In a much publicized twitter posting, Mr. Manning’s decision was direct, swift, and immediate.

That is the first order of business. Happy 2 year anniversary Carse, Happy Birthday Too, You’re Fired!
- Geoff Manning, October 20th, 2010

With the tour looking to clean up their image and become visibly professional, Mr. Carse’s antics, asinine comments, and general bullshit, on and off the poker tables were too much. The suspension comes off a one year probationary period that Mr. Carse served for threatening a Twitter Poker Tour official (see Player Fined For Threatening Twitter Poker Tour Official) in December 2008 as well as unruly behavior (see Graham Beasley Frustrated with Twitter Poker Tours Bad Boy) that same month.

Mr. Carse, a well known University of Oklahoma alumnus and booster, was not available for comment concerning his suspension.

Card carrying tour members were generally enthused with Mr. Manning’s decision and have supported his decision on the Twitter Poker Tour forum and through the tour’s twitter account.

Phil and Rafe began a drive to help fund cancer prevention and research by asking their friends to donate just 1% of their winnings at the WSOP Main Event to the Prevent Cancer Foundation as a tax-deductible donation. Their efforts raised enough money to fund a research grant for an entire year.

7 years later, Bad Beat on Cancer (BBoC) has raised more than $2 million for cancer prevention research and has grown in every level to include players donating 1% of their winnings from virtually every tournament played around the globe, all the way down to leagues and home games. The list of players inspired to donate 1% of their career tournament earning ranges from the likes of the most notable pro’s (Such as Phil Hellmuth Jr., Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, and more) all the way to some of the most competitive home games, just like the Twitter Poker Tour.

On Sunday, February 21st, the TPT will be conducting its 3rd Charity Poker Tournament to benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation, pledging to yet again put another Bad Beat on Cancer. This time, there will be 3 different tournaments with 3 different buy in amounts beginning within 15 minutes of each other. This will offer players to compete against some of the top pro’s on Full Tilt Poker for cash and prizes, and at the same time, raise funds to put a Bad Beat on Cancer, all at a buy in level that best suits their bankroll. Join us by registering for any or all of the following events:

Poker Site: Full Tilt Poker
Event Name: BBoC $5 Donation
ID: 135222348
Buyin: $10 ($5 Buyin + $5 Donation to Bad Beat on Cancer)
Game: Holdem
Limit: No Limit
Password: tptforbboc
Date: February 21
Time: 6:00 PM EST

Poker Site: Full Tilt Poker
Event Name: BBoC $10 Donation
ID: 135896328
Buyin: $20 ($10 Buyin + $10 Donation to Bad Beat on Cancer)
Game: Holdem
Limit: No Limit
Password: tptforbboc
Date: February 21
Time: 6:15 PM EST

Poker Site: Full Tilt Poker
Event Name: BBoC $20 Donation
ID: 135896400
Buyin: $40 ($20 Buyin + $20 Donation to Bad Beat on Cancer)
Game: Holdem
Limit: No Limit
Password: tptforbboc
Date: February 21
Time: 6:30 PM EST

Thank you for taking a few minutes to speak with me. And congrats on your week 4 victory!
Silence

I see by the TPT November leaderboard you only played two November events, have you played the TPT before November or did you just start playing?
No comment.

How long have you been playing poker?
No comment.

Do you play anything besides NLHE?
No comment.

Do you prefer live or online play? Why?
No comment.

Do you prefer Cash/MTT/SNG and why?
No comment.

Your twitter bio lists “butt scratcher” which reminds me of a Family Guy episode where Peter tries to get his “Butt Scratcher” job back. Is this something you have done in the past?
No comment.

Do you play poker for fun or a way to make some extra cash?
No comment.

Do you have any favorite poker pros or watch any poker on TV?
No comment.

Have you used any training sites or read any books to help you with your game? If so, which ones?
No comment.

Since the Pats lost, are you going to kick that Salvation Army guy out of town?
No comment.

Have you listened to the Ustream broadcast of the #tpt? What are your thoughts on it?
No comment.

Do you have a favorite hand to play? I prefer my right hand…wait, what?
No comment.

What’s your biggest win whether online or live?
No comment.

Every poker player goes on tilt at one time or another, how do you handle going on tilt?
No comment.

Do you play different online then you do live? For some reason live, I play much tighter and am trying to play that way online.
No comment.

Will you be playing the #tpt in the future? Do you have any ideas on how to improve it?
No comment.

I know you’ve only played a few Twitter Poker Tour events, but is there any one player that sticks out that you either love to get in a pot with or want to avoid playing pots with?
No comment.

Is online poker rigged for the underdog to give more inexperienced players a reason to keep playing the shit cards they seem to win with consistently?
No comment.

I hear that JJ is one of the hardest hands to play, do you have any opinion on this?
No comment.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, any final thoughts or shout outs?
No comment.

I’ve checked out your new site http://wppokerleague.com/ and must say it looks interesting, what can you tell us about what prompted you to create this site?
I wanted to create a site to allow people to download get help with installing the WordPress plugin: WP Poker League. The site will also be used to blog about ideas, issues, etc relating to running poker leagues. Additionally, the support forum will be a place for poker league administrators/directors to share ideas about running a poker league regardless of whether they use the plugin or not.

