When was the lightblub moment when you figured out you needed to create your own website?
It was about two years ago. I had a friend that knew how to build websites and he offered to build me one for a cube of keystone light beer. I saw that there were few websites about poker that were more than just flashy banners and bonus offers. I started trying to put together some solid information on poker, and it eventually turned into a full scale website on the subject.

Anyone help you out with it, or was it a solo journey?
I’ve had help from some friends in the poker world. I also had to get someone to help with the design since I am not very good at the technical stuff. I am constantly getting input from poker players, and editing the articles so that they will be the best possible advice for players.

What types of players check out your site? A wide variety? Most beginners?
I would say it is mostly intermediate players. Usually players who know the basics, but are looking to get better at the game. Usually they’ll turn to Google and search for an answer, which is how they find my site.

How much have you won online at one time? Loss?
I’ve had a lot of online tournament cashes for a few thousand here and there, especially back when I used to play at Party Poker. I liked playing the turbo tournaments the most. I try not to spend most of my time playing poker though, as I can make more money doing other things. I don’t like to talk about the biggest loss, but I can tell you it was around 20k and took less than two minutes. Moral of that story: don’t play late at night when you are drunk. I had a friend who came home drunk once, got on Full Tilt, and won like 50k. He got all excited and told his wife all about it and then went to bed. He woke up in the morning to discover that he had been playing on the play money tables. Oops!

Which online poker site do you like the most? The worst? Why?
I’d say my favorite at the moment is PokerStars or FullTilt. They seem to have the most traffic for playing the quick tourney when I get the urge. My least favorite would have to be Absolute poker because they have blackjack, which is a little to tempting for me

If Holdem is your favorite game, what is your second? Any other varieties you enjoy playing?
I like playing Omaha High. It’s a nice switch from Hold Em, and there are often some new players that don’t quite understand the rules which can end up being a good thing for me!

Any other poker websites that you frequent that you could tell us about? Must read sites!
One that comes to mind right away is MeltedFelt.com. It’s a poker blog that has me laughing every time I go to read it. Definitely check it out if you are tired of reading the same old boring poker blogs.

Do you see online poker continuing in the foreseeable future or do you see Congress clamping down?
I see it eventually being regulated by the US government in some way shape or form. It’s just a matter of time before they realize that it is a fight that can’t be won. People want to play poker, so why stop them? It’s almost identical to the prohibition of alcohol, and we all saw how that turned out.

I see you like RC planes. Ever dive bomb something, and not pull up in time and obliterate the plane? Any cool crashes involving fire?
No cool crashes involving fire. I have crashed numerous times, including in water, on roofs, in roads, trees, etc. You name it, I’ve probably crashed into it. I am fairly new to the hobby, but you can get a plane for roughly $200 and be flying right away. It’s pretty fun, and it’s a good excuse to get out of the house and off the computer.

There is this guy on twitter, called Street3, who could be the worst poker I have ever seen. Hands down, the worst! What advice would you give him so he doesn’t continue to deposit funds online?
Why would you want him to stop? I would try to play against him often. If he really wants to continue to deposit funds, maybe he could read up on the game until he gets to the point where he realizes that he sucks. Then he’ll either quit or get better.

The end was a long drawn out affair. On New Years Eve, I was down to my last £20, I spent a fairly depressing night watching the rest of the world celebrate a ticking clock on TV. Time passing wasn’t something I felt particularly jubilant about. If my life had been a chess game any decent player would have conceded that it was time to knock the King over and find a new game. Of course my life is, if anything, a poker game and Poker players live by the maxim “a chip and a chair” and that was what I was down to.

You quickly learn when playing poker that scared money rarely wins. Its almost impossible to play at your best when you’re down to the very last of your bankroll, calls you should be making are now almost impossible because if you’re wrong its all over. Then what? Back to a 9 to 5 job playing poker on the side telling anyone who will listen that you could have been a contender. The last lines of Goodfellas sum up my dread.

…And now it’s all over and that’s the hardest part. Today everything is different, there’s no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. I cant even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I’m an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a shnook.

