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Vincent Napolitano

published on 04/24/06 at 6:26 am

With only three years of professional poker tournament experience, Vincent Napolitano (a.k.a., Vinny Nap) has become a revered player among his peers. Vincent has made the leap from high stakes poker games in New York City clubs to making nine final tables, including winning the 2004 Caribbean Poker Classic, finishing 5th at the 2004 Monte Carlo Millions, a respectable 39th in the 2005 No Limit Hold’em ($5,000) WSOP, as well as 210th in the 2004 WSOP Main Event. A predominantly No Limit Hold’em tournament player, Vincent has also tested his skills in Limit and Omaha Hi/Lo tournaments, making 2 final tables in these events as well.

I read in your biography that your father taught you to play poker at age 5-6. Did you excel at other games growing up? Have they helped you become a better poker player?
My dad was a great poker player. And patient too! I remember sitting with him on my living room floor when I was about 5 or 6 and he laid out all the cards on the floor from one pair all the way up to a royal flush to have me memorize their rankings. My favorite game as a teenager was pot-limit “Italian Poker” it’s a game played like 5 card draw, (but you can only draw two cards, not three) it’s played four-handed and you use a short deck, sevens through aces. A flush beats a full house, because it’s very difficult to have five of the same suit with only eight of them in the deck. To win at “Italian Poker”…you have to be aggressive because it’s short-handed. You have to take advantage of your position and you need to be able to put all you chips in the middle with nothing. Sounds a lot like no-limit hold’em, doesn’t it? I guess I was in training and didn’t even know it.

The education of children is a big concern of yours. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have started a program in schools that teaches children the game of Bridge, in the hopes of building math skills, logical thinking and how to work with others. Could poker accomplish the same set of skills for children? Could you see it shedding some of the judgmental public eye?
That is true. All you can want out of life is to give your children a better life than you had. I don’t have a problem with teaching young children, including my own, to play poker. I play all the time with my kids, after they finish there homework of course. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t want them to go to college and get an education. I want my children to get a degree and then choose a career that makes them happy. Whether they choose law, medicine, education, business or poker, I will support them 100%. I just hope they are happy and do the best they can in whatever field they choose. Poker definitely helps you build your math skills. It’s a psychological game with lots of ups and downs that not only sharpens your mind but helps build your competitive spirit.

What have the NYC clubs taught you in adapting to professional tournaments? What elements did you need in expanding your knowledge?
My favorite club of all time and probably the club I have spent the most time in is “Union Avenue” in Brooklyn. Playing against all the old timers in there has really helped my game. It also gave me the confidence to play anywhere for any limit. I remember when I first started playing tournaments, the owner of the club, we’ll call him by his nickname “Mustache”, said to me, “Vinny in a few months you are going to win a big one because you’re a student of the game and I’ll put you up against anybody I’ve ever seen play and my money’s on you.” Coming from a guy who has been around the game for over 45 years, that was truly a compliment in its highest form.

You play a variety of games. Which one is your favorite? Why? Which game do you need the most in improving?
My favorite game is no-limit holdem. I feel I have much more control over winning and losing than in a limit game. Basically you don’t need the best hand to win, all you need to know is that your opponent doesn’t have a strong enough hand to handle a big bet. You can put them to the test for all there chips and take them off winning hands. It’s a game where position, table presence, reading ability is more important than the cards you are dealt. Big bet poker is a game of mistakes, and if you can limit your mistakes and take advantage of your opponents, you will make money!

I would say my weakest game is stud hi/lo. I just don’t have enough experience playing it.

Poker is still widely popular, it seems to be still in expanding stages. But with the boom, there are more games being established, like Triple draw, Badugi, and stud variations. Can you see yourself moving into any of these unfamiliar (to the public) poker games? Explain?
Yes, I love any type of draw game and I have played Badugi a little bit already. I will play any game as long as there’s action.

