Pokerstars legality in Canada, Montreal PokerStars ...

Some people are familiar with the Irvings who basically own the province of New Brunswick as a private coporation, but our other owners are more keen on the diversification route and own all of us rather than just part of us and they also do so in publicly traded corporations. If you have ever wondered what the Oligarch Index would look like, have no fear, I'll show you.
The one you might be most familiar with is the Weston's who own Loblaws. However the Weston's don't actually own a majority of it, rather they own 63% of a publicly traded corporation called George Weston which itself owns 47% of Loblaws. Keeping to the strategy of creating russian nesting dolls of companies to basically retain control over companies you effectively only really own a quarter of they have also split off the real estate of the grocery stores into Choice Properties REIT, which is majority owned by Loblaws. Thus the Weston family controls this REIT despite really only owning an eighth of it.
George Weston TSE:WN Loblaws Companies Limited TSE:L Choice Properties TSE:CHP.UN
On the other side of the Pond, the Weston's also have another Top Order shell called Wittington Investments, which is 80% owned by Garfield Weston Foundation, which is a charity (or "charity" for tax avoidance if you feel it more appropriate). The other 20% is owned by individual members of the Weston family. The main holding of Wittington Investments is Associated British Foods at 54.5%, and some department stores in the UK and Ireland. Associated British Foods is a component of the British Stock Exchange Index the FTSE100, much like Loblaws they also own clothing brand/stores, and they also have a monopsony (a situation where there is one buyer rather than a monopoly where there is one seller) where they process the entire Sugar Beet crop of the UK with British Sugar which is responsible for about half of the UK's sugar consumption.
Associated British Foods LSE:ABF
Next lets move on to the richest man in Canada. Again guess? Hint he is literally a British Lord.
Okay all guesses? It is David Kenneth Roy Thomson, 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet. The descendants of the late Baron of Fleet own the Woodbridge Corporation which is itself the majority owner of 62.35% Thomson Reuters. The Thomson portion is difficult to explain, as they provide "business services", but it seems like the consist in providing information for legal and tax matters. Might be kind of like the Bloomberg of Canada who knows. Reuters was a British media company before it was acquired. How this particular guy became the richest person in Canada is because he actually doesn't even like having to run the family business and instead has started an independent real estate empire. Pinning down exactly what that entails is difficult, but his investment activities are run by a Toronto Hedge Fund Morgan Bay Capital, and the real estate empire is called Osmington Incorporated. Osmington has sold some of its properties to the Canada Pension Plan, and seems to have intersts in "precision agriculture" at FarmersEdge whatever that means, and it is a partner in the group that owns the Winnipeg Jets. He is not the richest man in Canada entirely because of Thomson Reuters, but it certainly contributes to it, and what billionaire doesn't own a media conglomerate or two?
Thomson Reuters TSE:TRI
Now Galen Weston is the 3rd richest Canadian, and David Thomson is the 1st, so who is on second? Tsai's on second. Joseph Tsai. Taiwanese born co-founder and Executive Vice-Chairman of Alibaba. At 13 he was sent to a prep school in New Jersey, and eventually went to his father's alma mater at Yale. He started his career as a tax associate at a New York lawfirm and eventually became an attorney following in his father's footsteeps. From there however he eventually left for Hong Kong and became involved in Asian private equity, which resulted in him eventually meeting Jack Ma, where he was so impressed that he quit his investment firm to join in the founding of Alibaba as the only western-educated founder where he was COO and CFO as he was vital due to the cross-pacific nature of Alibaba's business model and being the only one with experience in venture capital and law. He is the second largest individual shareholder of Alibaba behind only Jack Ma. Beyond that he also bought the Brooklyn Nets off a Russian billionaire, as well as being the owner of several other sports team like football and including Lacrosse which he was the avid player while in prep school and at Yale.
Alibaba NYSE:BABA
He is a dual Hong Kong and Canadian citizen. You would think it would be American given most of the time he spent in the west was in America but when you are rich obtaining Canadian citizenship is easy and it provides most of the same benefits as American citizenship. Controversial when on the question of the NBA and Hong Kong, we weighed in stating that many Chinese were angry over tweets in support of Hong Kong because they sounded like support for separatism which is a no go for China.
Taiwanese politics is a bit complex, the KMT the right-wing on the island believes in a United China, its just that this united One China ought to be under the KMT, strong, free, and independent, but ultimately friendly with the West, in the vein of Sun Yat-Sen who was also western educated. It is generally the left-wing DPP which is both more independent of the Taiwanese business community and also thinks of itself as independent from China. Taiwan's biggest trade partner is China, and the KMT sees no issue with this as they see it as business being done from a province of china that is free doing business with other provinces of china which are just temporarily under Communist Party of China occupation.
