All the World's a Stage

The very least one can say about Patrick Bruel is that he is a busy man. Starring in Claude Miller's last movie, Un Secret, the French actor-singer-TV showman is more active than ever.

At 48, he can boast of leading, successfully, a triple career. While his filmography includes nearly 30 full-length films and his discography 15 albums, Bruel remains an emblematic figure of French poker. A good part of the poker craze is owed to him, notably for his regular output on French channel Canal +. On WAM-Poker, along with Michel Abécassis, he contributes to the success of the largest French-speaking community of poker players on the Web (300,000 registered members).

Despite his abundance of activities, Bruel does not neglect his own poker career. He participated in the World Series of Poker Europe in London in September, then in Barcelona in October for the European Poker Tour, where he finished eighth. One of the very few French players to get a WSOP bracelet, he has racked up tournament winnings upward of $800,000.

Between two TV shootings, he gave us a bit of his time, the same day as the premiere of his latest film.

Card Player: A new film, a new album, TV appearances, major poker tournaments … when do you sleep?

Patrick Bruel: There are my kids, as well! But I keep myself organized. I have the luck to live on my passions and the power to choose to do nothing but the things that inspire me. That's why I wake up so easily in the morning, whether it's for my children or my other activities. There are so many things to do in life. I've waited 20 years for a real blockbuster, with my face on the poster, in an important movie, and it seems, according to the first numbers, that we are looking at a great success.

CP: Generally, what part does poker play in your activities?

PB: A minor place, incomparable to my career as an actor or singer. I play once a week, each Monday when it's possible, mostly in a cash game in Paris, in addition to a few two-day, big international tournaments, and, of course, the three weeks at the WSOP in Vegas that I set time aside for each year. That's the extent of it.

CP: Do you consider yourself primarily a cash-game player or a tournament player?

PB: Both, really. I don't have any preference in terms of technique. I love both categories, which I find equally interesting. They are very complementary. When playing a cash game, it's sometimes useful to "think tournament."

CP: How so?

PB: In cash games, it can be good to play like you're playing in a tournament, protecting your first buy-in as if you could be eliminated; that is to say, playing with a lot of prudence in the beginning. I find that the first chips you put on the table are very important in a cash game, since it's your money. After you've won a few rounds, you play with other people's money and your strategy becomes different. If you spend your time buying new chips, you play only to win back what you lost, and it's not the same thing. So, it's good to adopt the psychological stance of the tournament with your first chips. And in return, it's very good training for tournaments.

CP: In tournaments, what's your general objective?

PB: When I play a tournament, I want to go as far as possible. In general, my objective is to make it to the final table. It's likely that this is an error. Your goal should always be to win the tournament. For example, at the last EPT in Barcelona, I played three great days, and I achieved my objective of reaching the final table. Once I was in the final, I let myself relax. I must say that I hadn't had my necessary 24 hours of rest before the final, for reflection and self-preparation. A half-hour after I had qualified for the final, the tournament was starting again. I was pleased, too euphoric; I didn't play my last hand very well. With two tens, I should have folded right away, because I didn't have very much money. But I told myself that I still had a few chips, and that it would be better to feel out the table, and that if I raised, I could always fold later. My raise was not strong enough. I had to think that the big-blind player was going to pay off. He paid off with A-9, then paid my raise because of the hearts. It wasn't badly played on his part. I could have done without it. It was a very bad beat, after battling so much. I played a little too much in a state of euphoria. If I had better analyzed the structure of the tournament, I would have seen that there was a €100,000 difference between each place, and I would have set my sights on coming in third or fourth. When I won my bracelet, my objective was to be fourth.

CP: And for upcoming tournaments, what are your objectives?

PB: It would really amuse me to be eliminated, then have to be the commentator of my own game when it is televised. I would love to be able to criticize myself on television; that would be funny. In general, I love making it really far in a tournament. It's a very strong sensation. London [WSOPE] went really well. I was almost the chip leader at the end of the first day, but I fell to a really bad beat. It's true that it wasn't very well-played, either. Why would I challenge the chip leader in slow-playing two queens, especially when he had position? It would take a hell of a set of circumstances for me to lose the hand, but on the other hand, I wasn't careful enough. I shouldn't have done that. There was an ace on the flop, I checked, he bet, I raised, he paid … Then I tried to make him quit when I saw another ace, which made me think even more that he didn't have any aces. He did hesitate, since I could have had a better ace.

CP: When in a tournament, do you feel extra pressure because of your celebrity?

PB: Of course. I am always closely watched, and that's normal. The French are happy to try to "eliminate Patrick Bruel." The foreigners know the player better than they know the star, but are happy to play with anyone with a bracelet.

CP: What's with this nickname, "The Actor"?

PB: Isabelle Mercier came up with that a year and a half ago in Montreal. I thought it was funny.

CP: But do you "play," in the sense of "acting," when you are at a poker table? Do you use your skills as an actor to fool your opponents?

PB: Yes, obviously. Above all, I use my technique, my "reading" of the game, but from time to time, I also use my talents as an actor, to create a diversion, to try to lead people to a certain feeling, or to send them false information. It's sometimes a little perverse. But if I am trembling with fear, people can't tell if it's faked. I am capable of trembling with fear on command, even if I actually end up making myself afraid.

All of that can be helpful, but it's mostly anecdotal. In any case, that works only with great players. There's no use in acting with beginners. They don't care! They don't see anything but the cards.

I also use dark sunglasses, which are useful from time to time. I don't wear them to mask my emotions, but so that no one sees where I am looking. I don't think I'm readable at the poker table. You'd have to ask the other players who know me what they think, but I don't think that I'm easily readable.

CP: What types of players do you prefer to confront?

