The PokerFest Piatra Neamț champion gave an exclusive interview to our publication, ‚Casino Life & Business Magazine’, which you can read in the following lines.
– How do you feel now, after winning a PokerFest leg?
– It feels great. I had been waiting long to have my endless poker hours rewarded. Winning this tournament has given me more courage and I have bigger confidence when sitting at the poker table.
– What do you think about the competition – the qualifications and the leg itself?
– The pool of players is really good. I met there both professionals and also recreational players – the percentage of the latter is higher. This is a sure sign that many people are just discovering the magic of this game. Which poker should not complain about for its future.
– Names of great players sat down around the final table – Bogdan Ionescu, Iulian Ruxandescu, Iulian Iacob and Florin Grecu. Did you have a certain strategy to play against them?
– No, not really. I looked at them as my equal. The hardest thing, though, for me was to focus and keep in check my emotions, to avoid mistakes. As my first PokerFest I played in, I had the chance to see a lot.
– You are part of the Vesuvius Casino Poker Team, how did you join it?
– The moment I decided to play live poker in Brasov, it was only the Vesuvius Casino to provide tournaments and cash game tables in a fashionable and professional ambience. Besides it, the tournament players benefit from a bonus. After a trimester of tournaments, the first six players on the leaderboard become members of the Vesuvius Casino Poker Team and are sponsored for tournaments, such as Pokerfest.
– Among your peers at Vesusius Team, who do you think could be the next Pokerfest winner?
– It is hard to tell, all of them are good players. Anyone there has a great chance to bring a new trophy to Brasov.
– Where do you feel more comfortable – at the live tournaments or during the online games?
– I like the live game better, as you can watch your opponent and collect information while playing. Plus, the atmosphere is more entertaining at the live competitions and you get to meet many people.
– How did you set yourself to play poker? You started at 18, but why did you pick poker?
– I started playing poker at 16, but two years later decided to do it professionally. I was quite fascinated by how some players can ‚read’ the other competitors. I remember trying to figure out how Negreanu was able to tell the cards of another player. Moreover, it is a field where you travel a lot to play tournaments. My dream is to go around the world and poker will hopefully give me this opportunity.
– How much time do you play poker a day?
– The average would be around 4-6 hours, but sometimes my online games last for 15-16 hours.
– A normal day in your life?
– During the poker tournaments, I am going ‚to work’, but that would be mostly evenings. In the daytime, I am filing up the hours with diverting and new things, to prevent routine settle in. Taking trips, sports, a movie with my friends.
– Any piece of advice for the beginners?
– To handle the poker as any other sport. To excel, you truly need to work hard and be patient.
– Do you have any plans for the future? You said that the money from PokerFest Piatra Neamț would be invested in new tournaments…
– Yes, indeed, now that I can, I will play more tournaments in the country and maybe abroad. But it is only the PokerFest tournaments to be a sure thing.
– What was the most difficult moment in your career of professional poker player?
– Like in any career, there are ups and downs. And poker is no exception. Even before Pokerfest I was going through a hard time, had not had a good result in a while and my moral was low. But I was perseverent and this really paid off.
– You have a model in the world of gambling. Who would that be? Is it Romanian or a foreigner?
– I very much love how Vanessa Selbst is playing. She is a gifted poker player, who singled herself out by her aggressiveness during the great tournaments in Europe.
– What qualities should a poker player embody to become a champion?
– As for me, I think that tenacity, stamina and poise are those features to bring you success. Being confident in yourself and working hard, this is the right path to the top.
– What will be your next tournament?
– I will be playing the PokerFest in Bucharest and also the Casino Vesuvius competitions in the meantime.
– Some thoughts for our readers?
– All the best!