I had absolutely no idea if I would even be able to get a regular job after all prospective employers might not understand the value I had added to my CV after four years playing poker and generally enjoying myself. I have always been difficult to manage and not having someone tell me what to do or where to be was something that I had become rather attached to. So on January first 2009 motivated by the fear of living a shnook’s life I took my last £20 and somehow turned it into £1200. Enough to pay the rent, enough to eat but I needed to do it all again in February and the pressure was back.

At times I can honestly say it all got to me. There were some nights that were sick with sleepless worry. The wins thankfully kept coming through February and early March and just when it looked like I was set to have a fantastic year, I was in the top 50 tournament players on William Hill, they switched Network. I played the last tournament on the old network at 01:00 on 17th March. It was a little like being in the band playing on the titanic, no matter how well I played the whole thing would be going under soon. The new network should have been just as easy to win on but for whatever reason I stopped winning. I think on reflection I can say it was a combination of self-doubt and a dislike of change. I was certainly not playing as well as I had been and by the end of May the false dawn had ended.

Now the thing about a false dawn is that it should inevitably eventually be followed by the actual dawn. I did get a job, a call center job. The pay was lousy but the hours were flexible and I figured I would just do the job long enough to build a bankroll, I could still play almost as much poker and with the pressure off I might start winning again. When the pressure was off though I couldn’t face playing at all. For the first time in years I didn’t play and more importantly I didn’t miss it. I was enjoying interacting with people who didn’t play, I found I really liked the people I was working with and the job, fund-raising for various charities was almost a karmic payback for the years I spent just trying to win money off people for my own needs without having given anything back. I decided I would only go back to poker when I was doing it for the right reason, because I enjoyed it and wanted to.

October 1st I had $1 in my account and it occurred to me that if I was good enough I should be able to turn that into $1000 before too long. The Rags to Riches challenge was born. Now I know that $1000 is hardly riches but if you can turn $1 into $1000 then you only have to do the same thing again from there to get to a million. After that? Well this time next year Rodney we will be a Brazilianaires. I will document the challenge honestly and hopefully with some good humor hereafter hope we all enjoy the ride.

“Achtung” Dan Hofinger is a London based poker player who can assist those wanting to break into live play through his own journey of bad beats and well-played hands.

Poker 2.0 Blog is a unique blog focused on a very unusual niche market – social media tools for poker players, poker social networks, poker celebrities using social media, tools and applications. The author of this blog is Marius Kuitniauskas, the former project manager for one of the biggest poker information websites, PokerNews. He has recently been working on smaller projects (in English and Lithuanian) and focusing mainly on social media resources. Poker 2.0 Blog is one of his projects which has a goal to present interest based social media to poker player audience.

What was the reason behind starting the Poker 2.0 blog?
There are a few reasons for starting the Poker 2.0 Blog. The main one is to inform people about the possibilities of other types of communication and interaction among poker players. The second reason is to show readers the type of quality information we have gathered and written. There are lots of garbage sites in poker market which are not even worth the account registration time. The last reason is to gather all the poker social media information in one place which, actually, has not been done. There was an attempt by web20-poker.com, but the last blog entry in 2007 says that it is no longer active.

What would make Poker 2.0 a success in your eyes?
The Poker 2.0 Blog will be successful only because there are no affiliate links and banners advertising the same deals. The blog has already got some attention from poker social media developers and their communities. The incentive is unique. No one else analyzes different social media channels. Some poker bloggers write about their Twitter experience, but do not care how they can be active and noticed in Facebook, Railbirds, or Pokernations. Narrow niche articles make this blog different from others. Therefore it will be successful.

What are the main topics analyzed in Poker 2.0 Blog?
The main topic are poker social networks and the tools inside them. Another focus of Poker 2.0 Blog are the poker features and services in global social networks like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace. The third focus are web 2.0 features and interests for poker players – blogging issues, hand replayers, etc. And the last but not least topic are poker pros in social media (I have collected the biggest poker pros in Twitter list, by the way).