With all these tournaments, do you still play a considerable amount of cash games? What types of stakes do you enjoy playing at? Biggest pot?
I don’t play as much cash as I would like to. With a business, four small kids, and so many tournaments all over the world, it’s hard to find the time. My favorite game to play is $25 – $50 or $50 – $100 no-limit hold’em. I also like $300-$600 limit mixed games. The biggest pot I ever won was at the Bellagio a few years back. Without being too specific about the size of the pot…let’s just say that if that was the only pot I won on that trip, then it was a worthwhile trip.

How much time/percentage do you spend playing online poker? Are you finding this to be a profitable endeavour?
I probably play about 10 to 15 hours per week online. It’s easier to make money online because of the embarrassment factor. Meaning people can call you with any hand and not have to watch everybody at the table look at you like your the village idiot. All they have to do is shut there computer down before everyone starts to type. With that being said, I would still rather sit at a table than on a computer. I just love to interact with other people.

Are you currently affiliated with any online poker sites?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I just signed a long term deal with www.PokerSyndicate.com.

With all the options available to you, why did you select that site?
Poker Syndicate had the best concept I have ever seen. It is a concept that will revolutionize the online poker industry. They are truly the only site in the world that is giving online poker back to the players. The site was formed by group of professional poker players and is a “By players – for Players” site. The concept is simple. Every time someone plays on the Syndicate, they earn equity ownership on the site. 50% of a players rake and tournament fees will be given back to the player, in the form of equity (shares of stock). They also get quarterly dividends on their equity equal to 50% of all profits generated. It is not a profit sharing scheme. The more you play, the more you own. Even if a player stops playing, they get to keep their shares and continue to receive dividends. It is a great concept, and after all, why would anyone play anywhere else when they can play on a site you own? And if you have seen some of the valuations from some of the online poker sites that have gone public in the last year or so…you probably said I wish I was an insider and had some of that stock on that IPO. Well now you can, the more you play, the more stock you own. And as an experienced internet player, I would much rather accumulate equity than player points or rake back that get me a free t-shirt or cap.

What events will you be playing at the 2006 WSOP? Any targets or is not finishing first a complete disappointment? Any professionals you enjoy playing with or just talking with at these big tournaments?
I will probably play between 10 and 12 events including the Main Event of course. I wish I could play every event at the WSOP, but I would need to be away from my family way too long.

Everything I do in life…I do to win. Anything less than first is a major disappointment. I live by the motto “Second Place is the First Loser.”

As far as other players go, I love playing with Hoyt Corkins, Chip Jett, Michael Gracz, Chris Bell and Gavin Smith, because I know when I’m at the table with them, at some point where going to play a big pot. And what makes it so challenging is that we usually have all the chips on the table and it’s inevitable that a big pot is just around the corner. And you can’t win a tournament without winning a big pot or two. The last two years in the Trump Classic, I lost big pots late in the tournament to both Michael Gracz (Dec. 2004) and Chris Bell (Dec. 2005). They both went on to win the whole thing. And believe me I couldn’t lose to better players or nicer people. The player that gave me not only the confidence, but also made me feel that I belonged at the table when I first started playing tournaments was Chip Jett. I wouldn’t be doing this interview today if it weren’t for you. Thanks Chip!!! As far as talking strategy, there’s no one better to talk to than my man and travelling partner Grant “G-Money” Lang.

If you could play one professional heads up who would it be? Why? For how much? What game?
I would love to play Doyle Brunson heads up in no-limit hold’em. I mean there are a lot of great players in the world, but Doyle Brunson is to poker, what Babe Ruth is to baseball. If you beat him, you can say you beat the best.

What is the best piece of poker advice anyone has given you?
The best piece of poker advice I got was from Robert “Bo” Toft in April 2003. At that time I only had about 6 months tournament experience under my belt. I had made a few final table and numerous cashes up until that point, but I never finished better than fourth place. Bo came up to me right after I got knocked out of 8th in Foxwood’s Omaha Hi/Lo Tournament. First he said, “Congratulations, nice job”, and then he said, “Now that you have proven you belong, start playing to win the whole thing!” What he meant was don’t lose your aggression when you get close to the finish. Go with what got you there. A few months later I won the Caribbean Classic in the Bahamas.

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