Is this just for Poker leagues or can it be used for other types of scoring league, such as Fantasy Football, home games, etc…?
The WP Poker League plugin is really just geared towards poker leagues. The original intent was to make it generic enough to be used for a variety of points based leagues, but ultimately it was best to make it poker only. But as for poker leagues, it can be used for all types: online, casino and home games.

I see in the “Poker Leage Showcase” tab you have the Twitter Poker Tour listed. Will this be a central place for all poker leagues to be listed so players in multiple leagues can have easy access to view their standings?
Not necessarily. The Poker League Showcase is there to allow league administrators to show off their WP Poker League powered websites. It will also serve to show potential users of the plugin how other admins are using it. Hopefully there will be some crossover as we list more and more leagues in the showcase and people start to check out each others sites.

Did you create this plugin or you are just promoting it because it’s so nice?
Yes!! I actually did create this plugin myself! I have written several web based apps in PHP/MySQL but never a WordPress plugin. It took a little bit to figure out the plugin development piece but everything else was right in my comfort zone.

How long have you been using this plugin for the Twitter Poker Tour? What benefits does it have over what you previously used?
I have been using the WP Poker League plugin for the Twitter Poker Tour for about a month now but the core of the app has been in use for about 9 months. I had written a backend to the Twitter Poker Tour website to allow for importing and displaying the results and leaderboard a while back and the WordPress plugin just built upon that.

It has a few benefits over others I have tried, namely: the ability to display the event schedule, display individual event results, only shop the top X results or leaderboard spots and display them on any WordPress post or page. The primary benefit is that the data is stored locally within the WordPress install and not called in via an iframe from a remote site.

What types of poker leagues can this be used for?
The plugin can be used for any type of poker league that keeps track of points. Actually, if you were so inclined you could just use the plugin to show the event schedule and individual results without using the leaderboard itself. But the crown jewel of the plugin is the leaderboard.

Can the standings be exported at all or is it strictly viewable online?
As of now, the results cannot be exported from the plugin itself. It wouldn’t be too hard for me to code an export feature if there were a need.

From what I understand, anyone running WordPress can run this plugin on their site, right?
That’s right, all you need to run this plugin is a WordPress installation. If you are just starting out with a poker league or are on a different platform for your league website, I wrote a short article called: “4 Steps to Create and Manage a Poker League Website” to get you started.

Otherwise, feel free to stop by the site and checkout the online demo of the plugin and get your questions answered in the forum!

Have you played many twitter poker tour events? According to the leader board, this was your first December event.
I believe I have played one or two others previously. It’s a fun group to compete against, and I like to play when I can find the time. Sometimes I get pretty swamped running PokerNations.

How long have you been playing poker?
I’m 32 years old, so I’ve been playing a long time. I grew up in an Italian household, so I learned games like 5 card draw, 7 card stud, etc. Then hold em hit the scene and I picked that up, then started learning games like Omaha hi/lo, Razz, Badugi, and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.

You are also the founder of PokerNations. Can you tell us more about it?
Yes, it’s essentially a Facebook/Myspace aimed at poker players. We have all the regular social networking features (profiles, blogs, photos, videos, forum, etc). But we also have a built-in rewards system where you earn poker chips for almost everything you do on our site. You can then use these poker chips to enter giveaways to win poker books, jewelry, glasses, clothing and even tournament entries and poker coaching. Another nice feature your readers will appreciate is our Twitter integration. You can access your Twitter friends feed directly from within our network and even update your Twitter status when you update your status at PokerNations.

Another thing we do differently than our competitors is we aren’t affiliates. PokerNations does not receive any kickback for you joining, depositing or playing at any online sites, or for buying any products or services. This way we maintain industry neutrality, without having an agenda for or against any particular brand, product or service.

What do you want to get out of Pokernations?
Our goal in 4-5 years is to have the largest and friendliest poker community on the planet.

Too many poker communities permit their members to insult each other, which really discourages people from posting hands and asking for advice to improve their game. If you feel like you’re going to get attacked for asking questions, many people just won’t get involved, and then the community suffers for it. So we don’t permit that type of behavoir, so even newcomers and novices to the game can feel comfortable asking questions and improving their game.

We also want PokerNations to be a place where the players can voice their approval or issues with sites they play on, casinos they frequent or poker books and other products. And where they’ll be able to interact with the companies directly to resolve issues and improve the industry for everyone.

And of course, we want PokerNations to be the place to find your favorite poker pros and catchup on their blogs, tweets, photos and more.

Do you have a favorite hand to play?
I assume you’re asking about Hold Em, because I play a lot of different types of games, some which contain four cards or five. I don’t really have a favorite actually. I suppose if I had to pick something I’d choose 78 of diamonds. At a full table in a tournament if you raise UTG with this hand and get called, most people are going to assume you have an Ace or a pair. So you can either get a flop that allows you to bluff, and represent you hit it, which your opponents may believe. Or you can hit a big flop and your hand is well disguised, and someone thinks you completely whiffed and you get paid off.

What advice would you give to a beginning player?
I would recommend they read up on the game they want to play, learn as much as they can and don’t stop learning. Not all poker books are created equal, so ask for advice from other players and see what they recommend. Post hands you’ve played in your blog or in a forum and get input from others on what you did right and wrong.

Another piece of advice I’d offer is to consider cash games. It’s easy to get caught up in the glory of Hold Em tournaments. But let me drop some knowledge on your readers. If you were to come in 10th place out of over 6,000 players (the year Jerry Yang won the Main Event) for 17 years in a row, you still wouldn’t make as much money as he did winning it once. Think about how sick that is. It would obviously take a LOT more skill to come in 10th seventeen years in a row, but it’s not rewarded as much as busting for sixteen years and winning once.

