NewJane: First, let me congratulate you on your fine finish in the Legends of Poker event at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, a PSO LIVE TOUR event. Tell us a little about the qualifying tourney.

Xxpiratexx: The Tourney was a $200 + 25 NL Hold'em Event with unlimited rebuys the first 3 levels and single or double add-ons available after the third level.

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

xxpiratexx: I live in Riverside, CA about 40 miles east of L.A. I'm 42 years old and am married with 3 children: Wife Stephanie (The fair Stephanie as Wildbill refers to her), sons Jason 4 ½, Alex 2 ½ and daughter Maddie 11 months. My mother-in-law, who is very, very old and extremely grouchy, is known to you all as "Joybell". For work, when it's not interrupting my PSO activities, I do payroll and receivables for a Nursing Registry that we own. Prior to that, I worked as a poker dealer and floor man for about 5 years in San Diego and San Bernardino.

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. Anything else about your poker background that you want to share would be great!

xxpiratexx: I've been playing hold'em for 15 years or so. Poorly for 14 of them (But didn't know it because of Dealer Syndrome) In just the last year I've really started reading books and forums trying to improve. I finally figured out that I wasn't doing something/anything right. In live play I 'm usually at a $20-40 hold'em table but mostly I play on-line. With 3 young ones I can't really get away too often to play. I was lucky to get a kitchen pass to go play this tourney at the Bike!!!! I did win a cruise and entry into the Party Poker Million this year and came in 59th. I was really happy to cash in my first big tourney.

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

xxpiratexx: I just started playing on PSO in June of this year.

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

Xxpiratexx: The Commerce Casino in LA - the best of everything, action around the clock lol - I should do a commercial for them. "Any game at any limit" should be their motto. As for tourneys, anywhere is fine with me!!!

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

xxpiratexx: OK bad one first: I had 6800 and a woman who liked to raise short a lot (Ax suited was her favorite hand) had 3550. Blinds were 2/400 she made it 1500 to go in MP and I pick up QQ, sitting right behind her. I raised to 3000 and the big blind goes in the tank for a couple of minutes and goes all-in for 3750, she calls immediately and I call. Hands are AKd in BB and she has AQ off. Flop comes Q 10 3 - turn a J and river a K, so they both chop me up.

Now for the good: I went down to 2300 and my favorite raiser to my right popped it on the button to 1500. I look down to find 88 and go all-in and her lovely A5o doesn't connect.

My key hand was just 2 rounds later. Blinds still 2/400 UTG raises to 1600. 3 people fold and I look down to find AKs. Now, this raiser has had a love affair with AQ and has made bigger raises with big pairs but I've been trying to not get myself into races lately so I just smooth call and everyone else mucks. I have 5000 to start the hand and he has me covered, but not by much. Flop comes down 10 9 4 rainbow. He leads out 2000. Now it's my turn to hit the tank. Keep my 3400 or go after this guy (calling is not an option). I'm pretty sure he doesn't have an over pair, I KNOW he didn't flop a set (I think the bet was too big for that) I just felt I had him and finally came over the top all-in, he calls immediately, which I hate until he shows me A8d, YIKES!!! No 8 or running diamonds come and now I'm to 10K---WooHoo!

I did knock out JCastle when we were down to 25 players - He went all-in with 55 and I called with AK Flop came QJ and I rivered a 10 on him. Sorry, kind of ... OK sorry it had to be you, that sounds better. I'm never sorry to win a hand!!!

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

xxpiratexx: Strength was patience - It just amazes me to see how much further I go when I'm relaxed and patient. Since this tourney, I've had 2 final tables at Party Poker (100 and 286 players) finishing 10th and 6th. And 3 final tables for the Aruba trip at Ultimate Bet (3rd, 6th and 10th again, which is really starting to bother me - lol). I'm not saying that I'm not bluffing at all, just when the opportunity arises. When your table image improves then you can get away with a couple here and there. But I won't be able to win until I fix the next part of the question.

Also...After my bad beat, I walked away for 5-10 minutes. If Scotty Nguyen can do it, so can I. I guess I should explain that. I played in the Party Poker Million this year and Scotty was at the final table with 8 players left (I think). They are playing down to 6 for the WPT show. He gets AA cracked 3 hands in front of the blind and is now just has enough for the big blind. Does he look at these hands??? Nope, he gets up and walks for the next 2 hands and comes back for his big blind, makes a flush and makes the final 6.

Weakness - wow, so many to choose from - aggressiveness is not where I want it to be, although the hand with AK above was never a thought before, so I'm getting a little better. My read was right there and I have to trust it. Although I wasn't expecting A8.

Reads in general aren't up to snuff - Sometimes I find myself conceding without actually thinking if I miss my hand. It's so easy to put everyone on AK or AA. Now I'm trying to think more as to what position the raise came from, how much was the raise, I know I don't have AK or AA every time I raise, so why should they???

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

xxpiratexx: Honestly, there isn't one - Even the hand with the QQ, I was bound to lose. That woman would have put herself in if the BB didn't. That would have been even more terrible!!!

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

xxpiratexx: Speed - lol. Doesn't it seem like you are crawling at a live table now. Wow. So much time to observe.

But in general, online play is much looser. These people just click and go, "you might get there". Even the bigger limit games are juicy and weak (good for us, when they don't get there),

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

xxpiratexx: Absolutely incredible, how can it not be positive??? These tournaments are having amazing turnouts and it's all due to TV. Also, you are seeing a lot more live No-Limit ring games as compared to before where they were few and far between.

The only bad thing would be people thinking they can quit their jobs after they have a nice little run. Somebody has to lose too and even the big pros go thru dry spells, I saw Jennifer Harman interviewed somewhere and she was asked how she was doing and she said "You really don't want to know this month, I'm down about $300,000"-----Everything is relative I guess.

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

xxpiratexx: I'm still trying to learn No-Limit first, I've only been playing it for about 6 months and have really enjoyed it so far, but I still have a TON to learn.

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

xxpiratexx: I have Super System, Hold'em for Advanced Players, Tournament Poker by Sklansky, Championship Pot Limit and NL Hold'em , A couple of books by Lou Krieger, I've read Killer and Killer Online Poker by Vorhaus just to name some, I have 7 or 8 more laying around. Some on probability and poker psychology etc, etc.

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

xxpiratexx: You probably wanted to ask me if I was finished yet !!!!!

No, I'd just like to say that it was great to meet all the PSO'ers out in LA and thanks for all the support during crunch time. It was quite an experience for me, one I'll not forget anytime soon.

NewJane: Thanks for taking time to talk with me today, and best of luck to you in the PSO LIVE TOUR FINAL EVENT in Tunica in January! We will be keeping our eyes on you!

Good luck to you at the playoffs, we will be keeping our eyes on you!!

Thanks...

NewJane