again. I get no callers, but when it get down to the previous guy that I lost the big hand to, he thought for a while and then folded. He showed A-J, but he said he was scared to play it since I was on such a rush.

I did not show, but told him he was way behind. J With this stack I got pretty close to the money, but I need to make a move soon as I was one of the short stacks by the time it got to 28th. The Taj tourney payout was very strange to me as they only paid 27 positions out of 807. I have 7700 in front of me, but the blinds are 600/1200. A person in EP opens for $3000, a very aggressive player from the cutoff raises to $7000. I am on the button and see J-J. Even though most times I would not play with a raise and a re-raise in front of me, I am short stacked and I need to take a shot. I came to play, so I push in for an extra 700. The EP guy calls and so does the cutoff player. The flop comes down 8,4,2 rainbow, and the EP bets out $7000. The cutoff thinks for a while and then folds. We open our cards, since I am all in and he turns over T-T (YES!!!). He gets no further helps and I take down the main pot and triple up. I coast into the money after that pot.

A third interesting hand that happened was when we were on the bubble for 18th,the next pay increase. A guy in cutoff raises and I look down and see A-Ks. I decide to push all in once again. I am one of the shorter stacks. All fold and he calls. He has 5-5. The flop comes down 2,2,2, the turn is a 9. (I am starting to stand up), but the river is a Beautiful 9. We chop the pot and I make it to 18th. I went card dead after that and decide to play J-9s when I was on the button and all folded to me. I push all in and get called by the BB who has A-3o. I get a J on the flop and I am very happy, but an Ace comes on the turn. No help on the river this time, L and I am out in 17th - My first big live payout for $3147.

NewJane: What did you feel was your strength / weakness in the tournament?

Siberianex: I think my strengths in the tournament were the ability to lay down a good hand, by reading the situation properly. My weakness is that I was not aggressive enough while playing some of the hands.

NewJane: If you could play one hand over, which one would it be and why?

Siberianex: I am not sure if I would play it over again, but I am still curious to see what the turn and river cards would have been with the K-Ts hand.

NewJane: What are some of the differences you see live and online play?

Siberianex: The only difference that I see live vs. online is the speed. It is very slow playing live so you have to be very patient. It took me 12 hours of playing just to make the money!

NewJane: What are your feelings about what is going on with poker now, the incredible growth? Do you see it as a positive thing?

Siberianex: I love what is going on with poker right now. It is showing the people that poker players are not just hard-core gamblers, but it takes a lot of skill to play this great game.

NewJane: What new poker game are you anxious to learn?

Siberianex: I would like to learn Omaha, Omaha H/L.

NewJane: What poker books might I find in your home library?

Siberianex: I have Super System, Theory of Poker, Championship Pot Limit and NL Hold'em, Play poker like the Pros.

NewJane: Anything I didn't ask you that you want to say now is the time!

Siberianex: I just like to thank PSO and all the people I met at the Taj. I can't wait to meet more people in Tunica. I also want to thank Sailor Moe (Leon) for giving me some tips just the week before. I also want to congratulate him on his nice win!

Good luck to you at the Grand Final in Tunica, and we will be keeping our eyes on you!!

Thanks...

NewJane

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