The business community loves the One Country Two Systems because it lets them have their cake and eat it too, but if it came down to it since Chinese business is the most important trade partner for the Hong Kong and Taiwan and they are torn when it comes to the CCP power grabbing the two systems into one system. For the business community being one country is more important for the bottom line than the two systems, so while they are against the power grab, they are also against seperatism. This is difficult to understand but many chinese still see a United China as being in a protracted civil war that has just been on pause for decades, the same way people in Korea see the Korean War as a protracted civil war that never ended rather than a war between countries. They want their freedom, but they also want their country to remain united. Ultimately this is not too dissimilar from the powerful Quebec Federalist business families which are generally the historical owners of the Liberal Party who oppose Quebec sovereignty and want a united Canada even if they support francophone rights within Canada
Which brings as to the Desmarais. Paul Desmarais was the fourth wealthiest person in Canada before he died in 2013, and his family is considered the seventh on the list currently. The Desmarais Family Residual Trust controls Pansolo which itself owns about 80% of the voting shares of the Power Corporation of Canada, but 60% of those votes come from owner almost all of the preferred voting shares which give 10 votes, while they own 11% of the regular shares which translates to another 20% of the voting power. Power Corp is itself a fan of complicated ownership structures as I basically wouldn't even be able to explain all the things they own. The largest holding is 67% of Great West Life and 62% of IGM financial, both of which also have subsidiaries who operate in the United States. The also have a Partnership ownership of Group Brussels Lambert with Frere Bougeois who was the richest man in Belgium while he was alive. As a result of complicated ownership structures, with Frere Bourgeois they actually control a French Materials company called Imerys, and also own minority stakes in Adidas and Pernod Ricard. Overall the European holdings are quite diversified, and its North American holdings in Wealth/Retirement Management and Life Companies functions as a diversified asset pool due to the nature of how life insurance companies use the premiums to invest so they can eventually cover the payouts. They also own wealth management companies in China which makes it globally diversified and sector diversified. Through the complicated ownership structure it owns WealthSimple in part via Power Corp itself, but also through their majority stake in IGM financial. They also have a renewable energy division where they live up to the "Power" name, and beyond renewable energy they also have a 60% stake in Lumenpulse an LED manufacturer, and a 44% stake in Lion Electric and electric school bus manufacturer.
Power Corp TSE:POW
Great West Life TSE:GWO
IGM Financial TSE:IGM
Group Brussels Lambert EBR:GBLB
I own Power Corp shares because I couldn't believe it was trading as low as it was and for so long, as it has a 9% yield it has since gone up almost immediately after I bought it so I got in at the right time but still has a 7% yield. Power Corp is likely the closest you will get to the concept of the revolving door of politicians in business which you can read up yourself, but safe to say all our Francophone prime ministers have been involved, mostly Liberal leaders like Chretien, Martin, and Pierre Trudeau, but also Brain Mulroney, and many Premiers of Ontario and Quebec as well. If there was ever a company that made the concept of "the Laurentian Elite" that run Canada clear, it is Power Corp. In regards to my politics, I'm actually in favour of the concept of seperatism as a general idea so I'm sort of inverting my politics in my investments, but despite me supporting seperatism generally, the only victory for the concept in decades has been Brexit and even then that was not really the same thing. I'm politically infavour of renewable power so I found Power Corp attractive for its investments in Power Energy. Seems as if a good investment strategy would be to inverse your political positions which have never had victories like ever and go long on your political positions which seem to be where the political headwinds are going. Power Corp seems to get its way in politics regardless if I am in support of it lol, might as well own the company that controls everything I guess.
The guy who owns Rogers is next on our line of Oligarchs. Rogers is similar to Power Corp in that they attempt to have voting shares and non-voting shares so the family can control the company while not actually owning the whole thing.
Rogers TSE: RCI.A prefered voting shares Rogers TSE: RCI.B non-voting shares for us plebs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadians_by_net_worth
You can look at the full list here but I'm going to stop as Saputo as they are the dreaded Milk Cartel of the Bernier's nightmares
Saputo TSE:SAP
Rapid Fire Round
Garret Camp NYSE:UBER
Irvings (Private, Oil, New Brunswick)
Richardson (Private, Agricultural and Food Production)
Jim Pattison (Private, British Columbia Conglomerate, fun fact owns Guinness World Records)
Jeffery Skoll (NASDAQ:EBAY, Participant a privately owned film production studio)
Richard Li (Hong Kong Telecom, SEHK:8)
Azireli Family (Israeli Real Estate, TLV:AZRG, fun fact the Azireli Towers used to be the tallest buildings in Israel)
Carlo Fidani (Mississauga based real estate)
Bernard Sherman (Privately held Pharmaceutical company Apotex)
McCain family (Beyond McCain foods, Wallace McCain after being ousted from McCain by his brother Harrison purchased Maple Leaf Foods together with the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan ... somehow lets not question it. TSE:MFI)
David Cheriton (Google NASDAQ:GOOG, and Arista some computer networking company NYSE:ANET, a S&P500 component)
Alain Bouchard (Alimentation Couchetard, TSE:ATD.B for us plebs)
Daryl Katz (privately onwed real estate company, owns the Edmonton Oilers)
Michael Lee-Chin (NCB Financial Group, a Jamaica based Caribbean conglomerate, JSE:NCBFG)
Tom Gaglardi (Owns the Dallas Stars and a privately held real estate company Northland Properties)
There are some people who are so mysterious they don't even have wikipedia articles the Zekelman and Apostolopoulous families
Marc Scheinberg (Pokerstars, The Stars Group used to be publicly traded but it has been delisted)

My screen name is Datesi on pokerstars. I did a deposit with my friends credit card for $1,000. It was flagged because he had used it before for his account - makes sense. Have had my account for 14 years but I’m out of the country travelling so my usually instadebit method needed to be done in Canada and my cards don’t allow gambling websites. Within minutes I received an email asking for extra info and my account was locked. Provided my passport, his passport, his credit card statement, and a copy of my bank statement within hours. No response in 5 days and account is still locked. Missed out on micro millions main and Sunday million. Had $300 in there already which I can’t use because it won’t allow me to register any tournaments. The $1,000 is sitting in limbo but has gone through on my friends credit card. Stars support on twitter said they passed it along. Here’s the fun part: if you google stars support issues or anything along those lines you’ll see that there’s some people on 60+ days without a response because they’re “backlogged”. I’m thinking that they should legally have to add interest to deposits when you’re not allowed to use them. We did nothing wrong and in fact, their security is so bad that he made a deposit and had no issues (with the same card). Anybody that can help with advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Date: 2015-11-25
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Questions	Answers
Hi Daniel, can you tell us what are your thoughts on the new VIP programs that PokerStars offer. Do you think it will affect so much the pro players that they'll leave the site ? And if so, will the recreational player gained overcome that ? Thank you for your time, big fan.	I would have made changes to the program years ago, but if I were in charge I would have made sure I gave ample notice that the changes were coming. They are essential, but I wish they would wait until Jan 1, 2017 to implement them and I wouldn't target high limit players by removing their VPPs.
