After two successful “Bad Beat on Cancer” poker tournaments, it was high time we sat down with Mr. Ellis and learned more about what makes him tick. Our trusty reporter, Street3, was on the case and tracked the man down.

Congrats on the #tpt…wait a minute, you didn’t win #tpt…oh well.

So, Mr. Ellis, you’ve been a long time #tpt player. How long have you been playing poker?
I originally started playing poker in 2003 after watching Chris Moneymaker ship the Main Event. I was one of those guys that thought, “Hey, if an accountant can win this thing, why not me?” I started by playing a hand-held poker game, and then bought the WSOP Video game for my Playstation. I won the Main Event there a couple times, and I graduated to online poker, where I played for play chips. The first deposit that I made online was actually winning a freeroll tournament on Pokerstars put on by the Poker Players Alliance. They were conducting a freeroll to players that joined the PPA.

As far as live play, I played a lot with my best friend Jordan, who’d picked up the game while stationed with the Army in Iraq. He came home and pretty much schooled me most of the time when we played heads up. After my divorce, we started a Friday night game at my apartment in Encino, which turned into what Pablosplace is today.

Is NLHE you’re only game?
I like playing a lot of games. I enjoy RAZZ the most, and have had more successes than failures at that game, largely due to the fact that I RULE at getting crappy cards, which works out well in that game. But I also play PLO cash games at the micro stakes (Usually $5 or $10 – .02/.05 blinds), and I also enjoy playing HORSE tournaments.

Do you play live or strictly online? Which is better suited to your game?
I play much more often online than live simply because It’s hard to fit in the time required to play live. We have the home game with my friends every Friday night, which is usually a full single table (sometimes 2), and I have tournaments that our group frequents about once a month, or every other month at casinos in Southern California.

Do you prefer tournaments/sng’s/cash/mtt’s?
I prefer to play in tournaments because I like the competition. Cash games are really for the business side of poker, increasing your bankroll quickly. To me, tournaments are the fun part of the game.

Your twitter bio says you are Team 7 Duece founder, can you tell us what Team 7 Duece is?
Not sure about Team 7 Duece (perhaps a spelling error?) but Team7Deuce is the group name of the individuals who frequent the home game at Pablosplace. It started back when we were all beginning to play poker and learn the game, and I discovered that 7-2os was statistically the worst starting hand in poker. I decided to play it just for fun like it was Aces, and I was winning virtually every pot that I entered into, showdowns and all. I’ve laid some AMAZING beats on people with the Seven Deuce, that this just kind of evolved as my hand.

A few years back, I took second place in a charity event in Northridge at the place where I get my hair cut. I won a “Wings Party for 10″ at Hooters, and the group went to the Hooters in Burbank a few weeks later. As it turned out, they were having a trivia night, and required team names. Our group simply chose the name Team7Deuce, and it stuck.

It also states you are a member of the Bad Beat on Cancer Advisory Council, please share.
About a month ago, I received an email from Bad Beat on Cancer co-creator Rafe Furst, asking me to join him, and 30 other members of the BBoC Advisory Council. I graciously accepted his offer. I mean, how could I refuse.

Basically the Advisory Council acts as Ambassadors of Bad Beat on Cancer (an initiative of the Prevent Cancer Foundation developed by Phil Gordon and Rafe Furst), to local and national business communities and to other individuals, to assist in advancing the mission of the Foundation through fundraising, public relations, and marketing efforts.

So, I’ll be working with the Bad Beat on Cancer Founders (Rafe and Phil) and the Foundation staff to develop and implement Bad Beat on Cancer fund-raising and beneficiary events. I’ll be serving on the council for the next 2 years, and am thrilled to have the opportunity to generate funds for this cause.

You, with the help of Geoff Manning, put a BBoC tourney on FTP, was it a success?
We’ve actually hosted 2 BBoC Events now, and each one was a measured success. The first one in August of 2009 had 103 participants, with 5 red Full Tilt Pro’s joining us, and raised $515 for BBoC. For the second one, we set a VERY lofty goal of 500 participants, and while we fell short of that mark, I hardly consider the $1,740 raised from the 314 entrants and pledges a failure. We succeeded in having 12 Full Tilt Pro’s join us this time around, including Phil and Rafe who played in this tournament, and brought the event a live Ustream Broadcast throughout the event with guests that included the Prevent Cancer Foundation President Jan Mahrer, ESPN’s Poker Editor and The Poker Edge poker podcast co-host Andrew Feldman (who was ESPN’s go to guy for all things poker during ESPN’s coverage of the World Series of Poker), Professional Poker Player Andy Bloch, and Twitter Poker Tour Sponser DeucesCracked Pro, Jay Rosenkrantz. It was a successful day generating a considerable amount, and more than tripled the size of the first one. I’m excited to see how much the 3rd event will bring, which we may do in February.