Cash games generally provide less variance than tournament poker, and are a more stable source of income. Most poker professionals make their living through cash games. Sure, you may not get rich overnight, but the roller coaster ride will be less bumpy. If you want to play tournaments for a living, you really have to be able to lose a LOT, so you can hit one big win that carries you through more losses. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of losing 19/20 games, that gets a little old after awhile. Plus, in a tournament you’re stuck playing until you bust or it ends. With a cash game you can play for 8 hours, 3 hours or 20 minutes and then leave. So there’s a bit more freedom there as well.

Your Pokernations bio says you are a “semi-pro” do you someday hope to become a full fledged professional?
I went semi-pro in Dec 2005, supplementing my income while still working for “the man”. By September 2006 I was losing money punching the clock instead of playing poker, so I left to pursue it full-time. So I’ve actually done the whole professional player thing. I consider myself semi-pro because I’m just too focused on the launch of PokerNations now to play as much as I used to.

I am perplexed by your statement that you “enjoy scratch-off tickets”. What does this mean? You enjoy scratching them or you enjoy them after the scratch or are they just good company in general?
Lol. I used to be addicted to the little buggers in my late teens and early 20′s. But now I only buy a ticket I haven’t played before, and then I’m done with it. I live in Massachusetts, and the variety of scratch tickets they produce on a regular basis is ridiculous, but it’s big money for the State (probably part of the reason we don’t have any Casinos here)

Every poker player has a story, whether it be a bad beat given or taken, a huge win or outplaying someone, etc…, what one story do you have that sticks out?
It was my first trip to Vegas during the 2007 WSOP. I only had 2 hours of sleep the night before (my wife Jenn and I had been at the Bluff Magazine WSOP party at Sapphires Gentleman’s Club, and she had a bit too much to drink, so I had to hold her hair back while she prayed to the porcelain god) it.

So anyway, I’m on 2 hours of sleep and she’s finally resting so I hit the Bellagio for a 40/80 mixed game (this is limit). There were four games in rotation, Omaha hi/lo, Stud hi/lo, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball and Badugi. So three of my best games and one I had never played before (Badugi). I only played for two hours and I sat down with $2,500 and I left with $5,200. A pretty sweet profit for such a short session. I have to admit I was a card rack that game, and no one ever believed me. I’d get three people calling me to the river and I’d scoop or three-quarter them in massive pots, it was really great (and helped offset all the lap-dance expenses from the previous night).

Mike “The Mouth” Matusow has been advocating the power of positive thinking when it comes to poker. I have tried this method and I have found out that no matter how much I positively think I won’t get rivered by a donkey, I end up getting rivered by a donkey. I bring this up because I believe that attitude is important when it comes to poker, what are your thoughts?
Perhaps you haven’t mastered the positive thinking then? All I know is that if you’re miserable playing, perhaps it’s time to take a break, step back and have a breather. Then come back refreshed, rather than with that doom & gloom (I’m going to get sucked out on) attitude.

Likewise, in my line of work I see a LOT of people who are quick to blame external factors for their losses. One of the worst things that can happen to a poker player is to be winning when they first start out. This can create a false sense of skill and entitlement, when they may just be experiencing short-term variance in their favor. So when the luck evens out and they’re losing all the time, they don’t realize they were never very good to begin with. They don’t try to plug the leaks in their game, but instead blame it on this or that.

The best players in the game will analyze hands they won and hands they lost and determine if they played them optimally. There are tons of resources out there to help you, from poker books, coaching sites and communities with people to offer advice. I know from my experience playing the Twitter Poker Tour that the fields are relatively soft. I don’t mean that as an insult to anyone, but there is a LOT of minraising going on and people betting 60 chips into an 800 chip pot, etc. If I was going to recommend one thing to all of the TPT players, it would be to read the Harrington on Hold Em series of poker books. They’re easy to read and offer a great foundation to grown upon. Those books took my game to the “next level” and through experience you’ll continue to grow beyond that.

Some players get tilted very easy, do you get tilted easy? How do you handle going on tilt?
I can’t deny it, I certainly have some Hellmuth rage inside. But I think a lot of people suffer tilt not just from poker, but from external factors. Maybe you’re fighting with your significant other, something at work pissed you off or credit card debt is depressing you. So you repress that anger and then when things go sour at the poker table people freak out because they feel like they just can’t catch a break in life.

To handle my tilt I’ll take a break from playing poker and maybe play a videogame on my computer. Fire up a round of Left 4 Dead versus mode and pwn some n00bs that way, where my skill isn’t going to be influenced by luck (except if I get some n00b teammates, but then I can grief the crap out of them for sucking)

You have an awesome giveaway that is going on at Pokernations where the winner gets to live in Vegas for a week and is bought into a WSOP event. Give us the details man! Also, is living with you for a week really something someone would want to win?
I’ve seen so many companies that give away a seat to the Main Event. But the problem with a prize like that is most players don’t have the skills or experience to succeed in a deep-stacked multi-day tournament. So it’s like giving someone a lottery ticket. Instead of giving a person a meal ticket for one day I’d rather teach them to fish. So our big promotions we plan to include a training element of some kind. The winner of our PokerNations 2010 Vegas Experience will receive:

• Entry into $1500 WSOP Tournament
• Entry into $550 Super Satellite To The Main Event
• Private Home Accommodations Near Vegas Strip
• Private Poker Coaching
• (Signed) Winning Poker Tournaments: One Hand At A Time
• PokerNations Logo Clothing
• $1,000 Travel & Spending Cash

They’ll be staying with myself and professional player, coach and author Eric “Rizen” Lynch (he trained one of the inaugural November Nine members, Darus Suharto, who went on to win $2.5 million). What’s really great about this promotion is you don’t have to play a tournament with thousands of players and be the lucky one player who wins their way into another tournament with thousands of players, so you can win your way into a third tournament where first place gets the package.

