Name?
Alexander John Kamberis (hence AJK)

Age?
23

Gender?
M

Birthplace?
Illinois, USA

Online Poker Name?
AJKHoosier1

Nickname at the tables (land-based)?
AJK, Alex, Hoosier, etc.

Nickname growing up?
Everyone calls me something different... my family called me Alexander, my friends called me Al, Big Al, or Alex

Where do you live now?
Bloomington, IN, while my girlfriend graduates from college.

Highest level of education?
Two years in the business school at Indiana University... will be back eventually = )

High school is famous for cliques. Where did you fit in (jock, brainiac, popular, offbeat, other)?
Kind of in between... for the first couple years I was a little awkward but once I got a little confidence and "came out of my shell" I’d say I fit in with just about everyone... I had a wide variety of friends.

Imagine the WSOP was one giant high school? Which clique would you be in?
I think everyone seems to get along really well, and I’ve met a lot of different people that I’ve become friends with over time.

Favorite bricks-and-mortar casino?
Bellagio − feels like the Yankee Stadium of poker, and the only place that consistently spreads high stakes NL games.

Favorite Las Vegas Hotel?
Bellagio

Least-favorite Las Vegas Hotel?
The Flamingo... it just feels so cramped, and the ceilings in the casino feel so low.

Favorite club/bar in Vegas?
Either Ghost Bar @ the Palms or Pure @ Ceasar’s as far as clubs go... but really, O’Shea’s is the most fun place in Vegas, bar none. Beer pong, anyone?

Favorite city in America?
Chicago, IL − gotta rep my city = )

Favorite city in the world?
Still Chicago... c’mon now.

What year did you begin your poker career?
I started playing online at 18 years old, in 2005... began playing full time around 2007.

How did you learn the game?
I didn’t read any books, so basically losing, losing, losing. I learned my lesson the hard way, and I think I’m glad for it today.

Who made you so amazing?
No one in particular; for the most part I’m self-taught.

Tournaments or cash games?
Tournaments

Hold’em or another type of poker?
NL is my best game and will always be where I make my most money, but PLO is the most fun game to me.

Favorite tournament? And why?
The WSOP Main Event − it’s the only tournament that can truly make you immortal.

Style of play?
Tight-aggressive − most of the bigger names in poker (especially online) play much looser than I do.

Do you model your game after anyone specific?
I have a small-ball style that is somewhat similar to the way Daniel Negreanu plays, but I wouldn’t say I model my game after anyone.

What was your first major win?
Probably the PokerStars $200+Rebuys for $60k or so, but my first humongous score was getting 3rd in the PokerStars WCOOP Main Event for ~$800k.

Most memorable hand that you’ve played?
A huge all in with 99 v AK at the final few tables of that WCOOP where I got it in wayyyyy too light but was lucky to be in a coinflip, and even luckier to hold.

Most disgusting bad beat you’ve ever experienced?
Too many to count... KK<99 for a big stack at the very end of Day 2 of the Main Event this year would be up there... AA<QQ for an insanely big chiplead with 10 left in Full Tilt’s 1k Monday would be as well. I’ve also been 3-outed for $20k more than a couple times all-in preflop in cash games.

What’s the first thing you bought after a big win?
I save my money... =)

What did your parents say when you first told them you’re making poker your career?
At first they weren’t too thrilled − my dad’s a math teacher and obviously school is very important to anyone’s parents, but after seeing how seriously I took it and how successful I was, they became supportive very quickly.

Besides poker, what other card games do you like?
None in particular

Do you own a vacation home/cottage/beach house/etc?
Not yet

If you don’t, do you want one (and if so, where)?
I’ll need to eventually buy a summer home in Vegas instead of continuing to rent every summer, and I’d love a place in Vail, CO, so I can snowboard whenever.