Who is a professional poker player you follow and why?
I follow lots of professional poker players in Twitter, but I am not a poker player myself. I am interested in their social media and business experience. However, I know the controversial Tony G personally and I love his type of play and show. Why? Because poker is a fun game and must give some fun and adrenaline. I really hate watching the players who do not tell a word as if they had a mouth full of water. Millions can be earned in other ways than playing poker, so amounts of winnings do not impress me. By the way, Tony is very calm and polite person in real life

What poker websites do you frequent the most?
There are lots of poker websites I visit every day. The main issue is about returning. Only quality websites deserves to be visited weekly or even daily. Facebook is my no.1 source of information about general social media issues. I am also subscribed to major social media blogs like TechCrunch, Mashable, ReadWriteWeb, WebProNews etc. Also I build my friend network in new poker social network, PokerNations. I write some blogs related to my direct work at my.PokerNews.com.

What is the best piece of poker advice a player passed onto you?
If you can NOT play poker – don’t play. This advice works very well and I am still not involved in this poker playing craze. It is not necessary to smoke in order to write a blog about tobacco industry. As professional journalist (I have studied journalism in Vilnius University, Lithuania), I can write about whatever I want, no matter if it is a free blog or a serious analysis article or breaking news story with 5 W’s.

What would be your advice to poker players regarding social media?
I would advise every poker player to start building their personal brand in the global social networks first. Even beginning poker player can become a celebrity over weekend by winning one of these big Sunday tournaments in the biggest poker rooms. I really hate when I cannot find their nickname in Google If they used Facebook or Twitter, life would be easier, both for them and for us – the poker readers. The same nickname should be used in other social networks as well. Every poker player should have his blog and post everything about his play and personal life. It does not take much time and it is worth the effort. Being famous means invitations to bigger tournaments and bigger winnings. Hopefully poker social media can significantly help with that.

Why did you enter the freeroll that won you $2? Was it your first time playing poker?
I’ve been playing poker since I was a teenager in high school, about 15 years now. It wasn’t until about the last 5 years though that hold ‘em became my game of choice. I take my online hold ‘em journey seriously, but the game itself is still in a bit of a “hobby” stage right now. When I started playing online (about mid-summer 2007), since I wasn’t taking the game itself very seriously, I thought I’d try playing for free and see how it goes. After quite a few freerolls with 10,000-12,000 players, I finally hit a spot and won $2.00. Shortly after I decided to start this journey.

Why did you choose $100 as your goal? Any reason behind it?
That was the first goal I ever set (aside from my overall goal of never putting money in), and I set it more for something to shoot for than anything else. Since then my goals have been based on 20 to 30 buy-ins for that level, and I’ll likely continue to set my goals like this from here on out.

Now that you have hit the $250 bankroll mark, what goal have you set for yourself? How long do you think it will take to hit it?
My next goal is $700, and then I plan to move up to $25NL. If I had to guess it’ll take me 6 months, give or take a month. It isn’t uncommon for me to go a week or more without playing, or only play 1-3 sessions in a week. So progress can be slow, but as long as it’s progress, then I’m happy.

Do you currently play any forms other than NL Holdem?
Not so much. Occasionally I’ll still play an Omaha, Razz or HORSE freeroll, some of them fixed or pot limit, for fun more than anything. After I won my $2.00, I started with fixed Limit Hold em. Now I play NL holdem 99% of the time.

As you have moved up in blinds, has there been a difference in the performance of your opponents?
Very little, and I’m not trying to be arrogant. I haven’t changed the general way I play on my latest move up to $10NL. Before that my game changed as I progressed and learned, but not because of my opponents performance.

What playing style do you find most difficult to handle in an opponent? How would you characterize your poker style?
Great questions. How do I answer those without giving away too much information? Extreme loose aggressive players are probably the toughest for me to read. They play so many hands, and play some very well and some very bad, which makes it very difficult for me to gauge where my hands stand and if he/she has a specific range at all. My poker style is patient. I try to balance my play, mixing in bluffs and semi-bluffs. This helps expand my perceived range while giving me a chance to pick off some passive players. That’s all I have to say about that.

