Where do you live now?
Los Angeles, CA
Highest level of education?
College, degree in finance and economics from University of Minnesota
High school is famous for cliques. Where did you fit in (jock, brainiac, popular, offbeat, other)?
I suppose it would be the "popular group" but our high school wasn´t quite as clicky as most.
Imagine the WSOP was one giant high school? Which clique would you be in?
Haha, I couldn´t imagine the WSOP being clicky, Im friends with all the super smart kids and all the partiers on circuit, theres a lot of great people in poker and I hang out with most of them regardless of group.
Favorite bricks-and-mortar casino?
Commerce Casino, the cash games there are the best in the world
Favorite Las Vegas Hotel?
Bellagio, you cant beat the Bellagio!
Least-favorite Las Vegas Hotel?
All the ones I stay at are amazing, probably something like "circus circus" but I havent even stepped inside there in at least 10 years.
Favorite club/bar in Vegas?
XS @ the Wynn is the nuts.
Favorite city in America?
Im loving Los Angeles right now
Favorite city in the world?
Monte Carlo
What year did you begin your poker career?
2004
How did you learn the game?
I started playing poker in a home game in high school, but didn´t take it seriously until my sophomore year in college when I realized the kind of money people were making playing this game. I started with winning a freeroll because I didn´t have much money to deposit with (broke college student) for 100$ and after that I was determined to make something of it. I began reading any poker book I could get my hands on then started watching the best players in the world play, from there I began creating a style of my own and began to excel at the lower limits, slowly and meticulously building up to the higher limits.
Who made you so amazing?
A number of people have helped me greatly in my development as a poker player. The first person that comes to mind is Yevgeniy "Jovial Gent" Timoshenko. He introduced me to tournament poker and really taught me how succesful players approach tournaments. He gave me a ton of pointers and allowed me to watch him play several times. This experience was very very valuable to me. Before that I was primarily grinding cash games and after meeting him I started crushing MTTs all over the internet.
Tournaments or cash games?
Its so hard to pick, that question is like "blonde´s or brunettes?" my answer is it depends what kind of mood I´m in. I love both, I love the deep thinking and intellectual aspects of cash games, they really are a chess match. Tournaments on the other hand are high intensity, high variance, gamble fests, but going deep in a tournament is the greatest feeling any poker player can have. They both definitely have their plusses and minuses and I think people that just play one or the other are really missing out on great experiences
Hold´em or another type of poker?
For me, Hold´em right now, I feel like it is such a complex game and Ill never be satisfied until I feel like I am as good as I possibly can be at it. I am starting to explore Pot Limit Omaha a bit though.
Favorite tournament? And why?
World Series of Poker Main Event, Ive never even cashed it (busted 100 people or so short of the $ this year) but it´s by far the greatest tournament in the world. The structure is phenomenal the players are recreational to say the least and the whole poker world is watching.
Style of play?
I don´t have a particular style, If you ask some people they´ll say I´m a nit, if you ask others they´ll call me a psycho. It really depends how the table and stacks are laid out. I think all good players can play any style depending on situations.
Do you model your game after anyone specific?
Not after anyone specific but I definitely watch a lot of the best players every single day and try to analyze certain things they do and incorporate them into my game.
What was your first major win?
My biggest score to date is 2nd place in WPT Legends of Poker for 560k, but my biggest Outright win is 1st in the 5k 6max on full tilt poker for 550k.
Most memorable hand that you´ve played?
In legends of poker on the 3rd hand of headsup play I got dealt 22 vs John Phans AK. I 4bet him all in and he called, If I won this hand I would win the tournament. The board ran out J 4 3 J, and the river was a King. I cant help but think about being 1 card away from the win and 1.1M$
Most disgusting bad beat you´ve ever experienced?
I try not to specifically remember bad beats, but I know ive been 1 outed several times in my poker career and it doesnt get a lot worse than that.
What´s the first thing you bought after a big win?
After winning my FTOPS for 550k I baught a Jacob Watch which was a huge purchase for me at the time, Im pretty conservative.
What did your parents say when you first told them you´re making poker your career?
They werent thrilled at first but they have come around to it. It took them awhile to understand that poker was not just gambling.
Besides poker, what other card games do you like?
I dont play any other card games really, I try not to look at a deck of cards when im not playing poker, I play a ton of hours of poker so I like to have other hobbys.
Do you own a vacation home/cottage/beach house/etc?