8. How did you come up with the name “CoolWhipFlea“?
My handle on Full Tilt is fleapid, and was my first name on twitter. I changed it to CoolWhipFlea after having a discussion about chick flicks with a few people on twitter. When the infamous reporter Street3 recognized my knowledge base of so many feminine items, it led to the discovery of my living under a roof with 5 women (my wife and our 4 daughters). I believe that Street, you said something to the fact of “Wow, your whipped, but your cool..we should call you Coolwhip.” And the name stuck. I changed my twitter ID that night.

Did Joe Cada luckbox his way to the WSOP ME win? Isn’t luck a good part of winning any tournament with such a huge field size?
Cada certainly got lucky to win that event, but I’m going to walk the fence luck box comment. He just ran WHITE hot at the right time, and on the worlds biggest poker stage. Prior to the final table, Cada had never been all in and called with his tournament life at stake. So if you think about it, he was never really all in. When he sat down at that final table, the very first time that he was really at risk for elimination was when he called for his life with J-4os in the big blind against Buchman’s 3 million chip bet with 5c-4c. So Cada was lucky to be ahead, and consequently won the pot. But in the other hands where he doubled through Shulman (33 vs. JJ) and through Saout (22 vs QQ), he shoved, and made the other players call him. He then proceeded to get lucky when he spike the 2 outer on the flop both times. But luck is an element involved in ANY poker tournament for certain. Because of the chances of ANY hand beating any other hand existing, you need to run good and get lucky in order to win a poker tournament, whether it be a field of 6,500 players, or a single table S&G. Your cards have to hold up in order to win. Just because Cada shipped it in and was behind, doesn’t mean that he is a luckbox, but I would say that he definately got lucky to be there, just as every player, even Ivey, got lucky to be there.

What’s your biggest win, whether live or online?
My biggest live win was a 21st place finish at a $80 buy in tournament at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. I cashed for a little over $200 there. But my largest online win was a cash in the Carbon Poker $109 Rebuy Tournament, where I scored $375.

What is the BBoC gala event you have briefly mentioned on twitter? Can I go? Do I need a dress?
On February 20th, 2010, the Prevent Cancer Foundation will be hosting a Gala Poker Tournament to Benefit Bad Beat on Cancer and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. You’ll see a lot of “A” list poker and Hollywood celebrities including the likes of Phil Gordon, Phil Hellmuth Jr., Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, and a host of other Poker names as well as a host of movie celebrities. BBoC Hosts these events annualy in Washington D.C., but this will be the first one in Los Angeles. For information, you can visit the BBoC Page at http://www.preventcancer.org/. By clicking on the 1% patch, it has a place to get more information as it becomes available, which should be soon. The event is open to the general public, so ANYONE (even you Carse) can attend. The theme is a 1940′s theme, so I think that you’d fit in with either a zuit suit, or a dress with feather boa.

Is online poker rigged?
I know that this is a hot topic, on the hole, I don’t think so. While it’s certainly possible, I don’t really see the need for poker sites to rig online gaming. I just can’t really justify why they would do it. It seems much more lucrative in the long run for the sites to have the good players win, and continue putting money into the system via rake, and for the poor players to lose, and have to reload. I’ve had just as many beats put on me in live games as in online games. They happen. Not because the site is fixed, but because that’s just how poker goes sometimes.

What’s your favorite online site to play?
I’m most frequently online on Full Tilt Poker, but I play a little on PokerStars, Carbon, and Cake. I also have a new account with Lock Poker, and have played there several times. But for me, I enjoy Full Tilt most. It has the largest selection of games for what I like to play, and the limits that I feel comfortable playing at.

I googled your name and google seems to think you are actually “Ellis Paul” a boston based singer song writer. Explain why u go by “Paul Ellis” a California based poker playing donkaplatimus?
Ok, secret’s out. I’m really a singer. Here’s a video of me at my bachelor party flexing the “Golden Pipes.”

Swyyft would like to know why Widmayer is your nemesis?
LOL – I don’t really know the answer to this. I will say that, among other players in the TPT, both Swyyft and Widmayer are players that I have tremendous respect for, but have typically faced very poorly against. I think that my tight style of play just doesn’t mesh well with their hyper LAG play, and as a result, I just find myself on the wrong side of many pots with both of them, whether I get it in good or not.