What do you believe is the best facet of your personality that has suited you to poker?
I’m a fairly patient person, and that works great for me when it comes to poker. I’ve had people tell me they wish they were as patient as me. I believe my patience makes my overall game better. Patience leads to discipline too, which not only helps on a hand by hand basis, but also with my bankroll management.

Do you have any superstitions while playing? What about pet peeves?
I don’t have superstitions now, I used to though. I don’t have any pet peeves in live play. It’s the idiots online that get me sometimes. They say things in chat that they’d never say to someone face to face. I’ve learned to let it go these days, but there was a time when someone would call my mom names (to put it nicely), or call me out in a myriad of ways, and I’d take it personally. Now that I’ve realized they’re just idiots and only making themselves look foolish, I just let them dig themselves a deeper hole.

You have played in the Twitter Poker Tour. What would you like to see changed about it, if anything?
As of this interview I’ve only played in the one PokerStars event we’ve had. I exited early but it was fun. I think the best part about the TPT is the friendly and usually funny chatter both on twitter and at the tables. So I have no complaints…yet.

What would be the one piece of advice you would give to someone to improve their game?
This was the hardest question to answer, I mean how do you narrow it down to just one? If I must though, I’d tell them to be patient, and have fun. Is that two? They work together though. If you’re truly committed to playing poker long term and continuing to get better along the way, you’ll struggle at times if you’re not patient and having fun along the way. There was a time or twenty when I went to bed and couldn’t sleep because that last session had me so frustrated. I’m not going to say I don’t get frustrated any more, that would mean I’m not trying to be competitive at all. I’m just saying that if you’re not having fun playing poker, then you’re doing something wrong and you’ll burn out eventually.

What is the story behind your nickname? What made you start a blog? Was it a light bulb type moment?
It seemed like a natural progression to tie my love of poker and love of writing. I used to write fiction and may be getting back into it. The light bulb moment probably came from my friend David Sasseman starting to freelance write for various poker magazine’s like Bluff and Rounders. I wanted to join in the fun, but the Internet was more my medium.

What stakes are you playing at now? Are you finding it easier or tougher to make a profit than you did 6 months ago?
Currently, I like single-table tournaments. “Sit-n-goes,” although I dislike the name, with buy-ins between $10 and $50…usually $20. In that price range I almost always make it to the top four…and since the top three pay, I usually cash about 65% of the time. I know, my math should be 75%, but I’m factoring in my tilt factor. I’ve been pretty consistent for the last six months.

Do you only play No Limit Holdem? Any other variations?
Online, I stick to No Limit Hold’em. I can profit with limit, but I don’t have any fun doing it. Omaha is my kryptonite. I’m open to anything when playing with friends. I like games with a roll-out at the end…y’know, for suspense.

Do you mostly play online? Any live play? How many times a week for both?
I play mostly online, but I desperately want to get a regularly scheduled live game going. I have recently moved and haven’t had the chance to start and/or find one. Online play for me is about three days a week for varying hours of the day. It used to be daily, but I have a day job and a wife now.

When you scout out a live game, what are you specifically looking for?
Fish, but not just any fish. Honest fish is most important. I try to meet new players before actually dealing with them. I don’t play with cheaters (obviously) or hotheads. In a casino environment, I try to watch a couple goes around the table before sitting down to test aggression levels. I like playing with one bully, but not a table full of them. Although I love playing with people on tilt or easily tilted. If I see just one person make what I consider a stupid play, I sit down. I probably don’t do as much scouting as I should.

In your first piece, you say

How have you helped your readers make a profit playing poker?
I’m a big advocate of starting small. Many of my early posts deal with finding what game, medium, and buy-in works for you. Making a profit comes from bankroll management, and when you’re just starting out it can also mean minimizing your loses. I’ve shared some of my pitfalls as far as money management goes and how I found what works for one person may not work for you. Poker can be a very personal venture. I try to show people how to be honest with themselves and make it their own. And, as I was quoted, have fun!

What books have helped you become a better poker player?
I just finished “Ace on the River” on audiobook read by the author. It is a great listen to anyone interested in the ins and outs of poker without going into the strategy of types of hands. For that I read David Slansky books. I also like Dan Harrington on Hold’em, although I have read it backwards…I had to see how it ended.