Why do you think more women don't play poker and what can be done to encourage more women to play? Any behavior you notice around the tables that needs to be changed?	For the same reasons that men represent a small percentage of romantic novel sales. Generally speaking, I think men and women are drawn to different interests. Not as a rule, of course, but we just have different interests mostly.
Daniel, big fan. I've recently got into playing poker and I'm astonished with your ability to read hands so well. Is it luck or is there a certain give away that gives you the ability to read hands like their moves on the table or even body movements? What would you tell someone trying to get better at reading opponents?	I would say PAY ATTENTION. To all details. What they wear, do they seem honest? What do they do for a living? Then for physical tells, look for literally anything that sticks out and relate it to the cards they turn over. Grab as many clues as you can and they might help you in the crucial moments.
Why don't you play more poker tournaments in Canada? Have you ever been to Alberta?	I typically play the higher limit events worldwide and Canada hasn't had any. I have been to Winnipeg and took in a Jets game. They CRUSHED the Leafs that night lol.
Huge fan Daniel, & not just on the felt. What do you think is the most redeeming quality a person can have? Or possibly the most unique feature that is hard to come by these days? Also for someone who doesn't know their passion in life: what advice would you give?	Best quality would be one who lives a life in service to others. To find your passion, you may want to start with the end game. Right out a page and answer the following question: what is your vision for your life? In great detail 5-10 years down the road.
Daniel, Easy question. F, Marry, Kill? Liv Boeree, Joanna Krupa & Annie Duke?	Marry Liv, she is smart and cool F Joanna Krupa, she is Joanna Krupa! Kill Annie Duke, gladly. She is awful lol.
What procedure did you go through to get your hair back? serious question. it looks great.	Ha! Pretty common procedure these days. Just moved it from the back of my head to the front! Ever see anyone bald on the side or the back? Nope. That hair is strong like bull.
Who's the most fun to play with on the tour?	I'd say Phil Hellmuth. He is quite a character and beating him in a hand creates a lot of fun. I can't help but laugh at him he is OUT THERE! haha.
If you HAD to put numbers to it, what percentage of poker is skill and what percentage is luck?	It's hard to say because time is a factor. In one hand for example it's 100% luck, but over a million hands luck would play less than 0.0001% of a role in your results.
Do you enjoy poker now as much as you did when you first came onto the scene? Also, what about the game do you derive the most happiness from?	Probably not. It was different back then because I was grinding and it mattered more financially. I still love to play.I enjoy the competitive aspect of the game.
How does playing live compare with playing online? Which do you find easier?	Online is definitely more convenient, but I find live easier because I can base my reads on the person rather than the numbers.
What would you describe as a key to success? Work-ethic? Being self-aware? Confidence? Being self-conscious? Would looove to hear your input.	Self awareness is key. It's important to read other people and how they play, but it's just as important to understand how they THINK you play and disappoint them!
As a fellow Canadian, which NHL team is your favourite?	I grew up in Toronto so always hope the Leafs can finally right the ship, but when Las Vegas gets an NHL team I'll be a Vegas fan for sure!
Do you follow any of the DFS news? I know legally, they have to fight the not-gambling argument but to you is it clearly gambling?	Of course it is gambling! Walking across the street is a gamble with your life. Opening a restaurant, buying stocks etc are ALL gambling. It's silly.
What would you consider your greatest accomplishment outside of poker?	Honestly, accomplishing the goal of living out my dream life that I envisioned in my late teens and early 20's. Exceeding those dreams really.
How much money was on the line when you beat elky HU in the Hearthstone match? What kind of odds did he give you?	We bet that if I lost I had to go to PCA in an Annoy-A-Tron outfit and since he lost he is going as Sludge Belcher! haha.
Daniel, What's the best way for a beginner to become a good poker player?	Study and practice! No substitute for putting in the work. You can even start playing for free on PokerStars to improve.
If you could design a Hearthstone card what would it be? What name/class?	A 0-1 stealth card for Shaman that gives Totems +1 attack at the end of your turn. Sick huh?
What colour socks are you wearing today?	Was supposed to be blue, I wore those in the morning then put the wrong ones on and went with red.