Here, even if you suck at poker, even if you’ve never played a hand in your life, you still have a chance to win this package (because our system will award it randomly to one of our members). You can influence your chances at winning this package by being active at PokerNations. This will help you accumulate poker chips to enter multiple times for this prize package.

As far as living with me for a week, of course you want to, I’m awesome! We can hit the clubs in Vegas and I can bust out my “running-man” dance. It’s the only move I know, but really, it’s the only move you need to know.

What’s your best win, whether live or online?
I’m mostly a cash game player. I’ve had plenty of deep finishes and final tables in a number of events. I used to play the Party Poker 40K guaranteed, which would have over 2K entrants and I came in 50th, 35th, 28th and 12th. It was so frustrating to win a few hundred bucks when first was over 10 grand. I obviously prefer to play tournaments with a few hundred players, rather than 1,000+.

But to answer your question, my best win would be middle-high four-figures in a limit cash game.

Most poker players i know prefer live play to online. What about you?
Playing online is convenient, but there’s nothing like playing with real chips and cards. And players in live settings are generally much weaker than their online counterparts (i.e. a 20/40 limit game online is usually much tougher than a 20/40 live table).

I am currently 1 of 58 in a .25c tourney on PS while I write this. Don’t screw me up. Wait, there’s no question there…um…lets see. Okay, on a board with K52 and two spades, a guy just bet 240 into a 150 pot. Why would he do this? My thought is he hit the K and wanted to discourage flush chasers. What are your thoughts on over betting the pot?
My thoughts on over-betting the pot are “it depends”. Poker is situational, and what works in one spot won’t work in another. You have to factor in stack and pot sizes, current position in the tournament, your opponents style of play, your image and if your opponents are aware enough to consider your hands when making their decisions (i.e. some people can’t look past their own two cards)

What’s funny is that in a .25 tourney there will be tons of players that will chase their flush even after the guy overbets the pot. I’ve played in games where a guy put in 2000 chips on the turn chasing his flush and left himself with 300 chips behind on the river just in case he missed.

Min raising: Is there ever a reason to do it?
I’m not a big fan of min-raises, but again, “it depends”. If this sort of raise has been working at the table and people are folding to it, then you can accumulate blinds with a lot less risk (generally you see this late in a tourney when most everyone is shorter stacked with the rising blinds, although mostly it’s 2.5x the BB raises)

I have a bad habit of protecting my big blind almost to where I’ll call most any preflop raise with almost any two cards. Good idea or bad idea?
“It depends”. Lol. Seriously though, position is HUGE in poker. Whenever you’re playing a hand out of position you’re at a disadvantage. If someone is abusing the crap out of button raises or something then yes, you’re going to need to defend against it at some point, you can’t just let them continue to run you over. It’s hard to give more advice without knowing what you do after you call these raises out of position. How often are you then check-folding?

If you used tracking software to record your hands, you could find out how much money you’ve won or lost calling raises from the BB. That would help you to know if it’s a good or bad idea for your playstyle. Is it working or is it costing you chips?

Have you used any training sites, such as TPT sponsor DeucesCracked?
I have not. I’ve watched a few videos from a few different sites, but generally the voice-over work turns me off from these clips. But I know a number of players who benefit from these sites. I prefer to learn via reading books, playing and discussing hands with friends and members of the PokerNations community.

BTW, I am now 5 of 52. Damn it. Anyway, what’s more important in terms of stats, ROI or ITM%? My take is ITM% because a bad player could luckbox one big tournament and thereby increase his ROI astronomically.
Are we talking SNG’s or MTT’s? Because you could constantly be just barely cashing in an MTT and winning a paltry 1.5x your buyin while having wasted 4-6 hours doing it. So that’s the flip-side of the coin as far as someone luckboxing a big tourney and boosting their ROI.

When someone limps AA and then cries about it gettiing cracked with Poop/Crap Off suit by the Big Blind, I laugh hysterically. Is there ever a reason to limp AA?
Yes. Oh, did you want examples? This is another “it depends” spot. You want to get value out of your big hands. Generally I advocate playing your big hands and your bluffs in the same way, making it difficult for your opponents to know what you hold (i.e. when you bluff, consider the “story” you’re telling with your betting………if you really had Aces there, how would you play them)

There can be times to limp Aces. Examples include where you’ll be up against only one or two opponents, and you really want them to hit something so they can pay you off (i.e. they may not call a preflop raise, so you take a risk of them outdrawing you to give yourself a shot at a double-up because just winning the blinds won’t improve your situation).

Another option is to limp when someone behind you has been playing aggressively and you’re confident someone will raise or shove after you’ve limped.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, do you have anything more to add, something I didn’t cover or any shout outs in general?
Sure, I’d just like to thank all the players and admins from the TPT for making me feel so welcome in your games, and I hope you’ll all get involved at PokerNations, would love to help everyone with strategy advice and see you take down some big wins!