If you could pick any poker player to be, who would it be? Why?
Daniel Negreanu. He is one of the best for sure and efficient in his money making by parlaying his celebrity into video games and such. He is a great business man. And of all the players, you can’t say much bad about him. He’s not a hot head or a brat and friends with almost everyone.

If I gave you $10,000 this instant, would you enter the World Series of Poker Main Event? Or play various smaller entry fee WSOP events? What would your strategy be?
The only way I could be honest with myself is for you to give me the money and see what I would do. I have time if you need to run to an ATM. But seriously, folks, I would play the main event. I’d have to live the dream. My strategy would be to prepare by clocking in long days of poker. I don’t have any experience with multi-day events. Outside of that I would play tight the first day to ensure survival and try to amass a chip stack the second day that can carry me on. Oh, and I would wave to the camera a lot.

You spent a week with Annie Duke not too long ago. What tips really sunk in? Any new stories you can tell?
The week of tuition with Annie was fantastic. Every day was an intensive course on different aspects of NLH, but some of the most useful information Annie gave me was how to play hands in a way that was mathematically correct, something which makes total sense now but I wasn’t necessarily always doing before. A good story from the week was when we flew out to Vegas for 2 days and I played a tournament at Caesars. By this point I’d had two days of tuition from Annie and it was clearly working as I went on and won the whole tourney!

What poker professionals has Absolute Poker introduced you to? Who has been the most helpful with poker information?
I have Absolute Poker to thank for the week of tuition with Annie, but technically I knew her from before so that doesn’t really count does it? To be honest I’ve known most of the pros I’m friends with for a while now just through playing and working in the industry over the last few years. Those who have been most helpful both with poker and other general advice about the industry include Nik Persaud, Annie and Phil Hellmuth.

Has anyone given you a nickname at the table yet? What nickname would you like to have?
Yes, for the first time actually! It was just after I won the European Ladies Championships ($30,000 payday!) the other week, I went into the Green room where everyone had been watching the final table live on the screens and these two girls come over and say I have a fantastic stone cold poker face, and should be called “Stone Cold”. I thought that was rather cool…

What types of conversations are you involved in at the tables these days?
All! I love the fact that people talk about anything and everything at the poker table, and usually always join in.

We asked this before, but what is your current level of activity with poker? Are you playing live and online? Blinds?
I’m playing online about 3 times a week on Absolute Poker, and play in bounty tournaments every Thursday at 8pm and 9pm UK time. I try and play live at least once a week, usually £100 tournaments or thereabouts, and of course I will representing Absolute Poker at large events around the world which is the best bit!

Have you jumped in on any cash tables? Or still sticking primarily with tournaments? Are you still playing at the Gutshot in London?
I still mainly play tournaments live, but play cash a fair bit online during the day now as well. I still go to Gutshot occasionally.

According to John “The Greek” Leontakianakos, a female poker player who dresses in a revealing outfit and who has a nice smile can have an advantage at a male dominated table. Do you agree with this statement? Do you think your looks or the way you dress can distract a man and throw his game off a bit?
I guess it could be to an extent, but it’s kinda difficult not being a man and hence knowing how distracting a sexily dressed lady can be! I try to dress well but can’t say anyone’s ever told me I’m distracting them… but I can imagine it might be tough for men if a girl is semi-naked if that’s what she chooses to do – anything to get an edge is fair game in my opinion!

If you could play one professional heads up who would it be? Why? For how much? What game?
Hmm, so many I’d love to play! I’d love to play against Phil Ivey, he’s a seriously tough player (I’ve been watching some of his moves on YouTube recently). Although my bankroll is considerably smaller than his so I doubt he’d care too much about a game against me!

What events do you have planned in the next 3 months? 6 months?
World Series Baby!!! I’m heading out for the whole thing and will be playing a fair few events so I’m ridiculously excited!!! I’m determined to come back with a bracelet, so I’ll keep you posted… Otherwise, I should be playing a number of events including Aruba in September, so it sounds like there’s lots of jet-setting in store!