What's your favorite board game?	I used to really like Risk, but recently been playing Taboo with friends and it's quite fun.
Who is your favorite to take the Stanley Cup this year?	I liked Anaheim to start the season but they have started really slowly. Kings look pretty good too.
Also, i apologize for double posting, but on the off chance you'd be replying to my comment before i edited it i figured i'd make another one. How do you value physical wellness in terms of being happiebeing able to be a better player, a better person, how important would you rate it?	Very important. Book called The 8th Habit talks about how there are 168 hours in a week and if you spent just 1.5 hours a week exercising it improves your happiness and the quality of the other 166.5 hours.
Who will win between Rubio and Clinton?	Not sure, but I'd bet those two are the ones who will face off. Probably Hillary.
Hi Daniel, Do you travel with your dog to poker tournaments? Would you consider him your good luck charm?	I did when I first got him, but now my assistant takes care of him when I'm on the road.
What did you think of Schwartz and his actions at the WSOP his year? Some of his antics were questionable at best.	It was awkward. I focused on empathy with him. He has a lot of demons so I could never understand the pain he is in.
Any fun stories from the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine? It was a nice surprise seeing you in the movie!	Yeah, Hugh Jackman was such a gentlemen. He knew the name of every extra on the set and was genuine and kind.
Can you please tell my husband to help me with work around the house before jumping on the computer to play poker? Maybe he'll listen to you, he's a big fan.	Tell him I said it's OK to enjoy your passion but make sure she plays a big role in that passion or you will be sleeping on the couch!
Is there currently a significant other in your life? If no, are you actively looking for one? When being a known figure in a certain world can make it more difficult I can imagine. If I were you, I'd rather find someone that has no idea who you are, rather than someone that knows your as 'that guy from poker'. What is your view on this?	Girl I'm dating had NO CLUE who I was! First time we met out at a Starbucks someone asked for a picture and her eyes got wide and she said, "Who are you?" She thought I set up the whole thing HAHA.
Top three favorite movies and are you a Game of Thrones fan? Love watching you play!	American History X Good Will Hunting Remember the Titans.
	Game of Thrones is awesome!!!
Coke or Pepsi?	Neither. Having had a soda in 20 years. It's poison!
Considering the statistical unlikelihood of success, how were you able to get over the "bad bet" that is the decision to go pro?	It requires resilience and drive. I got kicked down many times before i succeeded but I just never gave up.
Is poker still a viable career for someone to aspire to? or is it too close to reaching a point where everyone plays so close to optimally so no one can have an edge.	Depending on your skill set I still think there is plenty of money to be made, you just have to find the right situations.
What's a common tell amateurs have?	Glancing at their chips quickly when they like the flop.

Last updated: 2015-11-25 22:58 UTC | Next update: 2015-11-25 23:58 UTC
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Date: 2012-04-18
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Questions	Answers
You're about to die. There is an amateur poker player sitting right next to you. You decide that your final words will encompass the most important thing you have learned throughout your years of pro poker. WHAT ARE YOUR FINAL WORDS??? Tldr: gimme some good poker tips.	1st off, your screenname is priceless...This one's an easy one for me though. Never let your ego get in the way of continuing to try and learn as much as you can about the game. Too many players hit a point where they start to win and then refuse to admit they can always learn more. I call this the game over point lol.
Can you loan me a few hundred bucks? my tv just shit the bed.	You take Full Tilt transfers?
Does that eventually translate to real cash lol,	Haha we can only pray.
I wish this wasn't a joke. A friend of mine won an FTOPS event a few days before they were raided and hadn't withdrawn in months.	Sigh, yea I know...I just try and use humor not to punch holes in walls.
Can I ask how much did you lose when FT went tits up?	I didn't get killed very badly, I was taking some time off poker so had a good chunk of my online roll off the sites. I was saying in an earlier post I was with a buddy who had about 200k online at the time when we found out the shit hit the fan. Never thought I'd see someone get that emotional, but clearly understandable. :/
Are you the Jason Lee that recently got signed to Lock Poker?	I would be that same Jason Lee.
I assume that you would recommend this site to US players as opposed to bovada and the like? As this a merge skin, how confident should US players be about depositing mobnies on this site. I cant stand Bovada btw.	Yea, I actually never even got on Bovada because I just heard the most tilting stories about it. I'm personally very confident with my money on Lock, and not just saying that because I'm one of their pros. The upper management there actually cares about their players and is constantly looking to improve the customer experience. This is something I respect a lot about them.
I only have money on Bovada....well I do have a few hundo still on Full Tilt...those fucks.	If you're interested in moving over, shoot me a PM before you get on, I get some special perks I can offer people that create accounts.
Pretty much....I actually laughed at the customer service rep that I talked to, said, "you fuckin kidding me" and hung up.	Yea, I had a buddy that just posted a blog about that jacking a bunch of cash from him as well. I'd be scared playing on a site that it's sister site (Blow-dog)'s domain just got appropriated by the DOJ.
Are you still living in the states playing online or have you moved eslewhere?	Been literally bouncing all over the place as of late, but all in the states. I'm currently doing this Reddit from Vegas. Seems like a decent place to be? lol Most of my friends went to Canada, Costa Rica and a few to Panama and Thailand.
