Indy's Interview Series with the top HUers: ThePhenom

[Indiana]

Ask him your ?s and he shall respond! Thanks Phenom, you are so "Phenomenal" lolz...

How old are you and where are you from?
19 and from New Orleans, Louisiana


How long have you been playing poker?
I just happened to watch the debut of the World Poker Tour whenever it started. So something like 5 years I guess.


What did you do before you played poker for income?
lol, I worked as a cook at a restaurant called Come Back Inn which serves typical New Orleans dishes. Far cry from what I do now.


How did you get into Heads Up as your main game?
I played on Party when I was 15-16. And on Paradise after that. They were both full table sng sites and I found it difficult to make money (esp on Party which 1000% rigged no doubt). When I moved to stars I played the lower sngs and 6 handed. I was making money in both, but "good" sng play revolves around being SUPER-tight and thats just not me at all. HU its actually a good play to take flops w/ 97s etcetc...The reason I still do it mainly now, I can get away w/ only playing 1-2 tables at a time. I'd prob crush 6 handed sngs as well, but 8 tabling isn't for me. 9 handed I've had solid results over limited games.


Which style is best to open up a Heads Up match, loose and raising
aggressively or play tight till you know your opponent better?
I always say theres no wrong way to play. If you play really aggressive, you'll get action with ur big hands. Play tighter and you can get away with more bluffs you wouldn't be able to do if you were too aggressive. So theres no right answer


Do you feel that you have any leaks in your game? If so what are they?
I guess if theres one thing I do more than anything is that I make the "right" play against the wrong player. Never bluff idiots, Randy!!! is what I say the insta-second after they beat me in the pot w/ Ace high for a 2000 chip pot



Do you have any specific poker goals? Where do you see yourself in 3-5
years?
No goals really. I'd be satisfied making 100k a year like I'm doing. NOLA has one of the lowest "costs of living" in the country so 100k to me, might be 250k to some people...3-5, prob still in school sadly and hopefully still grindin it.


What kind of competition is there at the higher limits?
I don't play higher than 550 because of the desire not to and I make plenty at my limits. So if you consider the 220-550 range "higher" limits, I think you really start seeing people make sick value bets, but pot-sized type bets and not this 120 into 600 crap.


What kind of exploitable mistakes do you look for in a HU match?
I prob get reraised preflop more than anyone person on the planet. Prob b/c at 15/30 I'm maybe the only person who's standard raise is 60 and no one ever respects the min-raise. Even tho technically its the same as 10 20 and making it 60. [censored] pot odds, its an implied odds game. So I try to punish people for disrespecting me like that lol.

What kind of opponent do you do best against in a HU match?
I have so many diff gears ranging from super LAG to almost weak-tight. So I think I can play well against anyone.

What are the biggest struggles you have had to overcome as a professional
poker player?
Sometimes the right play doesnt end up w/ the righteous results. I get pretty frustrated after a while when the [censored] piles up.

How did you get so good? Studying? Natural talent?
Almost never have asked about hands, and never read a book. Just learned my own way.


What do you do to practice your handreading and how can us donkeys get
better at putting our opponents on hands?
I look like an idiot sometimes making questionable calls. You just have to go w/ your instincts and assuming your not god awful, you'll be right more than wrong.

How do you feel about calling out of position early in a HUSNG with a hand
like 56o? Say blinds are 10/20 and btn makes it 60 and stacks are even.
What do you call out of position with?
I play a relatively tight oop game, but I often splash around alot. Prob against an unknown, I'd call w/ hands like that 1 in 4 games or something. Just depends on my mood I guess.


What is your 3bet range on a relatively aggressive player early in a HUSNG?
Can you explain what your rationale for 3betting is? What exactly do you
intend to accomplish with 3bets?
I 3 bet somewhat creatively, reraising bigs and hands like 45s sometimes while flat calling hands like KQ etc. Funny how when you reraise and the flop comes 954 and you cont. bet, people never give you credit. Usually you end up having AK, thats how it is sometimes. But when it comes AQ9, they will give a bet some respect. So hands like 45s or something can definately give you a good bluffing type hand if you dont flop 954.


let's say that you have 1100 chips and your opponent has 1900 and its
50/100 blinds. He minraises a lot from button and decides to do it when you
are holding K7 suited. Do you call? What is your thought process?
I'd shove more than call thats for sure. Gotta gamble at 50/100 and can't really pick your spots.