Where do you see the #tpt going in the next few years?
I’d like to see the TPT experience consistent growth over the next few months. Having a regular Thursday night game where you know practically everyone is really cool, but to have that game have 60, 70, 80, 150 players would be even better. I think that we can do a much better job of getting the word out about this game specifically, and hopefully leverage the TPT into something much bigger. Perhaps the winner could be the next Steve Begleiter or Darvin Moon, who got the final table by virtue of representing their home games. The great thing about this game of poker is that you never really know what the future might hold. There are endless possibilities. But I hope that I never lose the passion and the joy that comes with looking forward to playing with the gang of the TPT on Thursday Nights.

Do you have anything else you would like to share with us? Any shoutouts?
Just a request. If I have pocket Queens, please fold. That’s the ONLY way that I’m going to end up winning the pot. Even Andy Bloch says so.

Thank you for your time Mr. Ellis Paul, singer song writer.

First of all, congrats on the Season 4 victory. You are a god among men. I bow to you.

Is this the first Season you have played the Twitter Poker Tour? If not, how many seasons have you played?
Yes, first season.

How long have you been playing NLHE? Online/live? Which do you prefer?
Been playing poker for many years. Started probably around 14 years ago while going to College. Used to play at the Trump Taj in AC many days a week. NLHE wasn’t as big then, so my game was 7 Stud. Since then I’ve been playing both online and live. I definitely prefer live play so that when I get beat by some donk I can throat punch them afterwards.

Favorite hand?
Hmm, tough question. I rarely see a hand I don’t like. 57s is a nice hand…

Who is your favorite pro and why?
Don’t have a favorite “Pro” per se. I think most “Pros” are over rated and just backed by the right people/corps and have the money to get in the right games and make names for themselves.

Would you make a career of poker, is that something you want?
I’ve actually been pondering this for a while. I think I could actually make a good living doing this. Time would be my biggest downfall to achieving this.

Outside of poker, what do you do?
Ummmm, I’m a “Manager” of a Waste Management Company in Jersey….. Seriously though if I told ya I’d have to kill ya. Hehe.

How do you handle tilt?
Horrible, worst part of my game. I tilt so hard it’s not even funny. Partly because I’ve been playing low stakes online against the biggest donks I’ve ever seen. When I lose a big hand I play every hand until I either go broke or double, triple etc

Do you like turtles?
YESSS!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0XXmVts1y0

Any memorable hands from this Season?
Memorable, hmmmm, what were we talking about again? Seriously though, the one hand that I remember is the first hand of week 10 where I got knocked out when I flopped a set against an over set.

Who it the toughest TPT opponent?
If by toughest you mean biggest donkey, then that prize would have to goto KingSteve7 who had no regard for pot control and had no problem going AI at any given time LOL. Had to fold the best hand many times to him. Also, Broker91 made it a close run at the end and made me play my A game the last two weeks.

Anyone you don’t like playing a pot with?
Yeah, anyone who re-raises a pot out of position with T5o…

Um, do you like the Soprano’s?
It was the best show on TV. Would love to see The Soprano’s: The Younger Years. Who wouldn’t want to see a spin off series about a younger Uncle Jr., Paulie Walnuts and Tony Soprano Sr.???? JohnnyFilmmaker let’s pitch this to someone!!!

I don’t have proof, but based on the way you started and finished the Season, I am investigating the possibility that you use software that allows you to see the table’s hole cards. Any comment?
Well to be honest I did, but I had to stop using it because it must have been broken because all I saw were hands like T5o, 27, 58 etc being played. Also to confirm that it must have been broken I regularly would see coolwhipflea openly fold QQ.

Do all your bases belong to us?
No, but all your monies belong to me muahahhaha.

Do you take advantage of the training sites offered by the TPT to the winners? Are you learning anything? Forgetting stuff?
Won a free month to DeucesCracked.com but honestly never used it when I took first in week 2. Now that I’ve won a 6 month sub to DeucesCracked.com I will definitely take advantage this time.

Anything else you want to say? Shoutout someone? Curse someone?
Just happy I found the #tpt. Great way to have fun, play cards and improve my game. Much respect to cprpoker, pokerplasm and whoever else runs/regulates the#tpt. Looking forward to the upcoming Season and ready to TID!!!!!

Street3 is PokerPlasm’s beat poker writer and interviewer to the poker stars.

Steve Carse

Inside sources reported that the PokerPlasm, Inc. Public Relations team was working on several stories to combat Mr. Flea’s damaging statement. At the time of this release, Mr. Flea or Pablosplace.com has not issued any statement, retraction, or apology.

Both magazines ceased print versions in March 2009. The company is privately held so no financial statements have been made public.