How hard is it to do your taxes?	The first year I did them it was hell because I didn't stay on top of keeping records and had to retro go back and do everything. Since then I learned my lesson and stayed on top of keeping records. Its still annoying though every year when everyone is talking about getting their returns and I'm writing a check to Uncle Sam.
But you get to write off your losses, right? I'd imagine that good records are very important. Does the IRS keep a special watch on pro gamblers for audit purposes? Seems like one of those professions that would be red flagged by them.	Yea, and they actually changed the legislation this year that if you have a net losing year, you can actually roll those loses into future years...a.k.a lose 10k this year, make 100k next...only pay taxes on 90k.
Most money you've ever lost in one pot?	Don't play a tooooon of cash games, so prolly only a few thousand in that department. The biggest tournament I've played and busted was a 20k buyin in France. I had lots of beers after that one.
only a few thousand in that department. That'd pay my rent and feed me for half a year. Fair as fuck :)	Hah, yea...I try not to get greedy like some players. I'm happy when I lose $1 and mad when I lose .01. lol.
How much vanished into the Full Tilt black hole? Any funds lost on the evil twins aka UB/AP?	I actually didn't get killed as much as a lot of my friends because it was during my 8 month hiatus from the game last year so I didn't have a ton on there. I had some friends though that had a couple hundred k on there and was with them when they found out it all went bye bye. Let's just say I saw a lot of people get a lot more emotional than I ever expected to see them get.
I'll go for the classic question... how much of poker is strategy, and how much is luck? And what can a player do when their luck sucks?	Oldie but a goodie (I heard an old person say that once lol)...I'd say if I had to put numbers on it, about 65% skill, 30% luck and 5% how much the poker gods love you. These numbers I think against worse players move to 70-75% skill because you're able to read them better and push them around more effectively. I will never deny though that there definitely is a luck factor involved, its just not the predominant factor in determining who wins and who loses.
How do you distinguish between luck and the poker gods? I'm an atheist, but if praying to the poker gods can give me a 5% edge, I'll take it.	If you can maximize what you win with the best hands and minimize what you lose with the worst, that I consider skill. Actually getting the best and worst hands, thats the luck part. Also getting it in as a big favorite = skill, losing as a big favorite=luck.
I'm no pro, but I've always said that in poker skill is what helps you get lucky, would that be adequate?	Ehhh, when you need to get lucky is usually only when you get your money in bad, so technically it would be something only happening when you're playing less than optimally. However, it would be adequate to say that a skilled player will take better advantage of hitting a miracle card or getting lucky.
Is it true that the key to winning is just winning a little bit, then leaving the table?	Def disagree with this. A lot of people after they see me win a pot are like ooooo take that cash and run. The thing is, if you're in a good game, you should stay in that game as long as you're playing well and the game stays a good game. I also think I play a lot better when I'm winning, so I will def keep playing.
	I'm mainly a tournament guy so they usually don't let me leave after I win a pot :P.
How about online poker? What do you think?	If I'm having a bad day, I'll unregister from the rest of my tournaments so I can proceed to ram my head into the wall. But I feel like its the same as live, if you're playing well and in a good game; stay in it. If people are willing to give cash away, stay and take it :)
What do you think is the major difference between online and real life poker?	I reallllly like online because I'm about as ADD as they come. I usually play 10-20 tables at once, mainly to keep my mind busy and keep me from doing anything stupid and playing too many hands. This is the biggest difference I see.
	As per strategy wise, live players love to call more (and bigger) 3 bets preflop ~ they just refuse to not defend here, the blinds usually defend a lot more live as well, raise sizes usually need to be bigger live to accomplish the same annnndd.....those are the main differences that pop into my mind.
	You can of course also see your opponent to allow for making more reads and they make me wear pants live :(
We need to get you some Adderall. You would be unstoppable!	Lol, used it before...I think I was the definition of "dialed in".
What do you mean by defend.	Basically when you raise someone's blind and they choose to not fold and fight you in the pot with a mediocre to bad holding they might normally fold, this is called defending. Usually its to send you a message to stop 3 betting them or stop stealing their blinds.
Hell of a story man, I get the same feel when I go mini-golfing with my BROS and on the 18th hole the ball just floats, time stops, my mind goes numb, and it just sinks right in for a hole in one. Then I'm like FREE ROUND BITCHES. I enjoy playing 10-2 off-suit in low buyin games just to fuck with people, you should try that for me someday. I hope you're comfortable because I've been waiting for a pro poker player for a long time now, I ain't goin anywhere. If you could play poker with any 5 people (living or dead, fictional or real), who would they be?	Great question... outside of just saying EVERYONE of the business men playing in the huge Macau game...if it were purely a social game Superman, The Devil, Ivey, Dwan and Howard Lederer...the first 4 to challenge myself since its a fun game, and Howard to punch in the face.
Yeah fuck him, I used to have a Full Tilt account and that could have been my money. Need my money for taco bell 5 buck boxes and also other things. Do you gamble much on non-skill games? Or any games involving a house advantage?	The best was right after all this shit last year, his wife tried to release her own jewelry line at the WSOP. I reaaaalllllly wanted to go up and just request my jewelry since it was clearly paid for with a bunch of our cash.
