Interview with James282

MentorPoker: Hey.
James282: hey
James282:go for it
MentorPoker: great:)
MentorPoker: Start off by telling me a little about yourself.
James282: about myeslf? i'm a 23 year old from new jersey
James282: grew up basically middle class, went to dickinson college
James282: where I majored in English and Education
MentorPoker: Is poker your primary source of income?
James282: been in a pretty serious relationship for about 3 years
James282: yeah
James282: has been since i graduated
James282: though i do spend every summer volunteering at Camp johnsonburg in new jersey
James282: www.campjburg.org
[20:30] MentorPoker: Is that where you met the lady ? : D
James282: indeed
James282: so i spend about 3 months a year there
MentorPoker: k
MentorPoker: That's interesting your choice of majors, I'm more of a math guy
James282: i was always better at math, but not very interested in it
MentorPoker: Who's your favorite author
James282: hmm, depends
James282: for "literature," joseph conrad
James282: i do like to read fantasy stuff too, like harry potter or wheel of time
MentorPoker: and Skalansky for poker ? ^^;;
James282: haha i suppose
MentorPoker: Was reading one of the primary ways you learned poker? tell me about how you improved your skills
James282: yeah, well
James282: i was actually pretty bad at first
MentorPoker: we all were
James282: thought i had all the answers etc.
James282: i read but didn't internalize it
James282: getting berated by 2+2ers, talking with schneids and gonores were probably my biggest learning tools
MentorPoker: So, basically, you're saying...
MentorPoker: Schneids and Gonores are tools?
MentorPoker: lol j/k
James282: yes
MentorPoker: So, having some expert players really catalyzed learning for you?
James282: well none of us were experts at the time
James282: we all played 5/10 and then 10 20
James282: and we all ran really hot
James282: i got pretty lucky on my way up
MentorPoker: how many tables were you guys running?
James282: 3-4
MentorPoker: So you guys kind of built off of each other?
James282: yeah
James282: wantme to tell you how i basically got to where i am?
MentorPoker: Sure
James282: wellb asically
James282: i lost about 600 playing .5/1
MentorPoker: That's humbling :)
James282: annd 1/2
James282: i went away for the summer
James282: so i read hpfap
James282: came back, went on a rush in 3/6
James282: worked my roll up to 1800
James282: slowly bled that all away til i was down to about 100
James282: i played in a 30 dollar mtt and won it
MentorPoker: Did you tilt?
James282: i am sure i did yeah
James282: i was not very good either
James282: so i instantly had a 3k bankroll
MentorPoker: Bad players come up with some very creative ways to be aweful at poker
MentorPoker: what were some big mistakes you were making?
James282: who knows
James282: i was playing short
James282: on paradise
James282: just had no clue what i was doing really
James282: haha i just stacked someone for 3k profit
James282:sorry
MentorPoker: lol what are you playing atm?
James282: 4 tables of 2k buyin NL
James282: taking it easy since we're talking :-p
MentorPoker: oh yeah, a breeze
MentorPoker: Do you like NL or limit better
MentorPoker: and why
James282: well
James282: i am better at limit
James282: but i just started NL last month
James282: and i really enjoyed it
MentorPoker: Do you have someone showing you the ropes of NL?
James282: talked with FSU player a bit
James282: but yea back to my story
James282: so i won 3k
James282: and started playing 5/10
James282: which i was losing at
James282: but i was winning in 50 dollar SnGs to supplement my limit habit
MentorPoker: You find those easier?
James282: i did at the time
James282: because i didn't know what i was doing
James282: but at the time, the heads up-short handed forum on 2+2 was incredible
James282: it was me, gonores, schneids, zeejustin, nate tha great, diablo
MentorPoker: quite a list
James282: stripsqueez too
MentorPoker: what do you thinks seperates good poker players from guys like them?
James282: and we were like the only people who posted
James282: so we improved very fast
MentorPoker: I was thinking of opening up a private invite only forum
MentorPoker: to have only expert players
James282: people have tried, they have always been failures
MentorPoker: how do they usually fail
James282: because inevitably they feel bad for people who are their friends who aren't experts
MentorPoker: that is what 2+2 is for:)
MentorPoker: we want a forum of the gods
James282: yea it just hasn't worked
MentorPoker: k
James282: but yea so i was puddling around in 5/10 for a while
James282: eventually became a winner
James282: and started taking unsuccessful shots at 10 20
James282: until schneids did his 60k in 60 days challenge
James282: and i tried to keep pace
James282: and my br went from about 8k to 20k
James282: in 2 weeks
MentorPoker: was there usually a sense of competativeness from the 3 of you?
James282: not particularly
James282: we had more important things to worry about, like making a shitload of money
James282: so then i went away for the summer again
James282: came back, played 15 30
James282: and never looked back, always taking shots at bigger games
MentorPoker: what do you play now aday?
James282: well i was playing 100-200 to 300 600 for a few months
MentorPoker: Where?