Thanks to Val Presniakovas (if that is your real name) for taking the time to answer these tough questions!

Congrats on the #tptpoker victory Dec. 12th and runner up finish the week before! I know this isn’t your first #tptpoker game, how did you first get involved in the #tpt?
Thank you! Very tough field! Great player’s and good experience. Like you know, I have a twitter account and I found a message about the TPT tournament. I checked the web page, registered, and start playing.

How did you get started playing poker and how have you been playing?
Well, first I started watching poker shows on TV. I still do, and I really like it. I started reading magazines and a few books. I have been playing for about 6 years.

Do you play much live poker? If so, where do you play?
Not anymore, I am the father of 3 kids, so my time is limited. I’m addicted to poker and I love it. I have a lot of gamble in me – I need to play and love to play.

Do you prefer live or online poker? Are there advantages to playing live vs online or vice-versa?
I love live games. A big advantage to playing live games is you use more reading abilities. But online is very convenient for many people. Just wake up and you are one click away to play online.

They say if you can’t spot the donk at the table, then you’re the donk. I say, everybody at the table is a donk. What are your thoughts?
I think you are right. The one problem calling everybody a donkey is that it’s not fair to the many good players around the net and lives games. Before you call somebody a donkey, you must always remember if you ever made a crazy call or gamble? Yeah I thought so. But, the other thing that I don’t understand is how you can be an overrated donkey and win big money in the poker tournaments.

Do you have a favorite hand to play or a hand that you hate to get because it’s a monster that seems to always lose? For coolwhipflea, it’s QQ and for me it’s AKo, as we both lose consistently with it!
Yes, my favorite hand is AK spades. I’m a very bad loser, I hate to lose any game, but when you play online I see so many bad beats that are not even funny. This is part of the game, when you have a big hand like QQ or KK and then you lose to some ugly 78os. I read in the books that there is nothing you can do but put your money in with the best hand. This is the game we call poker. And it is very hard to play with small pair like 77, 88, 99, TT, or JJ. There are many times that if you don’t a hit set, you lose.

Where does the name “Blizge” come from? Better yet, WTF is a “Blizge”?
BLIZGE, lol. This name came from Europe, which can be translated into as “PUNCH.” Yeah, boxing style punch.

Have you used any training sites or read any books that have helped you become a better player?
Yes I have read a few books, mostly on information about poker helping you become a better player. You always have room to improve your game. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. There is a great book, Gladwell’s Outliers, that I think is extremely valuable, about what is happening in the world of poker.

Your twitter bio states you represent the “Shark Poker Clan”. Can you elaborate?
I am a member of the global online poker community, Railbirds.com, since 2007 and I represent the Shark Poker Clan. Nothing but crazy people who love to play poker. We have a private tournament when we play other clans. Direct link: http://www.railbirds.com/rails/BLIZGE/.

Are there any poker pros that you respect or any that you just can’t stand?
No question, Doyle Bronson is a legend and he is #1 in my book, as well as, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Mike Matusow. There are poker pros I learn from, like how to play, how to read people, and bluff. I think I like all pro players because they are already rich and successful. And for me, there is a long way to claim those mountains. I am working on it.

I tried googling your name, and all I get are results for your twitter page (note: I did not look past google page 1). With that said, I can’t find anything to help me think of questions, so seen any good movies lately?
I am just a regular guy, a father, and a friend. I love life, family, and poker.

What’s the biggest cash you’ve made whether live or online?
Online, I think I have won $1,200, $900, and $300. I have some wins, but not millions yet. Live, $3,700.

Do you play Cash/MTT/SNG? What are your reasons for playing or not playing each type?
I love to play more tournaments and SNGs, while in a cash game you have to play a little different and my game needs more improvement. I think competition is the number #1 reason why I play poker.

I’ve read that expanding to other forms of poker, such as Stud, Omaha, etc, can help you play better in NLHE. Why is that and do you play other poker games?
I think so. I think any poker game such as Omaha or Stud helps develop better skills and knowledge of NLHE. I enjoy playing pot limit Omaha or no limit. Great games.

Do you play on any other online sites, like PokerStars/UB/Carbon? Are there advantages to playing multiple sites?
My favorite site is still Full Tilt and Poker Stars. Hard to say about playing multiple sites, I do not like it.

It seems that half the people believe online poker is rigged because of the numerous bad beats and “set ups” that seem to occur. My thoughts are that good players get bad beats, because it means they got their money in good and that bad players lay bad beats because they don’t know the odds of the hands they play. Online poker has a mix of horrible, bad, good, and great players. What are you thoughts on online poker being rigged?
Yes, I agree. Too many bad beats online because we play more hands online, I think.

If I ship the WSOP ME, I’ll give you $500K, will you do the same if you win the WSOP ME? Wait, better question, do you have any desire or plan to play in any WSOP events?
This is my dream, to play the WSOP event and I am working hard to reach my goal. If you ship me $500K, I will do same. I’ll split all my winnings with you, no questions asked.

I absolutely hate when a player is all in pre-flop and two or more players call and see a flop and rather then check it down to try and eliminate the all in player, they try and bet or bluff the other player. Is there anything that another player does at a table that just makes you say “WTF”?
As you know, we can only worry about what we can do. We need to learn and move on to another hand. I hate when players at a table teach others how to play your hand.

