Poker Articles
TheRoundersRoom.com Interview with EFro
TRR: EFro - Thanks for taking a few minutes, first of all.
What is the best advice you can give for playing in the huge fields such as WSOP or WPT Tournaments?
EFro: There are many important things to remember when playing in a big tournament. You want to make sure your opponents are always guessing by changing gears and adapting to the various situations presented to you. Paying close attention to not only what your opponents do, but every little thing you do, will give you more opportunities to set big traps and win as many chips as possible. Also make sure to keep your cool and play your game.
There is no such thing as a several day tournament where you dont take some beats, so keeping your head on your shoulders is key.
TRR: Who do you respect most as a player right now?
EFro: Phil Ivey is the best player on the planet, in my opinion. He has the ability to win any tournament he sets his mind on. I also absolutely love to watch Mike "The Mouth" Matusow and Phil Hellmuth, as they are incredible entertaining.
TRR: What is the best advice you can give to a player who has just taken a couple of brutal bad beats?
EFro: You better be able to handle them or you should just get out now. It's impossible to not take terrible beats in poker, and the better you play, the more you are going to take and less you will give (due to getting it in with the best of it more often). They will always sting, but shaking it off and realizing its part of the game is all you can do.
TRR: Do you stick to a certain formula when you approach a tournament, or is it an ever-changing theory?
EFro: I think if you stick to a certain formula, you dont have a chance. As I said, changing gears and adapting is the key to success, so if you cant change the way you play based on various circumstances in the tournament, you are not going to be successful.
TRR: Do you like the direction poker is headed in (huge fields, more beginners)?
EFro: Theres no way more people getting involved can be bad for any game or sport. The more interest in poker, the more opportunities there are going to be for everyone. Having the fields weakened by adding more inexperienced players cant really be bad, either. Dead money is certainly a good thing.
TRR: How many hours a week do you play, online and live?
EFro: I will play anywhere from only a couple hours to the majority of the week, mostly online. I dont take poker as seriously as most do, but I like to keep my skills sharp.
TRR: Do you prefer Online Poker to Live Poker, Why?
EFro: I treat online poker like a job. I dont especially enjoy it, but it pays the bills. The big, live tournaments, however, are LOTS of fun. I would play them all day, every day, if I had an infinite supply of buyins.
TRR: Do you plan on Poker being a life-long career?
EFro: No, Im just hoping to have the means to play the bigger, more enjoyable tournaments when I am older and doing something else with my life.
TRR: Ever had any run-ins at the table (fist fights, verbal harrasing) Who? What Came of it?
EFro: Those who have met me, or even seen me on TV, know that I am a quiet guy. I'm very reserved and I never start anything. It's pretty rare for people to have a problem with me, and if they do, it tends to be people who have never actually met me. I dont anticipate any fist fights at the table any time soon.
TRR: Thanks E!
