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 year.

El-Nino: The event was the $300 NL Caesars Indiana WSOP Circuit Event. I finished 110th out of 954 entrants.

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

Michigan. My wife and I love to travel, and poker tournaments around the U.S. are often are favorite spots to vacation.

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?

El-Nino: When I was a kid I used to watch my father play cards in the office of the carpet store he owned. Though the stakes were small the bragging rights were huge and I always admired how my dad usually came out on top. I think it was there that I got the bug to play cards. Though I've always played poker I did not get serious about it until around 97.' I prefer playing live Hold-Em and Omaha and some of my favorite places to play are the Mirage and Wynn in Vegas, the Bike in LA, and the tourneys at the Seminole and Miccossukee casinos in South Florida.

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

El-Nino: 2 Years

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

El-Nino: Gathering information and adjusting is my strongest asset. I can usually determine the best style of play within a few rounds….at least in the early stages of a tourney where the field is generally weaker. My greatest weakness by far is my bubble play. I play to accumulate chips and make the final table, so making a 20% profit on my buy-in means little. This is a great stage of the tourney to pick up chips as there are usually 2 types of players. Those hanging on for the money and playing super tight, and those starting to panic and pushing to hard. So I usually either get a lot of chips here or run into a monster…I need to tighten up a bit more.

NewJane: Do you remember any key hands you want to tell us about? Positive or Negative outcomes.

El-Nino: Yes…the last hand. Blinds are 400/800 with 100 antes. I have Kh3h in the BB with a below average stack of about 7,100. I call an 800 raise from the button by the chip leader.

My first mistake may have been calling here, but I don't think so. There is already $3,800 in the pot now and I'm getting odds to call. I am however getting involved in a pot out of position, against the chip leader, with a marginal hand at best.

Flop comes Ac9s2h.
I check and the button checks The button's check should have alerted me to a trap but I thought not. I had seen this player raise a lot and thought he would have raised with any two cards from the button when folded to him. The flop may not have helped him and I may even be good here, but lets see the turn.

Turn comes 5h
OK.. picked up the 2nd nut flush draw and an inside straight draw. His check on the flop leads me to believe I may be able to pick up the pot right here. I never post oak bluff and this player would know that was weak, so I bet $2,000 in to the $4,600 pot hoping to take it down. This is my mistake right here, I should have checked.

Button re-raises me effectively all-in
Ughhhh. Now what? I obviously wanted to win the pot right there. I know he slow played me now and I am probably beat, but what about my outs? There is now $12,200 in the pot with me having to call 3,600 . That's about 3.5 to 1 right? I calculate my straight and flush draw and figure I am a bit better than 4-1. Well, this is the point of no return and I either go bust on a close to proper call or have double the chip average and a shot at going deep in the money. I push in.

Button shows Ah9h
Double Ughhhh. Not only does he have the better hand (which I knew) he has the nut flush draw, eliminating 9 of my outs and making me a 15-1 dog.

River card blank
Blank because I just know it didn't help me. I honestly can't remember what it was. My whole tourney effort flashes before my eyes and I get up and shake hands on the way out. Where am I? What's my name? Momma? The PSO guys say good job and they want to take my picture. My picture? Will you edit out my donkey ears?

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

EL-Nino: Everyone is 10' tall and bulletproof online, then in live play they realize they have to make that same play while keeping a stone faced demeanor, and that is not always so easy.

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?

El-Nino: Dan Harrington. So what about the really good stuff you left out?

NewJane: What poker books have helped your game?

El-Nino: Harrington's books are great but others like Zen and the Art in Archery have helped me with the psychological aspect of the game.

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

El-Nino: No more please..I have enough to worry about.

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

El-Nino: I just want to thank Mark & Tina, and the whole PSO staff for running such a wonderful and helpful site. Many years of continued success.

NewJane: Thanks so much for taking time to talk with me! Good luck at the Live Tour Grand Final!