Why do you think online players are so much more aggressive then live players?
Players are aggressive online because if they lose they are one click away from another game, easy right? Live players are different animals.

Is there anything you would like the #tptpoker world to know about you? Hobbies? Shoutouts?
I have been an AAU basketball coach for 5 years now. My oldest son is one of the leaders on my team. I love to watch NFL, the greatest sport in the world. And of course POKER. Twitter Poker Tour is a great site, I have met great people. The tournaments keep going, their future grows and hopefully they become the biggest poker community.

Shout outs to Street3, Cprpoker, and Fleapid!!!!!

Thanks Val!

Let me say Thank you very much and good luck on the felts.

Congrats on your 1st place…wait a minute, you didn’t ship the #tpt. Oh yeah, coolwhipflea did, but we already interviewed his sorry ass. Okay, well congrats on your…WTF…you didn’t even play the #tpt last week. Okay, well….so do you even play the #tpt?
I do, occasionally, I can’t play as much as I would like because I normally work evening as a cook at Red Lobster! F***in lobsterman never lets me off for poker.

How long have you been playing poker?
Well I am the youngest in the #tpt I’m pretty sure, so not long, I learned when I was like 15 but I just started for real money in January in 2009. I’m still a noob.

Do you prefer live or online? Cash/MTT/SNG? Which do you prefer and why?
I prefer live, although I’m not old enough to go to a casino yet being only 19, but I play a cash game once a week or so at a friend from work’s place, and have yet to come out behind, but online, I have yet to come out ahead, you decide!

What’s your biggest win, whether online or live?
It was in a live cash game, I bought in for $25 and walked away with $195 in about 4 hours of poker.

Are you really Turtle from Entourage?
Sadly no, but he looks a lot like me, no?

Editor’s note: Yes you do, that is why I asked you.

Is poker just a hobby or yours or something you take very seriously?
Just a hobby, and a very expensive one!

What kinds of things do you do to improve your game? Discuss hands with friends? Internet forums? Books?
I talk to people who are more experienced in the game like you, and many others on twitter who I look at as good players.

What’s the deal with all the suck-outs and bad beats in online poker? Do you think it’s set up to see more action?
I don’t even want talk about it, I flopped a full house the other day and the son of a bitch who shoved caught runner runner quads, so f*** that donkey mother f***er!

Coke. Fine white powder or delicious carbonated, flavored, brown water?
Definitely a fine white powder, used to speed up and get shit done when tryin’ to meet a deadline!

I remember last year you were the youngest player to ship the #tpt. Did everyone sit out or did you just donkey luck box your way to the win?
I think that I luckboxed my way to HU with some homo, and then I started playing serious, shoved with 73os and runner runnered quads, can’t remember to be honest!

Do you have a favorite poker pro? If so, who and why? If not, why and why not?
By far it would have to be Daniel Negreanu, I just love the way he plays the game and reads people, he always knows! Just remember that!

Your twitter bio states you “dislike f***ing idiots” Can I ask if you dislike it, why do you still eff them?
Because sometimes idiots are good in bed, that is all I can say! (a**hole)

What do you do when not playing poker?
Work, play my guitar, and hang out with Kristin, (yes the crazy one), and chill with her daughter Natalie, fun times.

What do you think of the recent idea to Ustream the #tpt events?
I think its awesome, its fun to have everyone together to talk about anything, but there guest last week, I don’t know, but he was some dude from Oklahomo with a cock in his throat so I shut it off and went to bang my head on a wall!

Is there anyone you would like cprpoker and coolwhipflea to have as a guest in a future Ustream #tpt broadcast?
Naked Paris Hilton an option? If not I guess…hmmm…I wouldn’t mind coming onto the show sometime, and maybe ummmm…_desperado that’s it, he would be hilarious.

How did you find the Twitter Poker Tour?
You told me about it when I met you on twitter, noob! Use your brain.

Do you play any poker besides NLHE?
Yes sir, I like razz, stud, and omaha hi/lo.

Do you have a favorite hand to play?
Yeah, my favorite hand is AT of spades,I don’t why but I always seem to hit when I play it.

Well, whatever dude, any shout outs or thoughts or anything you want the world to know?
Fear me, cuz I have a dream, and I won’t stop till I get where I’m pleased, that is all, thanks, bye.

Thanks for your time, Turtle.

Congrats on the November Leader Board Win.

How long have you been playing the #tpt events? I seem to remember you there at first (last year) then on and off again
I started playing TPT this summer, although I don’t remember exactly when. It was in the middle of the last three/four month season. I think I’ve played them all since, it’s an awesome tournament.

How long have you been playing poker?
I’ve played on and off since I was a kid, but only started playing seriously in 2006.

Do you play anything besides NLHE?
I started out playing Limit Hold’em and still enjoy that. I really enjoy Stud Hi/Lo but I’m not very good. I’ve recently gotten into PLO and hope I can get better at that.

Do you prefer live or online play? Why?
Each has their benefits. Live is a lot of fun because the players are usually really bad, plus it’s nice to actually be at a table, see people, whatever. However, I think online wins out because I like to multi-table and can keep notes.

Do you prefer Cash/MTT/SNG and why?
I prefer MTTs, it’s where I have the most experience and I love MTT strategy and the hours-long battles. However my graphs show most of my profits come from SNGs so I suppose I should give them a shout out. I lose too much at cash, yet somehow still come back for more.

