blonde poker

 

Although many speak of Greg Raymer in the same bracket as his predecessor, Chris Moneymaker, the 2004 World Series of Poker Champion had been playing poker for several years prior to his 5 million dollar win, and this was a point that he seemed keen to affirm as he spared me a few moments for a Parkinson-esque interview.

After finding a quiet area in which to conduct our interview, NoflopsHomer and myself quickly learned why many consider Greg to be one of the most approachable players on the circuit. Viewed by many as a true ambassador of the game, Greg has an uncanny ability of turning one question into a fully fledged conversation lasting several minutes. In the process, he is able to make you feel comfortable and totally at ease in his presence.

It is certainly to his credit that I have been forced to edit my article, as if I were to publish every word spoken, the interview would be several pages long. To say that Greg is chatty would be an understatement, but this is all music to an interviewer’s black floppy ears as it gives me so much more material to work from.

I hope you enjoy reading my interview with him as much as I did conducting it. If only all poker players possessed Greg’s admirable social skills…

snoopy: Hi Greg, thank you for taking the time to speak to me.

Greg: No problem.

snoopy: After winning the WSOP Main Event, did you find it difficult to motivate yourself for the lesser-esteemed comps?

Greg: I have no problem getting motivated. You always want to win, if not for the money, then for the success. I have the same passion for the game and will to win as I did before I won the World Series.

snoopy: How tough has it been to prove your worth at the poker table since your Main Event win and how important was it to show that you’re not a one hit wonder?

Greg: I played for 12 years before winning the World Series, so it must have been close to my 500th live comp. People think that I came out of nowhere to become Champion, but I’ve been playing poker for quite a while now. I don’t feel I need to prove anything, I just play my game and try to ignore any added pressures.

snoopy: What do you make of being hounded by fans?

Greg: I have absolutely no problem with people approaching me, asking me to sign stuff and have their picture taken with me. Some players don’t like it, but it’s a part of the package for me and I enjoy it.

Sometimes when I say that I can’t stop, I genuinely can’t stop. So it can be frustrating if I’m in a rush, say travelling between airport terminals.

snoopy: What is the worst thing about being World Champion?

Greg: Definitely being robbed at the Bellagio two years ago. Having a gun pointed in your face changes your perspective on life.

snoopy: What about at the table?

Greg: Being World Champion causes other players to want to be involved in pots against me, just so they have a story tell their buddies. Even at the highest level, people feel the need to outplay me more than the other players, and this can make my decions more difficult.

For example, in the 2005 Main Event, Aaron Kanter told me afterwards that he’d made up his mind that he was going to bluff me even before the cards were dealt. He was going to make a move on me whether he hit the flush draw or not.

snoopy: Do you feel that you’ve had to change your game since becoming World Champion?

Greg: Well, I have to make more calls now because people are trying these moves on me. But on the flipside, I’m having to play less marginal hands as players are more likely to call me down with weak holdings just so they can say they took a pot off a World Champion.

I was shortstacked in this one tournament and had to make a move pretty soon, but in late position I managed to find Ace King so pushed all-in. The guy on the Big Blind called me with 9-7, just nine high, and managed to spike a 9 on the River. He only made the call because of who I was, so it’s because of situations like this that I feel my tournament life is on the line more often than before. I can’t mess around with weak hands too much because some of these players are happy to take a shot at me with poor cards.

snoopy: How much of a blow was the outdraw in WSOP 2005? Did it take you a while to recover? How do you deal with bad beats?

Greg: I don’t have much of a problem with bad beats. Actually, I think that hand was made out to be worse than it was. Okay, he made a move on me on the Turn, but after I moved all-in he almost had the right odds to call.

snoopy: It has recently been announced that Jamie Gold has been approached to play on High Stakes Poker. Would you ever consider playing on the show?

Greg: No, I have no interest in appearing on the show. Why would I want to play against some of the best cash games in the world and risk losing $250,000?

snoopy: You always look quite calm at the table. Do you ever get nervous? How do you deal with nerves?

Greg: I’ve never really had a problem with nerves, I let my opponents be nervous. Actually, it can work to my advantage if I’m playing on a TV table as my opponents are nervous about making a mistake and looking stupid. I can exploit that.

snoopy: Who do you believe is the best player you have ever played against?

Greg: I think Phil Hellmuth is the best I have come across. But even Phil has his weaknesses – In my opinion, he is too risk adverse. Whilst I’m happy getting my money in with any mathematical advantage, Phil will fold big hands even though he’s ahead. He has a great read on players though and can put people on the exact cards and that’s a skill I wish I had.

snoopy: Whilst at the table, do you try to avoid the stronger players or do you tackle them head on?

Greg: I treat everyone the same and take each case individually. I wouldn’t shy away from a pot just because a good player was involved.

snoopy: How do you deal with bad runs?

Greg: I look at the positive side. Many players take the bad runs to heart and never recover. Going through a bad run early in your career can be a good thing, it makes you appreciate that you won't always be winning. Some young players will shoot up through the limits thinking that the constant winning is how it always should and will be. So when they do go through a period of losing they aren't able to adjust.

snoopy: Do you plan on advising your own children against poker, or would you be happy for them to, one day, become professional players like yourself?

Greg: I have one daughter, and I wouldn’t be against her playing poker as long as she understood the game and was aware of the potential pitfalls that lay ahead.

snoopy: If there were one thing that you could change in poker what would it be?

Greg: I don’t like the added juice and the taking off a percentage on top of that.

snoopy: Would you ever consider dyeing your hair blonde in honour of blondepoker?

Greg: No, I don’t think PokerStars would approve.