Do you think that in 2011/2012 the online games have got a lot tougher to beat? How far can you go with ABC poker online? What level can you beat with this technique? Is playing multitable with reasonably good regs profitable at high levels?	1- I think the low to mid stakes online have actually gotten considerably easier. A lot of the serious low to mid stakes grinders ended up moving on to other things leaving a bit of a vacuum at these stakes. I think the higher stakes have gotten a bit more difficult with a lot of the fish exiting the market. They are slowly returning though from my observations. 2- I honestly think pretty straight forward ABC can beat almost any level of poker. My deepest live run at the EPT Villamoura stop, I literally played straight forward ABC for all 6 days. No crazy bluffs, no wild floats etc etc, just played my cards optimally and made solid reads. Everyone else got out of line and paid when I had it. There are a few adjustments you can occasionally make - getting more aggressive on the bubble, stealing some blinds when the antes kick in, but for the most part the ABC can beat all levels. 4- Profitability defffffinetly goes way down when you start playing with all regs. I still think there are a lot of regs that are profitable that have leaks that can be exploited. I'm pretty positive I have leaks that can be exploited as well. So to answer the question, yes they can be profitable but definitely tougher to beat.
Has your game been impacted by becoming well known? I have heard every donk on the table wants to felt the big name pro so if it's true, how do you adapt to that?	Its interesting, because I never really experienced this until very very recently. As per being known at live tournaments, I get noticed and recognized a lot less than some people might expect. They usually just look at me and go, "oh look some crazy internet kid," just because I'm young, pale and have zero sense of style :)
	The crazy part is since I signed with Lock and they made my screenname highlighted in red on there, I feel like a baby goat in a sea of wolves. I have NEVER had people try and make plays and bluff me as much as I'm experiencing on there. It's increased so much that I've had to make strategic adjustments to how I play.
	I basically always tell people I want to play opposite of everyone else. If everyone is going to try and bluff me and run over me every pot, I choose to just sit back, pick up a hand and let them bluff off the world to me. It's nice to almost always get action on hands, it is a bit more boring though. Winning poker isn't always "fun poker" lol.
$3 million in winnings? Feeling charitable? :D.	Haha, as of late I've been gladly donating back to the community, not by choice though lol.
Story?	Not a super eventful one; just on a bit of a downswing. Nothing huge, I just always get annoyed when I don't win.
Oh I thought your neighbouring community I didn't get it as the ''Poker Community'' ! I thought you had gone nuts with that money and somewhat landed in trouble that required you to pay back to the community.	Hah, I am a bit of a wild one at times, but thankfully no on that...so far.
Does phil Hellmuth really bitch about every hand or is that some gimmick?	I actually did a TV show with Phil a few years ago, here's a link to an article about it.
	Best Damn Poker Show
	Basically, I asked Phil this question directly. His response was basically, he does get upset when people do moronic things but a lot of the over the top reactions are aimed at branding himself as the Poker Brat. Everyone loves to hate someone, and also loves to see what they're going to do next. This is pretty much what he's shooting for which I understand and thinks is prolly business smart, just a lot to deal with if you're the one getting berated.
3 or 4 bet Hellmuth and he will get pissed.	You'd be surprised how often if you give someone shit for 3 or 4 betting how often they'll never do it as a bluff again.
Is Bellande's twitter not the most comical poker twitter feed going or what? I mean who is that guys backer? haha.	Lol, I don't follow him but definitely going to check it out. I actually hammered one night in Canada at the NAPT jokingly tried to trade my gf at the time for a rack of chips from him. I was joking of course but apparently she didn't find the humor. Maybe this is the reason I'm single now lol.
Dude, check it out. Its hilarious.	He's def getting a new follower.
Why do you play under a recognizable screenname online? Doesn't it make you more of a target/predictable?	I think when I started playing, I had dreams of being a notable player, someone people recognized. Not so much to be a fame whore, but more for validation that I truly made it in the industry. It's def a lot easier to brand yourself this way if there is congruency in who you are everywhere.
	From a direct dollar making stand point though, different screennames is probably +ev.
Makes sense.	I'll prolly stick with the same screennames/image for the rest of time. I've started expanding my poker career into teaching, writing and some other aspects to make money outside of just playing. I also don't really mind if I lose a little bit of EV to help advance the other poker related endeavors.
Considering your skill, at what point do you imagine letting go of the pro image to make money anonymously? Do you not already have multiple accounts for this?	There are also some perks to knowing people think they know how you normally play. It allows you to take some unconventional lines some times because you know people think they know how you always play things. (If that made sense lol)
Also, pokerstars or fulltilt (or other)?	No multiple accounts for this guy, JaspudUF till I die :)
I like your integrity. Thanks for answering my questions!	Of course, hope the info helps some :)
Ever splash the pot?	Every chance I get :)
What would you advise to anyone looking to use Poker as a source of income in the future? How often do you play? Biggest Win? McDonalds or KFC?	I would say make sure that you truly are being honest with yourself about being a winner or a loser at the game. So many people tell me they beat the game and when we sit down and actually look at numbers, they're lieing to themselves. If you do find you are winning consistently, make sure its enough to sustain your desired life and more importantly you have a cushion in case of an inevitable bad run. I prolly play 3-4 days a week, I used to obsessively play 6-7 days a week but I think that was not good for the health.
	KFC if I'm running good, McDonalds after a bad session. No questions asked there haha.
What are your other hobbies?	I'm a gym rat, I kickbox and do jui-jitsu (although I havent in a few months since I've been traveling a lot :/ Reddit and internet humor have become amazing hobbies as of late lol and my number 1 hobby is actually people watching. I love the nonverbal communication/psychology side of poker and life, and just chilling trying to study what people are thinking amuses the hell out of me.