Your twitter bio says you used to know a joke, can you remember the joke and tell it now?
Two peanuts are walking down the street, and one of them is assaulted.

Do you play poker for fun or a way to make some extra cash?
Mostly because I love games and the challenge of competition. I’m basically a break-even player, I’ve never made enough profit to withdraw anything, but I’ve never had to redeposit either.

Do you have any favorite poker pros or watch any poker on TV?
I watch Pokertube all the time; WSOP, EPT, WPT, whatever. I like Negreanu, he’s great, but I also like Matusow, Joe Sebok, Phil Ivey… you know, the usual pros. I’d like to see more of people like Steve Dannenman and Paul Wassicka, but part of why I like them is that they are modest.

Have you used any training sites or read any books to help you with your game? If so, which ones?
I’ve read probably too many poker books, I have a whole shelf of them. I’m reading two right now. I’d say “Harrington on Hold’em” and “Power Poker by Daniel Negreanu” were the most influential on me.

I was going through your flickr site and you have some awesome photographs, do you do photography as a hobby or get paid?
Thanks! I love photography, it’s just a hobby for me. I’ve actually made more money playing poker in the last year than I have with my photography. Going out with my camera is a great hobby, it’s peaceful and quiet and helps me get my thoughts straight.

Every photograph tells a story, do you have a particular favorite photograph that you’ve taken?
Hmm. That’s a tough one. I have two that I have framed 18″x24″ prints hanging over my desk. The first is from a marina in Port Townsend, WA. The second is from a playground a few blocks from my apartment. I suppose the red wheel photo is probably my favorite, if I had to pick one out of the thousands I’ve taken.

Have you listened to the Ustream broadcast of the twitter poker tour? What are your thoughts on it?
I did the other day for the first time. It was awesome! I love listening to the live commentary. I kept waiting to get involved in a hand so I could hear it being discussed! I’ll absolutely come back in the future and listen along.

Do you have a favorite hand to play?
I don’t really play it, but Q4 off-suit has won me some serious pots a couple of times. Every time I am dealt it, I want to play, but I take myself too seriously for such shenanigans. Suited connectors are a more serious favorite hand.

What’s your biggest win whether online or live?
I chopped a $60 buy-in tournament at MGM in Vegas for $1000 a few years ago. Online, my biggest score was $340 or so.

Every poker player goes on tilt at one time or another, how do you handle going on tilt?
I am lucky enough that I hardly ever go on serious tilt anymore. When I do, I usually shut down the computer, grab my camera, and run around taking pictures until I feel a little better. The real problem I have is minor tilt that flies under the radar and eats away at me. I don’t know how to fight that, other than to remain vigilant.

Do you play different online then you do live? For some reason live, I play much tighter and am trying to play that way online.
My strategy is the same live or online, but live players play differently (usually a lot more limping and MUCH less three-betting) so I make adjustments to my play to accommodate that. Usually in a live game, I make a point of finding out who is an online player, and plan my strategy accordingly.

Will you be playing the #tpt in the future? Do you have any ideas on how to improve it?
I will continue playing until the hosts get tired of me. I think it’s a great series and I wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe I’d like to see a few other games thrown in the mix, but I am realistic and understand that those events don’t get any participants. Heck, I skip the HORSE game that runs on Fridays…

I know you’ve only played a few #tpt events, but is there any one player that sticks out that you either love to get in a pot with or want to avoid playing pots with?
Sort of. I have notes on most of the regulars, and there are a few opponents who fall into each category. I don’t really gun for anyone, but if I have someone pegged as loose, of course I am trying to trap them, and if I know someone is a rock I’ll usually stay out of their way.

Is online poker rigged for the underdog to give more inexperienced players a reason to keep playing the shit cards they seem to win with consistently?
No, I don’t believe online poker is rigged at all. I’ve seen some really crazy things happen in live poker. Also, why would the sites risk getting caught? They make tens of millions of dollars a month in profits playing fair, so why screw it up?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, any final thoughts or shout outs?
Thanks for the great questions, this was fun. Thanks to cprpoker and the rest of the people running TPT, it’s a super fun tournament and I love seeing it grow. And thanks to anyone who actually stuck around and read this!

Congrats on your 1st place finish in the #tpt event! How were you able to luck box your way to the victory?
I think I played a pretty solid game. Made a few mistakes, but that’s expected. I’m satisfied with how I did. I did have a “Luck Box” moment against LVSparky at the final table. I min raised my QQ, and he pushed me all in. I thought he was trying to steal it, so I called, and he flipped over KK. I was as good as done until the Q came up on the river.

How long have you been playin’ the #tpt?
I started playing this past summer, found out about it while looking for poker people to follow, and decided to see what it was all about. It was a good decision. I have enjoyed playing the TPT. There are some really good players in this tournament, and I’ve enjoyed the variety of personalities, and made a few new friends.

Are you a long time poker player? When did you get your start?
I started with play money on Party Poker in 2003, and stuck with that for a couple years until I was doing good, then moved to real money, and realized it’s a completely different game when there is real money on the line. I read some forums, and started watching how other people played, and started picking up the proper way to do things. After losing a good bit of money, I finally moved up to a break even player, and continued to play and learn.

I’ve only considered myself to be playing seriously for the last two years, so I know I still have tons to learn. At least I’ve gotten to the point where I’m making a little money. Just this past summer, I finally passed all I ever lost, so I’m in the positive.