What are key components of your game / lifestyle that make you a bigger
winner than most (or more consistent)?
Probably that its difficult to put me on a hand. In situations where I'm supposed to have the nuts or nothing, I show up w/ top pair and take the pot from a hero call. Basically I dont value-bet almost at all unless the situation merits it.


How do you live away from the game (eg. eat well, get exercise, lots of good
sex) to stay sharp for the game?
I have one of the worst lifestyles ever, eating terrible foods and drinking way too much. Hell, I play 100% on my laptop, and I don't have a desk or whatnot so I play in bed. I'm basically a full-on bum.

What hobbies do you have away from cards?
Drinking---I'm from New Orleans ya heard me, golf, basketball (got the nickname Phenom from somewhere [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ). I'm game for pretty much anything


Do you have a baller house, baller lifestyle, moniez and biotches all day?
I do drop alot of money all the time on dumb [censored], but I'm not like rapper in one of his music videos if that makes sense.


What kind of car do you drive?
Toyota Carolla weeeeeeeeeeee. But I'm gonna get a sick car for my 21st b-day. BMW M3, a lower-class porsche, higher-class Lexus, or maybe the new Cobras coming out soon


Who do you most fear in HU poker(outside of me of course)?
Fear is a bad word. I RESPECT: BCM11, JasonMac18, moledaddy, maxv2. If HoldemPhil came back, then I'd prob [censored] my pants if he started sitting versus me lol. (Sorry u (x+t), always was a HPhil>stevesbets guy.)

[Indiana]

"[censored] pot odds, its an implied odds game."

the most important thing i ever learned about HU by the way....

Indy

[cwar]

Phenom can you explain your reason for using a minraise instead of a 3x raise early? What advantages do you see to using this approach? Personally inducing a lot of light 3bets is not something I like to do personally.

[ChicagoRy]

How much better or worse do you think the players at the 1100s-5500s are than the players you mentioned your respect (I think most of those guys play 220s and dabble in the 550s a bit)?

Do you plan on playing a lot of HU cash now that it is offered on Pokerstars?

What kind of dumb [censored] do you spend money on?

You talk about being able to play different styles. Which style(s) do you find is optimal against the most opponents and which style do you enjoy playing the most?

[higHstaKesOwneR]

thanks for this [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
nice like the other interviews [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ThePhenom919]

cw: my best level is 10/20 (like any good player obv). so making it 60 at 15/30 is just repeating my approach to 10/20 making the sng more skillful for me. And yes I hate getting 3-bet light, but they get caught being stupid eventually, its inevitable.

C RY: I think some of the best mid-limit players are better than the best of the big limit players...don't let stakes fool you. Some 5$ players are good enough to beat 50s etcetc...
Alot of electronic stuff and exactly what I said, stupid [censored].
If there would be a default playing style thats best...Probably TAGgy because people never fold

[Jiganti]

Phenom, how many SnG's do you play at a time and do you play anyone at the $220 level? Like, do you sign up for a SnG with no regard to who's already signed up because you know you're going to be beating pretty much anyone at these stakes in the long run.

[ThePhenom919]

no more than 2 games. Prob 50% of the time 1 table, 50% 2 tables...

I sit vs anyone once, regardless of their Sharkscope. If I get outplayed badly, I won't sit w/ them again usually. If over like 10 games I figure my edge isn't as big as I originally thought, I'll usually stop sitting with them as well. Sharkscope is the most over-rated tool imo fwiw.

[bbbushu]

phenom - aspiring noob (we've spoken before on AIM) - what recommendation(s) would you give to somebody just starting out but who really wants to compete and learn?

bbbushu

[higHstaKesOwneR]

what do you think is there a level (1100er+ ??) where talent becomes more important than anything else to be successful?