Poker Race Trophy - DoggyP75 - Q&A
Get to know DoggyP75, the winner of the Poker Race Trophy in Vienna.
Where do you come from?
Helsinki, Finland.
How old are you?
33.
What is your current occupation?
Business Intelligence Consultant in Forest Consulting Company.
When did you start playing poker?
Two and a half years ago.
How many hours of poker do you play per day?
At the moment maybe two to three hours per day. A year ago I was playing maybe four hours per day, but now I try to keep in mind that there should be something else in life other than work and poker.
What was your biggest win before the Poker Race Trophy?
They are really small compared to this. Maybe first place in a small buy-in at an online multi-table tournament or two final-table places at a casino in Helsinki.
How did you get involved in the Poker Race Trophy promotion?
I heard about a freeroll. The promotion sounded like fun, so I decided to try to qualify and I managed to win the freeroll.
Did you have high expectations about the semi-final in Valencia?
Certainly not. From the beginning I kept in mind that there were eight players and only the winner would take a seat at the final in Vienna. So I decided to enjoy the weekend and just try to do my best.
What was the weekend in Valencia like?
It was awesome. We really got VIP treatment. I have been at World Touring Car events before, but it was really interesting to get to see behind the scenes: in the pits, garage area and VIP lounge. Also all the restaurants, sight-seeing tours and clubs were really something.
Was it easy to get used to all the VIP treatment at the racetrack?
It's quite easy to get used to treatment like that and therefore quite hard to get back to real life when you have been pampered for a couple of days.
What was your plan going into the semi-final in Valencia?
With the payout structure (winner takes all) there was only one goal and that was to win. I decided not to be afraid of coin flips and try to play tight, but aggressively. An important thing is always to feel the table and adjust your game based on your reads about other players. You always also have to keep in mind what kind of table image you have created.
Did you like your stay in Vienna?
I really liked the city. Especially at this time of year, with all the Christmas decorations and lighting, Christmas market etc.
You looked quite relaxed: how do you manage to stay that cool in front of the dozens of cameras?
When cards are flying you don't even remember the cameras. It's exactly the same game with or without cameras. When you are giving the interviews it is a little bit harder, but you get used to it as well.
Was your poker face the deciding factor?
Well, you should ask that question to my opponents. I try to give as few hints about my hand strength as possible - maybe my poker face helps with that.
How would you describe your game?
Tight and aggressive - but I always try to adjust my game based on the opponent and the situation at the table.
You were responsible for busting every one of your opponents at the final. How did you manage that?
Maybe because when I believe I am ahead I'm not afraid to make big raises or calls even when I'm only a small favourite. Playing as chipleader is much easier, because then you can bully people around and your opponents are the ones who have to make the big decisions, as they are the ones who will be eliminated if they lose.
Was it hard playing against experienced fun.PokerRoom.com players like Marky_Crash and Puggy82?
Marky_Crash and Puggy82 are both really good players and I am sure they will have success in poker tournaments again in the future. They were most definitely the toughest opponents at the table. Their image differed quite a lot: Marky is really solid and very good, especially in post-flop play, and very hard to read. We did not clash that many times and against him I tried to keep my game as simple as possible. Puggy is much more aggressive and we threw punches at each other many times during the final. For me it is quite easy to get intimidated by players like Puggy and all the time you have to be alert not to confuse a big hand with pure aggression. Puggy gave me a really hard time, especially during the four-handed play.
There were broadcasts of all the previous Race Trophy semi-finals on Eurosport - did you use these to learn something about your opponents?
Well... these kind of programmes tend to give you quite a biased understanding about poker and players as only selected big hands are shown. So, at least in my opinion, you learn much more in 15 minutes playing against somebody than you learn from a one-hour TV programme.
What was the feeling after the last deciding card on the board in the heads-up, when you realized you had just won $285,000?
I really don't remember much about that. It takes time to understand what has happened. Now a couple of days have passed and I am smiling all the time.
You had an entourage of supporters with you at the final - where did they come from?
They were my friends, most of whom flew from Finland to have a fun weekend in Vienna and to support me. There were also a couple of my Austrian friends who live in Vienna and naturally wanted to be there to support me.
You mentioned that you want to play in some live tournaments - are there any in particular that you are interested in?
I'm not sure yet - there are so many choices. I'll probably start with some smaller buy-in ones.
Valentines Day Cards
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