PB: I can't say that it's easier to play against the best players in the world, but it's simpler for me. With them, I can play a second-best hand. It's impossible to do that with beginners.

For example, this summer I played this big cash game in Vegas, at Bellagio. Patrik Antonius, Bobby Baldwin, Johnny Chan, Gus Hansen, and Phil Ivey were there. It lasted five days and five nights. I really think I played my best poker; I've never played like that in my life. And the compliments of Bobby Baldwin and Johnny Chan made me happy.

At a certain point, I bet, Johnny raised, and I went all in - a huge sum of money. Johnny looked at me like I was a Martian. He stared at me for four minutes, right in the eyes, and finally he said, "This is the most amazing bluff ever." And, he folded. I must have lost four pounds in that round. I had nothing!

What's incredible is that he knew I was bluffing, but he couldn´t pay, anyway. There was obviously no draw on the board, and I played the whole hand as if I had three of a kind. Only a player at this level could think that I had three of a kind. I don't know what he had, but seeing his hesitation, I think he had a great hand. It was really a wonderful play.

CP: How do you fit in to the closed circle of the great poker players?

PB: In the last few years, they've become stars, most often without wanting it. When you become a singer or an actor, you accept in a corner of your mind that you might become a star. Them? When they began playing poker, the star system didn't exist. They grew inside this world, and they were dragged in by the system. They started off laughing at it, and then began to understand that this was serious, that there was a lot of money at stake. They stuck to the game, but they have such a great wealth of sincerity that the process stays amicable. I met these players when they were starting out, and they have known me only as a fellow player. I started playing with Daniel Negreanu a long time ago in Vegas. Nguyen and I have some unforgettable memories. For instance, in the final of the WSOP that I won against him, when he fell to his knees, saying, "Why do you do this to me?" Doyle Brunson always liked me. I saw the debut of John Juanda. All of these guys have grown, evolved, and seen me evolve at their sides. Most have always had a soft spot for me, have always looked out for me; in any case, that's what I feel.

CP: Which players do you admire in particular?

PB: Daniel [Negreanu]. I know him very well, and he's really impressed me. There are also a lot of second-level players who have impressed me, not necessarily superstars. I was also really impressed by the results of Phil Hellmuth. I am less so at the table, since I have played him only twice, and it was mostly his behavior that was predominant. But, besides his 11 bracelets, he has made dozens of final tables in major tournaments. That's huge; he's a poker genius.

CP: How do you see the new generation of players, very young and coming mostly from the Internet?

PB: What's certain is that I have no ill will toward young Internet players. First, they play a lot better than they did four years ago. An Internet player is someone who plays very fast, who is more aggressive, who plays more hands, and who uses a certain method. These are four aspects that complicate things. You must adapt to their method, react to timing a different way. The fact that they play more hands can be profitable, but that also makes their game more difficult to read. You must take all of this into consideration, but in no case should you feel superior to an Internet player. Besides, it is not rare to find yourself at a table where all nine other players are of this type. You must learn to manage the situation, to take into consideration these other methods.

CP: So, you need to adapt your play in relation to these players?

PB: You must. Your game must definitely evolve in relation to the Internet. The world, the economy, the laws … everything evolves in relation to the Internet. It's the same for poker.

CP: Do you still play on the Internet?

PB: Yes. It's a good distraction, even if quite disturbing. It's both pleasant and special. I really enjoy it. Sometimes I play little sit-and-go tournaments, or some cash games. The other day I suffered a terrible bad beat. It's irritating, but there's no one for you to be angry with. It's just you and the screen. It's like watching a World Cup soccer match by yourself … but it is still very enriching. You learn a lot.

CP: What about the situation in France?

PB: The law cannot stay the way it is. It will inevitably change. Things will certainly evolve, the legislation will open up. People want to play poker, to learn and develop this game. No one will stop them. Now, it's normal for the legislation to be rigorous. It's a risky game and the Internet is the perfect place for things to get out of hand. There is a lot of talk about a controlled opening process; I know things are moving forward, and that's a good thing.

CP: A few words on WAM?

PB: The site is more and more welcoming, the traffic is huge. There's a real community of players, who come to exchange, discuss, follow, and comment on the performances of French tournament players. The performances of the French players are closely followed and commented on. That was the case recently with Anthony Lellouche, who is one of the stars among WAMers. Likewise, when I play in Barcelona or London, it's very nice to feel supported by a community. We also make some small videos, we chat, people can play for free, we have a good time, and everything stays within the law.

CP: If one day it becomes possible to get licenses in France to offer money playing on the Net, will you try it with WAM?

PB: Yes, of course, under the same title as the others.

CP: To finish, what are the attributes of a great poker player? And how do you define your own style?

PB: In a tournament, what counts is to have a good sense on the amount of chips, a perfect mastery of position, of timing, while keeping in mind the cycles of chance. On that last point, certain players don't keep count, but I do. When I sense that I am in a bad quarter of an hour, after two bad beats, I will not play big hands. I don't feel it, I'm afraid.

CP: Is that superstition?

PB: No, it's just that I believe in the law of series. Life is made of cycles. Sometimes, you know that everything will be OK. In poker, there are moments when you know that entering with 8-5 unsuited, you will get a straight, or when holding J-2, you will stumble upon a flop of J-2-2. You don't know why, but you know it. That doesn't necessarily simplify my game. I play according to the rule, but from time to time, I take some risks, at chosen moments. I am more of an instinctive player.

CP: Finally, what makes a great poker player? Reading someone else's game?

PB: No, that's not enough. It's too random; you can't base your game on reading other people. I don't know what makes a difference among great players. Really, I don't know. But it certainly isn't luck.