What kind of car(s) do you drive?
Infiniti G37 hardtop convertible

If you had a vanity license plate, what would it say? We’ll give you 8 characters to play with, including spaces.
Sorry, my ego just isn’t that big yet... = )

What’s your dream car?
Probably a Bentley GT Coupe.

Favorite vacation spot?
Vail, CO − my girlfriend is a great snowboarder and I’d love to improve as well.

Are you single? Married? Engaged? Dating someone special? Dating the world? Playing it solo?
My girlfriend Sylvia means the world to me. We’ve been together for about 15 months, and will be together for a million more.

Describe the perfect woman?
I just did!

Celebrity that you’d love to shag?
Beyonce

Celebrity that you’d love to bring home to mom?
Amy Adams − my real celebrity crush, and she seems very wholesome.

Celebrity (non-poker) that you’d love to hang out with for a day?
Probably Jay-Z, especially if Beyonce was around...

Poker player (besides Doyle Brunson) that you’d love to hang out with for a day?
I don’t really think about these kind of things, but Daniel Negreanu has always been super friendly to me whenever I’ve run into him on the live circuit.

Poker player that you’d love to shag?
DEFINITELY not answering that one, mostly because I think her husband would be pretty upset.

Favorite genre of movie?
Comedy − usually I watch a movie to turn my mind off and just enjoy myself.

Favorite genre of music?
Hip-hop and classic rock

Favorite recording artist/band?
Jay-Z and The Beatles

Top five TV shows?
Dexter, The Wire, Entourage, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother

Top seven movies?
Almost Famous, Swingers, Field of Dreams, Saving Private Ryan, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, Star Wars

Besides poker, are you a sports fan?
Yes, though less now than I was before I started playing poker.

Favorite sport to watch?
The NFL

Favorite sport to play?
Basketball

Hobbies as a kid?
Sports, video games, card collecting... the usual

Hobbies now (besides poker)?
The same, though I cut out the card collecting = )

Weirdest thing you’ve ever seen at a poker table?
In a $5k NL 6-max event at the WSOP, for an entire orbit our table agreed that each player could decide how the betting would work. For example, I chose NL preflop, limit on the flop, and pot-limit the rest of the way.

Weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in life?
I really can’t think of anything − I must be boring.

If you weren’t playing poker, what would you be doing?
Probably playing ukulele on the street with a tin cup and a dancing monkey.

When you hit the DoylesRoom tables at home, what’s your setup like? Desktop with multiple screens? Laptop while on the couch? Other?
I have a desktop with a 30"monitor, and then I also have a 17" laptop with a 24" monitor

Mac or PC?
PC

What’s on your nightstand at home?
I don’t even have a nightstand!

Who do you fear more? The dentist or the doctor?
The doctor − I HAAAAAAATE needles.

Do you subscribe to any magazines? If yes, which ones?
I was a subscriber to Bluff and CardPlayer − not sure if I renewed them recently enough, I’m pretty lazy when it comes ot those things.

What type of mobile phone are your rocking? Blackberry? iPhone? Windows Mobile Phone? Palm Pre? Old school phone-only phone?
iPhone

Coffee or Tea?
I’m on a big tea kick lately

Beer or wine?
Depends on the situation − wine with a good meal, beer at a party or sporting event.

Fast food or healthy choices?
Fast food, duh.

Favorite restaurant?
This tiny place in Vail called Osaki − it’s the smallest place I’ve ever eaten, but it was the best sushi dinner I’ve ever had in my life.

If you were a television network, which one would you be? Why?
The Weather Channel... don’t ask.

What celebrity do you most identify with?
Any young celebrity who was able to achieve success in their field before most expected they could.

Favorite book?
Freakanomics

Biggest accomplishment outside of poker?
Somehow making my girlfriend want to be with me at all times.

If your house burned down, and assuming all pets and people escaped without harm, what would you miss the most?
My ping-pong table!

If you took six months off from playing poker (no land-based, no online) how would you spend your time?
I basically did this last year, and just relaxed and travelled... no complaints. = )