NewJane: First, let me congratulate you on your fine finish in the Spring Big One Playoff. You are now qualified for the PSO Live Tour Final Event in January 2005.

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

LeoT: My beautiful wife, Danielle (alias: DaniBear), and I live in Vista, CA (appx. 30 mi. north of San Diego) with our son, Aurelio K.A. Trevino, and our Pug, Deuce. Our son's middle name stands for "Kick Ass," Dani's encouraging words to me before most of the live poker session and tournaments that I have participated in since we have been together. I was a nerd as a kid and probably still am. I have an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Humboldt State University and I received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis which is located in the south of France. I was sent to France to earn my doctorate by my former company after I told them that I was quitting to attend graduate school in New York. They must have liked my work, because the next day, the president of the company told me that if I stayed with the company, they would send me to graduate school, all expenses paid, pay me my current salary (at the time), etc.; but that I would have to attend a specific university and study under a specific professor. The professor just happened to be one of the board members who also held a full faculty position in France. The only glitch was that I had to enroll in the program within 30 days. The only French that I knew at the time was "Oui, non," and that line from that song that every American knows with the line, "voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir...," and I didn't even know what it meant. I left France four years later (1994) with a Ph.D. and fluent in French.

Until I can make enough money at poker and the stock market to retire from a regular job, I will continue my career as Senior Director, Product R&D, at a San Diego pharmaceutical 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.

LeoT: My father taught me how to play poker when I was about 5 years old. We played quite a bit as I was growing up, mostly 5-card draw and lo-ball on occasion. When I left for college in 1980, I played no poker until about 1998 when, you guessed it; "Rounders" came out. When I "get into something," I really like to do well, so I read a bunch of books, bought all of the poker programs by Wilson Software, and studied for about 6 months before playing for real money. I started playing 3/6 hold'em live games. After about 6 months, an older professional player that I had struck a friendship with suggested that my money would be better spent if I moved up to 4/8 and then to 8/16 as soon as I felt comfortable enough, even if it meant playing fewer hours initially. He explained that I would get better results and improve faster when playing in games where the drop was not as big relative to the bet size, and when playing against better players, as long as I kept studying the game, keeping records, and reviewing my own play. I've been playing middle limit hold'em (up to 20/40 hold'em); low and middle limit Omaha Hi-Lo (up to 8/16) for about 4 years now and low blind-structure No Limit Hold'em for about 6 months. I'm using PSO to improve my tournament play and will be playing in at least one tourney in the CA State Championship at Commerce Casino in Southern CA.

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

LeoT: 16 months

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

LeoT: My live play has been almost exclusively ring games. My favorite casinos in the San Diego area are: Ocean's 11 (8/16 hold'em w/ kill), Viejas Casino (8/16 w/ kill and No Limit Hold'em), Pachanga Casino (8/16 Hold'em)

Las Vegas: The Bellagio (15/30 hold'em)

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

LeoT: The only specific hands that I recall were two hands in the Big One (Spring Event?) A key win and turning point for me occurred after about 75% of the field had been eliminated. I had struggled for the entire tourney with very bad cards and was basically maintaining an average sized stack, primarily taking small pots w/ marginal hands and occasionally stealing blinds and antes, when I was finally dealt QQ in early position. I entered the pot with a raise (appx. 2xpot) and a late position player reraised. I called all in and he/she (I don't remember who it was) had KK. I thought I was done. Neither of us improved on the flop or the turn, but I hit a Q on the river to double up. My dealt hands started to improve and I was able to finish 7th.

The losing hand that I remember is the one that put me out at 7th. I only had an X qualification coming into the tourney, so I really wanted to take first to earn some sponsorship $$$. I thought that I had a good chance once I reached the final table with a good-sized stack and I was being dealt some great hands. The only problem was that the flops for the pots that I entered were not cooperating with me. Every time I raised with a big Ace, I would get a caller with pocket 8's and a trash flop. I lost about 2/3's of my stack to these types of plays when I was finally dealt 88 (in middle position, I think). I limped in and it was raised by - what else? - overcards. I called, the overcards caught and I did not. That was the end for me.

There were no hands that really stand out to me in the playoff. I really just survived during most of the satellite until it was about 6 handed. There were a few (in my opinion) very loose, aggressive players that "got lucky" early on, only to self-destruct later in the game. I was getting very bad hands early on, so it was easy to stay out of trouble. When I started to get playable hands, the tourney was already down to 5 players. When only four players were left and everyone had a lock on a seat in the PSO Live Tour Final, the play loosened up and I was able to outlast two of them to go heads up with the chip leader. He had about a 4 to 1 chip lead on me when we started heads-up play. Before the playoff, I told Dani that I didn't just want a seat, but that I wanted to take first. So I did.

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

LeoT: My biggest strengths were my patience (until I lost it, of course) and short-handed play. My biggest weakness was losing my patience.

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

LeoT: I would replay my pocket 8's and exercise one of the poker player's best plays - the fold. I was at best a slight favorite and at worst a huge dog on the hand. I was only 6 players away from my goal of first place and, although I had a shorter stack than most of the players left, I had at least three or four rounds of dealt hands before I had to worry about being blinded off. I should have been more patient.

NewJane: If you play in brick and mortar casinos, what are some of the differences you see between that and online play?

LeoT: I think that the players are looser in online play in general than in live play, even in middle and higher limit real cash games. In online play for "play money," the play is even looser. In addition, there is the obvious fact that many more hands are dealt per hour in On-line play than in live play. These two differences may contribute to the perception that there are more bad beats per hands dealt in online play. I haven't done the statistics, so I can't comment on whether or not the perceived difference in bad beat rates between online and live poker is real or just perceived.

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

LeoT: I think that it is a good thing for good (i.e. winning) players and for players that regard poker as entertainment and, if they are losing players, regard their overall losses as the price for that entertainment. In states that allow poker, I think that it is good for the economy. It is probably not good for people who have addictive personalities and difficulties with respect to discipline in their personal lives, but I think that this is probably a minority of the poker playing population. I also believe that individuals are responsible for their own actions and decisions, good and bad, and that it is not the government's place to regulate affairs, such as poker, other gaming activities, etc., between and among consenting adults. There should be age restrictions on many of these activities, but a minor's parents (not the government) should also be primarily responsible for the values and actions of their children.

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

LeoT: I am still learning No Limit, Pot Limit and Limit Hold'em, Omaha, Hi-Lo Omaha, and 7-Card Stud. That's enough to learn for the rest of my life. I grew up playing 5-Card Draw and Lo-Ball with my father and enjoy these games, as well, but it is difficult to find games in San Diego.

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

LeoT: I have every book that Bob Ciaffone has written. Studying Mr. Ciaffone's books have turned my low and middle limit poker game into a winning game (at least over the past 2 years). I've been keeping records for about 4 years. I have also used his books to improve my play in No Limit Ring Games ($3/$5 blinds $50 to $100 maximum buy-in) and have been winning, but have not played enough to know whether my play will win in the long run.

I also have most of the books by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth, Mike Caro, Tom McEvoy, T.J. Cloutier, Mike Cappelletti, and Doyle Brunson. McEvoy's books have really helped to improve my tournament play.

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

LeoT: Haven't I said enough? LOL

NewJane: Thanks, Leo, for taking the time to talk with me today!! Best of luck to you in the PSO Live Tour Final Event in Tunica.