	I actually have to tell girls on dates that when I'm constantly staring over there shoulders at other people its not because I dont enjoy their company but just obsessed with people watching. lol.
Such a romantic! I need to hit the gym. When I'm much older I think instead of jigsaw building and wetting myself I will take up Poker. At the moment money isn't available to piss away. For non money games I have been good online, however I think I would be awful under pressure.	My buddies grandma just came into town and she might be the biggest gamblecard player I've ever met in my life. If I tried to make her do a jigsaw puzzle, she'd ask me how much I want to play for per piece. Def a mind stimulating game.
What are you planning to play at the WSOP this year? How many events? I cant wait to watch the "Drop in the Bucket" tourney. Im surprised Ivey hasnt confirmed yet....I realize he has a lot of shit goin on with FT and his divorce and shit.	That Drop in the Bucket tourney will be insane if it runs. I hear a few rumors that even though they have a bunch of confirmed players, no ones put the cash down yet. I can't confirm this but its what I'm hearing. As per me, I'm going to try and play as many of the hold em events as possible. I took last summer off and am completely drooling waiting to play this year.
	I always try and get backing for the series, which I haven't yet started looking into this year but that usually helps dictate how much I'm going to play. I paid for the series myself one year and frankly the potential swings on that are huge and very few players are anywhere close to properly bankrolled for these tourneys.
	The series is the most fun time of the year but its also for about 95% of the players, the most frustrating time of the year. You get so excited about the potential of the cash and a bracelet and then if you don't prevail, its tough to pick yourself up and come back the next day for more of a pounding lol.
Do you remember a few years ago, theres was this dude from NY a few years ago that had a blog on Pokerroad that would go ape shit on his blog after he busted from a WSOP prelim? I cant remember his name but it was hilarious. Joe Sebok supplied with a cam to record that shit.	Lol, I don't but if you find a link to it, please post...I love watching people tilt haha.
Theres only a few dudes that are rolled for that Drop in a Bucket...Guy Laliberte, a few Asian businessmen, and that dude that owns a few casinos in vegas.	Yea sooooooo few people are rolled for that. I've heard that they're going to run regional satellites but haven't seen any links or anything. I'm going to choose not to play that one, unless someone gives me a milly to play it. I won't say no :)
This dude Eugene Todd theres a few on there...if you can find the pokerroad blogs...they are epic.	Lol, I just watched about 45 seconds of the intro to his new show. I think I'm somehow on tilt already.
Do you play for fun or just for the money? Also, what's the most you've ever won in a day?	I actually do play for fun quite a bit with friends; I almost always lose when I play for fun too lol...When I'm playing to make money, I still love the game and the adrenaline rush accompanied. I stopped loving it for a while last year and got burnt out and immediately took like 8 months off. Best move ever...My largest score was $240k for a 3rd place in an EPT. I guess technically that's 6 days but still my biggest win.
So you won that $240k..what % did you have to pay in taxes? What was your net from that $240k?	I was backed in the event; so half of it went to the backers right away. I was in whatever the higher tax bracket was that year, so the taxes on that were rough. The toughest part some card players deal with is taxes aren't always immediately withheld on winnings, so you have to put money aside for when it's time to pay taxes. I have some friends that have won tournaments, spent all the money and come tax time had to figure something out to be able to cover the bill to Uncle Sam.
I would imagine winning the $8.8M 1st prize in the Main Event, they net around $5?M after paying 30-40% in taxes?	I'm lucky that my parents stayed involved in my life the past few years to inform me of these things before I also went and did something stupid like that. I try my hardest to share this info with my friends, it occasionally sinks in.
What's the most amazing poker hand you've ever been in?	Someone asked this earlier and I couldnt think of an answer, but I think I've thought of one that amused me quite a bit. When I did Good Morning America, we spent a good amount of time teaching George Stephanopoulos the basics of tournament poker. He was definitely a beginner but seemed to be picking up things pretty quickly.
	The tournament we ended up playing was a super turbo so things were moving pretty quickly. The gist of the hand was George actually limp trapped me with Queens and owned me on national television. Now, with stack sizes and all it wasn't an amazing trap or anything but I just found it hilarious that he came up with a decent move himself and was able to bust me. I was half proud and half blah lol.
What kind of stakes do you play online?	Prior to Black Friday, I would try and play the biggest tourneys they had online and was able to get enough volume with those. Since Black Friday, there are still some good higher buy-in tournaments but not quite enough to fulfill my ADD requirements so I find myself playing everything from the highest buyins down to even playing $20 tournaments.
	Cash is cash, even making a lot of money I still get happy when I win $1. Its a perspective I hope to ALWAYS hold on to.
Do you think that poker as a game has peaked? If not, when do you think this will happen? Do you think you could re-create your success starting today from zero? Do you think that online is much harder to win at than live? How many hours a day do you play?	I dont think its peaked, I think when things go all out in the states with legislation we're gonna see an explosion. I think I could, all it is is a willingness to learn, hard work and dedication. All you really need outside of that is emotional control and I think there might be some form of x factor to it. I think 1 game vs 1 game, online can be tougher, but the ability to multi table allows you to severely cut down on your variance and I think make more in the long run. When I play, usually 8-10 hrs...I've played as much as 37 before though lol I guess technically that wouldn't be in one day. After that sesh, you could have convinced me it was though.