Is NLHE your only game or do you branch out?
The games I play most often are No Limit, and Limit Hold ‘Em. The strategy in each of these is quite different, and I enjoy playing both of them. I’ve been toying with some Pot Limit Omaha, but not much, it just doesn’t keep my interest for long.

How important is learning other poker games?
I would say that depends on the player, some people may be able to gain something by playing different flavors of poker, while others, may just benefit from focusing all their attention on one or two.

Have you used any training sites or read any books to help you become a better player? If so what?
I did read through the little green book by Phil Gordon. I don’t remember much from it, I read that when I first started playing for real money. Otherwise, I’ve learned everything from experience.

Do you play live? Prefer live or online?
I definitely prefer live play. There are so many tells you can pick up on in a live game, and it becomes even more of playing the person instead of the cards. I always seem to do much better at live games. I try to head to the nearest casino any time I can, or get involved in one of the local club games.

Cash/MTT/SNG? Which do you prefer and why?
I mainly play cash games. I have a busy life, with two kids, and a very hectic on-call work schedule, so playing cash games online works best for me. I can come and go as I need.

I’m trying to get involved with more MTTs, since I’m building my skill level up, and doing pretty decent at times. I just make the mistake of getting into some at the wrong time, and end up not being able to give my full attention to it.

As for SNG, I’ve had some fun playing the double or nothing turbos on Stars.

Your twitter name is “BWolfPoker”, your FTP ID is “avediswolf”, I’m guessing you like wolves, were you raised by wolves?
I was born in the back woods amongst a pack of wolves. Seriously, though, it’s my last name. The Avedis part comes from my drumming roots, Avedis Zildjian was the first generation cymbalsmith who started the Zildjian Cymbal Corporation in 1623.

Your twitter bio says you’re a drummer, are you in a band or do you just bam bam your way around the house?
At this time, I’m not in any formal band. I just get behind the set whenever I have a few minutes, pop on the headphones and jam. It’s a great way to relieve stress as well.

And you are an apple geek, what kind of apples? Red/Green?
I would say mostly red, slightly green. A Macintosh. The Apple geek comes from my technical side, I love all things Apple, such as my MacBook, and my iPhone. I’m proud to say I don’t do windows.

What’s your biggest win in poker?
Since I’ve only recently began playing MTTs, I don’t have any awesome stories yet. One time, though that really sticks out in my mind as the biggest win was the first time I played live at the casino. I was at Wheeling Island in West Virginia, started playing some $1/$2 NLHE, and caught on to reading people, and was running hot. In a couple hours I had ended up doubling up twice.

What hobbies do you have when you’re not playing poker?
I play drums, and I like to go geocaching quite a bit. If unfamiliar with geocaching, it an activity involving using a GPS to find things, kind of like a scavenger hunt. I love hiking in the hills, and geocaching takes me to quite a few interesting places.

I am beginning to hate playing poker online because of the horrendous bad beats and the seemingly ineptness of the other players, do you think online poker is rigged in anyway?
Not at all. I think most people see more bad beats and such because they are playing a greater number of hands due to the speed of online poker. Then take into account the stakes one plays at, at the lower stakes, you’ll have more people stay in a pot only to donk out, it’s easy for a new player to justify calling a $10 all in on a flush draw.

I think the online poker rooms make too much to risk it, because if word ever got out, they’d be hurting.

Is poker a game of skill or just dumb luck?
I believe from personal experience that it a mixture of both. It leans heavily to the skill side, but that luck factor is still there at times. I would have to say it is 80% skill, and 20% luck.

If it was 100% luck, I doubt there would be many doing it professionally, and the income level would be determined by a coin flip, but if it was 100% skill, I guarantee we’d have a different WSOP Main Event champion.

As for poker regulation, it should be deemed as a game of skill, as the majority of winnings comes from the decisions one makes with their cards. The person holding the best hand doesn’t always win. Reading other players, Well timed bluffs, and knowing how to play that monster hand are skills one needs to have to win consistently.

Do you have a favorite pro?
I have a great deal of respect for anyone who plays this game as a professional, but of them all I think my favorite is Daniel Negreanu. He always seems to have such a good attitude.

Would you play poker for a living or is that something you want to do?
I really love the game of poker, and I love having a good session, and I’d like to keep it where I continually enjoy the game. If I did it professionally, I believe it would become tedious, and feel like work, so I’m not driven in that direction.

Sure, I’d love to make enough when I could quit my day job, but I don’t want to have to ever be at the point when I “have” to play to make sure my family is taken care of.

I really like the #tpt as it feels like a home game, playing with the same players over a period a time, do you have any thoughts on how to improve the #tpt or do you like it the way it is?
The TPT is a ton of fun in it’s current form. I’ve met, and played with a bunch of great people. I like it the way it’s set up. I enjoy the leader boards and such. I think the powers that be are doing a great job.

Only thing I would change would be to move it to Stars. FTP is ugly, and their Mac programmers aren’t very good at weeding out bugs.

Will you join me and others and ALWAYS raise KingSteve7′s (KingSteve) blinds?
I’m confused, I thought we were supposed to always raise Street3‘s blinds.

Any thoughts or shout outs? Otherwise this interview is over!
Um, Hi Mom! Hi Crystal!

OK, I’m done, I really could use a beer or two.

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.