No, I rent places in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Im working on buying a place, and probably will soon
If you don´t, do you want one (and if so, where)?
If I buy a house it would probably be in Las Vegas, the real estate market is really good there and I think theres a lot of value in buying right now over there.
What kind of car(s) do you drive?
I drive a Mercedes SL550 convertible, I just baught it a few months ago and love it!
If you had a vanity license plate, what would it say?
We´ll give you 8 characters to play with, including spaces.
Im not sure, probably just AMAK316 or something along those lines.
What´s your dream car?
Bentleys are cool, I like Ferrari´s and Lamborghini´s as well, but Im really happy with my car right now.
Favorite vacation spot?
Nassau, Bahamas
Are you single? Married? Engaged? Dating someone special? Dating the world? Playing it solo?
Single for now, its hard to keep a relationship going when your traveling all the time.
Describe the perfect woman?
Fun loving, cool and laid back, and really rediculously good looking.
Celebrity that you´d love to shag?
Jessica Alba, Megan Fox
Celebrity that you´d love to bring home to mom?
Probably Jessica Alba, and Megan Fox, id love to bring them anywhere.
Celebrity (non-poker) that you´d love to hang out with for a day?
Im not sure I dont really idolize celebrities like a lot of people do, I bet someone like Seth Rogan or Vince Vaughn would be a lot of fun to party with.
Poker player (besides Doyle Brunson) that you´d love to hang out with for a day?
Another tough question since Ive had the pleasure of hanging out with most of them. Phil Ivey definitely comes to mind since I haven´t even really met him and it seems like he runs Vegas and loves to have a good time.
Poker player that you´d love to shag?
No Comment.
Favorite genre of movie?
Comedy
Favorite genre of music?
Hip Hop
Favorite recording artist/band?
Kanye West, Sublime
Top five TV shows?
In no order, Dexter, Entourage, How I met your Mother, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Eastbound and Down
Top seven movies?
In no order, Usual Suspects, Big Lebowski, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight, Wedding Crashers, Old School, Zoolander
Besides poker, are you a sports fan?
Yes
Favorite sport to watch?
Football, by far
Favorite sport to play?
Tennis
Hobbies as a kid?
Tennis, Soccer, Basketball, video games and just hanging out with friends, I kept pretty busy.
Hobbies now (besides poker)?
Working out, watching TV, listening to music, going to movies, shopping, traveling.
Weirdest thing you´ve ever seen at a poker table?
Someone muck their hand on the flop when they were all in when they were still drawing live, hitting their outs and scrambling through the muck even though their hand was dead.
Weirdest thing you´ve ever seen in life?
Not sure.
If you weren´t playing poker, what would you be doing?
It scares me to think about, probably grinding a 9-5 job that I don´t enjoy much, living in a city that I don´t want to be in. but im sure I would still put a positive spin on things and be happy.,
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 huge 30inch monitor set up next to my laptop and a really nice desk chair. Every now and then I disconnect the laptop and play on the couch but usually I like to play in a workspace on my monitor.
Mac or PC?
Mac, but I run windows on it. Macs are so well made.
What´s on your nightstand at home?
A lot of water bottles that ive been too lazy to throw away, remotes for my tvs and my cell phone charger.
Who do you fear more? The dentist or the doctor?
Dentist, those guys find ways to inflict a lot of pain.
Do you subscribe to any magazines? If yes, which ones?
Not right now, I do read cardplayer and bluff regularly.
What type of mobile phone are your rocking? Blackberry? iPhone? Windows Mobile Phone? Palm Pre? Old school phone-only phone?
Iphone
Coffee or Tea?
Tea I guess, but I dont drink either of them.
Beer or wine?
Beer
Fast food or healthy choices?
Healthy choices
Favorite restaurant?
Settebello, its a pizza place in Las Vegas, it is amazing.
If you were a television network, which one would you be? Why?
HBO, they have by far the best shows on TV right now, they are doing a lot right.
What celebrity do you most identify with?
None that I can think of now, celebrities live a crazy life, mine is pretty laid back.
If your house burned down, and assuming all pets and people escaped without harm, what would you miss the most?
Assuming my car was safe in the garage, and my watch was on my wrist, id say my TV in my room, I have a 60" flat screen with surround sound in my bedroom that I love
If you took six months off from playing poker (no land-based, no online) how would you spend your time?
I would spend my time working out and probably relaxing on the beach of some tropical location drinking, partying and having a great time.