James282: and i did okay, but the swings in 300 600 got to me
James282: interpoker
MentorPoker: How do you rate yourself compared to the other 300/600 players
James282: i was a favorite almost always
James282: but i didn't play enough to really get a good grip
James282: and i only played when there were huge fish so
MentorPoker: Where do you think these gigantic fish come from
MentorPoker: that have enough money to play that
James282: well one was a known billionaire
James282: one was a professional soccer player
James282: in england
James282: the others, who knows
MentorPoker: sounds like an eclectic bunch
James282: but last month i decided to learn NL by playing the 2k games
James282: and had my biggest month ever
MentorPoker: How much?
James282: even though i stopped playing limit at the bad end of a 200 bb downswing in 100 200
James282: about 160k
MentorPoker: What was your hourly rate
James282: no idea
James282: but i won about 3 bucks a hand
James282: which is pretty good
MentorPoker: Why do you think you are making so much more money at no limit if you are superior at limit?
James282: well, i ran hot
James282: plus it's tough to compare stakes
MentorPoker: yeah
James282: also, the 2K nl games are significantly softer than the 100 200 game
MentorPoker: how many hours a week do you play usually
James282: well, if i am home all week
James282: like 40
James282: or more
James282: but i'm almost never home more than 3-4 days a week
MentorPoker: I know a buddy of mine, Jeff W, had to struggle with putting in the hours, how do you do it?
James282: i play high enough where the money is always significant to me
James282: i like playing
James282: and i feel a fiscal reponsibility
MentorPoker: you mean, take advantage of this while you can?
James282: yes
James282: to set up my family later on
James282: it's one thing for guys who can make like 50-100 a year
James282: and have a blast
James282: but i'm in position to make a ton of money and set myself up very nicely down the road
MentorPoker: definately
James282: so i'd feel guilty if i didn't
MentorPoker: so I guess putting in the hours isn't really difficult, but more importantly..
MentorPoker: when I started playing I arrogantly laughed when my dad told me that discipline is almost as important as skill for a poker player. How do you keep a good mental-state and stay off tilt?
James282: it's not always easy
James282: i very rarely tilt these days
James282: but i do from time to time
James282: also
James282: after playing as high as 300 600
James282: i've won or lost 30k in a day a few times
James282: so it's tough for me to really feel a loss
MentorPoker: yeah, does playing 300/600 desensitize you to smaller limits
James282: a bit
MentorPoker: What do you do when you tilt?
James282: i am able to just focus on the hand and ignore the limits pretty much these days
James282: i need to keep playing
James282: if i quit after i tilt
James282: or play a hand bad
James282: i'll just be mad
James282: so i force myself to play so the last hands i think about aren't tilty ones
MentorPoker: what programs do you use while you play, other than obviously maphack? ^^
James282: maphack?
MentorPoker: nm, a starcraft joke
James282: oh haha
James282: pokerace
James282: that's it
MentorPoker: if you had to give some advice to novice/mid-level players what would it be?
James282: read 2+2 mid high and dont bother with other forums
MentorPoker: Lastly, if you could read an interview from another online player who would it be and why
James282: hmm
James282: probably diablo
James282: even though he isn't a pro
MentorPoker: ok, well I will be sure to see if he is willing to do it :D
MentorPoker: Thanks a lot for the interview, I am sure a lot of people will enjoy it!
James282: haha no sweat
James282: if you have any other q's feel free to ask
MentorPoker: hmm
MentorPoker: Do you have any super poker secrets that you would only tell me if I liquored you up?
James282: well my other advice
James282: is take as many shots as your bankroll and psyche will allow
MentorPoker: elaborate
James282: like
James282: don't be content to grind it out at 5/10 forever
James282: take 100 bbs to 10 20
James282: or 50
James282: and leave yourself 200 or so bb for the limit you normally play
MentorPoker: sounds good, I like to push myself and players I teach also
James282: i did coaching for a while
James282: what do you charge?
MentorPoker: When I was a young player I ran into a swedish poker titan
MentorPoker: he said he'd teach me if I let him affiliate me
MentorPoker: very good investment for both of us
MentorPoker: so that is how we work :)
James282: good idea
MentorPoker: yeah
MentorPoker: if you teach them well, you make more, and vice versa
MentorPoker: what do you charge?
MentorPoker: or did
James282: i was doing 50 dollars an hour
James282: which was paltry
MentorPoker: yeah, that's why it is tough
MentorPoker: to have a reasonable teacher you have to pay as much as they would be making playing themselves
MentorPoker: that is why the affiliation method works so well
MentorPoker: ok final question
James282: yeah i can totally see that
MentorPoker: what is your favorite thing about poker, I love flopping 2 pair on my BB
James282: haha
James282: probably knowing someone else has an overpair, i have AA in position
James282: the flop is rags, and going all in
MentorPoker: lol
MentorPoker: yeah it just isn't the same when you're out of position:P
MentorPoker: Well I enjoyed the interview, and good luck
James282: thanks
James282: later