What have you done with your winnings?	Done a poor job of saving my winnings but a great job of spending it :) Basically, lived "the life", partied, caused trouble etc etc. Trying to change that this year. Practice and read everything you can get your hands on.
Thanks. :) Out of your winnings, after tax and stakes how much are you at? I think there's always the dream of millions for players but taxes must hurt..:(	Taxes are never the fun part haha, I'm not sure exactly where this falls...I'll see if I can pull up records later today and give you a stronger idea of the impact there.
How long did it take for you to become a pro? How did your family/close ones take to you playing excessively?	Well... - Started playing when my friends invited me to a home game in college. I was officially the worst lol - After that, I played pretty much every day and read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I think it was maybe like a year later that I started making some dollars and maybe 6 months past that I decided to look at making it a full time gig. - Great question here...I came from a super straight laced, military family. If you can imagine how the phrase of "I want to gamble for a living" went over, it was rough at first. Luckily my parents were somewhat open to the thought of it and basically said, we'll support it as long as you can prove its a viable career and you can sustain a living at it.
How long did it take for you to become a winning player? Where did you mainly play online? Did/do you use good bankroll management?	About a year into learning and playing I started actually making positive cash flow. Thankfully before that I stayed playing pretty low so I didn't really lose much. - I used to play predominately on Stars, Tilt and UB. Way back in the day it was Paradise. Now a days, exclusively at Lock. - Its funny, about 99% of my career I have except for my first decent score. I had $120 bucks online and put $60 bucks into a $30 rebuy (oops lol). Ended up cashing for about 3k I think it was and post that returned to being a good boy for the most part in the BR management department.
Best fold you have ever made? Best call? Is it "better" to make a wrong call, or the wrong laydown? Fave hand that you have seen on TV? Best and worst TV pro? Fave and least fave TV pro?	The problem with "the best fold you ever made" is you never really know unless your opponent shows you...there are times I was pretty sure I made a rockstar lay down but can't really be sure... They always say its better to make an incorrect fold than a bad call, it costs you less. I think personally a mistake is a mistake and all should be treated the same in your mind (from a learning stand point).
	Best TV pro is prolly Ivey...and worst is everyone that's cocky... especially players that go deep in 1 event and immediately start talking about how they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'll refrain from mentioning names to avoid the awkward situations lol My fav pros to watch are either my friends or players that are better than me so I can not only be entertained but also learn at the same time.
What's your reading recommendation to get into online poker? I want to prepare now that online gambling is legal.	Do you mean in regards to strategy or the logistics of getting back on?
Well, you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run. You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table, there'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.	I still randomly sing this at the table :)
Strategies. I know for online there are software programs that measure certain metrics, like how likely the person will fold for certain card combination. I'm a newb.. I want to understand how to analyze the card probabilities & apply user playing history to gain an edge. What's the best book to learn this?	Honestly, the best way to win online is just to have strong fundamentals. It sounds like an answer thats "too easy to be true" but in reality, majority of the players you encounter online are really bad and will make mistakes for you. I play more ABC poker than most people would probably expect. I rarely run crazy bluffs or anything like that, unless I'm bored, feel like being a moron or have had a few adult beverages :)
No real question here, just wanted to say thanks for doing the AMA. I've been waiting to hear from a pro poker player for awhile now. Best of luck! Edit: Actually I lied! How do you/any pro players you know, feel about shows like Daniel's "million dollar challenge"? Do you think it hurts the image of poker at all, or helps? Thanks :)	Of course, I'm really enjoying it :) Glad to see people are reading and also enjoying.
How did you get started in terms of bankroll nursing? At what point did you feel you could make a living off it?	I literally started with $1 tournaments for quite a while and was able to grind it up to like $120 (back in the day on Paradise). I decide one day that taking half of my bank roll and playing a $30 rebuy would be a great idea (I do not recommend this lol). I ended up getting like 6th or 7th for a few thousand. I was in college at the time and a few k, makes you rich haha. About a week later, I final tabled the same tournament for a few thousand more and then started grinding the low low buy-in multis. Blessed with a little run good, here we are today.
	It was basically about 6-8 months after those scores that I really started to think there was a possibility I could do it for a living. It was about 1 year after those tournaments that I really seriously began doing it full time.
Thanks! I'll keep grinding then :)). Are you going the the EPT grand final btw?	Probably not hitting many of the EPT's this year. That flight from the States is always brutal. I'm enjoying traveling a little less this year. At least thats what I always say and then I end up traveling a ton lol.
Besides you, Daniel Negreanu is one of my favorite poker players. How is he to play against? Is there a person that you seem to either always have trouble with or have bad luck playing against?	Well thank you :P Negreanu is definitely a tough player to play against. I think there a lot of other players that have equal the reading skills, but just choose not to vocalize it. It's the worst feeling in the world when someone pegs your hand exactly and lets you know.
	There are definitely people that have basically owned my soul in the past. The funny part is its never a well known pro or anything like that. Its usually some guy or girl that seems to be absolutely clueless at the table. This has happened A LOT lol Nothing gets close to tilting more than when this happens. I usually just ask them if they just want me to give them the passwords to my bank accounts.

Last updated: 2012-04-22 13:36 UTC
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