As soon as "H@££INGGOL" sat down at multiple cash tables online, railbirds swooped in, rabid vultures lurking to pick the bones of the opponents felted by the unpredictable player. They cheered. They lol-ed. They were amazed. As much as they loved seeing H@££INGGOL stack frustrated opponents, many waited for an eventual crash and burn. Whichever way the cards fell, he never disappointed and always entertained.
He was the main attraction in the biggest game dealt on PokerStars at the time, $5-$10 no-limit hold'em. Every day, his hand
histories were posted on forums, and then examined, criticized, and mimicked. He played any two cards, called raises from any position, and consistently accumulated huge stacks and booked winning sessions. Was he a genius or a lucky donkey? Eventually, a curious online poker community unmasked the enigma as a young Swedish player named Fredrik Halling.
Halling learned Texas hold'em at the age of 15 while playing with friends after hockey practice. At the start, he lost session after session. He was the new fish, which earned him an invitation to a larger neighborhood no-limit hold'em cash game. Within one month, he had lost every cent of his savings, but poker still intrigued him. A fierce competitive spirit drove Halling to improve, so that he could beat the game and, more importantly, his friends.
"At the beginning, it was just a rush," said Halling. "Gambling, winning money, the heartache of losing, and the joy of bluffing my friends and showing - all of these things appealed to me. The second month of playing with my friends was a whole different story, and I made it all back. I was improving, and I think my friends were uncomfortable with my style of play."
Halling's wild style and penchant for big-pot poker made him an instant online legend. Since those early days, it's been a roller-coaster ride, with a number of big swings in both directions for the popular and flamboyant player. Card Player caught up with the infamous H@££INGGOL to share the good times and the bad times, and discover the one well-known player he tries to avoid at all costs on the Internet.
Craig Tapscott: Was there any one enlightened moment when you turned a corner in your approach to cash games?
Fredrik Halling: Well, during the 10 years that I've played, I've turned many corners. For the first five years, I just learned from the mistakes that I'd made. After that, I met "check_kills," another top Internet player, and learned a lot from him. Since then, I've met and played with most of the best players in the world, and learned bits and pieces from many of them.
CT: Can you talk about your style of play?
FH: At the moment, I'd describe my style as loose, selective, and aggressive. That was pretty much the style I worked out with check_kills. I used to be just superaggressive in every hand, on every street, no matter what cards hit. He was the opposite, playing extremely tight and kind of passively. When we started playing together, we just took the best parts of each other's style and combined them, and the results were extremely good for both of us.
CT: Talk a bit about those early days on PokerStars and some of your memorable sessions.
FH: Well, back then I used to play $1-$2 and do very well, averaging around $1,000 a night. As soon as I had $5,000-$6,000, I tried my luck at the $5-$10 tables. Recently, PokerStars has added some new levels. Once, I made $180,000 in one night while playing four tables at $25-$50. I once turned a $50,000 losing day into a $50,000 winning day at $10-$20, and also had more than $100,000 on one table with a max buy-in of $5,000, all in one session.
CT: What part of your game needs to improve the most?
FH: In one word - discipline.
CT: What, no leaks?
FH: (Laughing) Well, no leaks … when I'm sober.
CT: Rumor has it that you went broke due to your hyperaggressive style.
FH: Well … I've made many mistakes, many times, and noted them. But I don't think I've really learned from them, it seems. Right now, I'm taking a short break from online poker.
CT: Whom are your favorite online cash players?
FH: Hmm … I'll share my least favorite person to play against - Prahlad Friedman, aka "spirit rock," "mahatma," "zweig," or, more recently, "poopers" on PokerStars, just because he's really, really good.
CT: What are the main reasons for your success?
FH: Dedication, talent, and luck.
CT: Any advice for players who want to improve their cash game?
FH: Play me.
