Nenad Medic: The Serbian Poker Surgeon Slices Up the Competition

The true test of a poker professional is consistency. The best players in the game are there at the end, tournament after tournament, year after year. Poker is filled with one- or two-hit wonders, players who have flash-in-the-pan success and then fade into oblivion. The World Series of Poker is no exception. Champions are made every day, and then never heard from again. This year, however, seems to be the exception. The year of the pro, as it's being called, has seen no fewer than 15 professionals snag bracelets, all kick-started by Nenad Medic's victory in event No. 1.

Medic has been a model of consistency since his first tournament win nearly five years ago. After taking down that his first five-figure score, he hasn't looked back, and boasts nearly $4 million in lifetime earnings on the live-tournament scene alone. He jump-started his career with a final-table appearance in the 2005 World Poker Tour PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. He followed up that early success with another final table down under in the 2006 Aussie Millions. Then came the biggest score of his career when he won the 2006 WPT World Poker Finals at Foxwoods for more than $1.7 million. The next year, he returned to the same tournament and nearly did the unthinkable with yet another final-table finish. Despite all of his success, Medic had yet to strike WSOP gold. That all changed when he won one of the marquee events of the summer, the $10,000 pot-limit hold'em world championship for almost $800,000, bringing his lifetime tournament winnings to more than $3.6 million.

Medic was born in 1983 in Apatin, Serbia -- hence his online nickname, Serb. He didn't spend too much time in the old country, however, as his truck-driver father decided to follow other family members to Niagara Falls, Canada. "I don't really remember much about Serbia," said Medic. "I have visited my grandparents every year after the Series for the past five years, however."

In Canada, Medic followed in his older brothers' footsteps and picked up the game of basketball. (see the sidebar story in this feature). His college teammates introduced him to poker, and after a $75 online deposit and almost immediate success, Medic made the not-so-difficult choice to forego his graduation at the University of Waterloo and pursue a career in poker. "I had a small home game in college. We played mostly $1-$2 or $2-$4 no-limit hold'em, but my breakthrough came when I won a Sunday online tournament for $55,000."

After taking his initial score and running it up to nearly $1 million, Medic hit the live-tournament trail and began his eventual streak of success. Whether it's the nosebleed-stakes cash games or the grind of the tournament scene, Medic has proven in a relatively short period of time that he is a pro who won't quietly fade into obscurity, but will instead make his presence known to the poker world for many years to come.

Card Player caught up with Medic after he won his first bracelet to get to know a little bit more about the Serbian-born Canadian who has been tearing up the poker world for the past few years.

Julio Rodriguez: In the beginning, when you were just starting out, did you ever foresee yourself being this successful?

Nenad Medic: Well, I was always pretty confident. Four or five years ago, I thought I could go pretty far with it, and obviously I have. I was watching the bigger games, and they looked pretty juicy. I could see almost right away the money-making opportunities that were present in poker.

After taking down that online tournament for $55,000, I celebrated at a buddy's house with a party. One of my college teammates asked me what I was going to do with the money, and I didn't hesitate to tell him that I was going to turn it into $1 million. I had no doubt that I was going to do it. It didn't take me long, to be honest. Over the next six months, I don't remember too many losing sessions, playing $2-$4 no-limit online. Of course, I did it for 10 hours a day on multiple tables, and was averaging more than $3,000 a day. It was a pretty sick run.

JR: You don't look it, and your poker résumé certainly says otherwise, but you are only 25 years old. Do you see yourself playing for a living for the rest of your life?

NM: Yeah, in a way. Poker isn't going anywhere. Maybe not full time when I get older. I'm looking into opening a business and investing some money. But poker will be a part of my life one way or the other.

JR: You are known for being a successful cash-game player as well as a tournament grinder. Which do you find to be more stressful?

NM: By far, tournaments are more stressful.

JR: More stressful than $200-$400 cash games?

NM: Definitely. Even when I play high-stakes cash games, I still have an element of control. In a cash game, I can take a break, rebuy, whatever. In a tournament, I have to tough it out, no matter where my head is at -- especially this month at the World Series. Sometimes you get one bad beat and you're out of the tournament. In a cash game, I don't sweat a bad beat, because I can reload right away. I think that's the frustrating thing in tournaments, to play every day, make few mistakes, and still go home empty-handed. Fortunately for me, I was able to win the first event, so I guess I'm freerolling the rest of the Series, in a way.

JR: In these high-stakes games, do you make your profit off the occasional whale who stumbles in, or do you just have an edge over the other regulars in the game?

NM: In general, I try to stay away from other good players. But there's not that many fish in the higher games. You have to be able to play against the best. I'm pretty sick, though. I can't say no to some games, and I'm usually the last one to get up from the table.

JR: What is the most important lesson you have learned as a poker professional?

NM: Bankroll management is key. I know it's been said over and over again, but it's a problem that affects more pros than you might think. They win a tournament or score big in a cash game, and then they'll get in over their heads either in poker or in the pits. I've fallen victim to it, as well. There was a $1,000-$2,000 half hold'em, half pot-limit Omaha game that was running. I don't know too many poker players who can afford to play in that game, but it was going for a month. It just shows you how sick the poker community can be sometimes.

JR: This year's WSOP has been coined "the year of the pro," with so many pros winning bracelets already.

NM: I think there's a reason for that. The bigger buy-ins and specialized mixed games have helped in that regard. But there is also something else. The pros just look more focused, more hungry this year. The cash games are a bit down, and it looks like the pros are just more motivated for the tournaments.

JR: What would you say is your proudest poker accomplishment?

NM: I know it's not a real answer, but I can't really decide between my WPT win and my WSOP win. Of course, the first bracelet is great. It was against a tough field and it will always be special to me. But the WPT win was my first major victory, and it was for $1.7 million. It's so hard to win a tournament these days that, at my age, it's great to have two major victories under my belt.

Playing to Win

Before getting into poker, Nenad Medic exercised his competitive nature on the hardwood -- the basketball court. Medic always looked up to his older brothers, and after they picked up the game, so did he. He wasn't too bad, either. Blessed with a 6-foot-3-inch, athletic frame, Medic had a natural ability on the court that even he is too modest to admit having.
When asked about an athletic scholarship, Medic was hesitant to mention that he was wanted by Division II schools in the States. Despite the fact that no athletic scholarships are given in Canada, Medic chose to stay with his girlfriend and family and play basketball for the University of Waterloo.

He played mostly at the small-forward position, but says his true talent was his post play and rebounding skills. This might explain his prop-bet loss to the much shorter, much portlier Isaac "WestMenloAA" Baron on the outdoor courts in Turks and Caicos. "That kid can shoot," Medic said with a laugh. "We were shooting threes, which isn't my specialty. I'm a decent shooter, but I'm much better at penetrating to the basket. He was on fire. He was hitting eight out of 10 from behind the line. I mean, whatever, it was an outdoor court and an old basketball. I'd be willing to play him again, but next time on an indoor court."

For basketball players, there are only two results at the end of the day: winning and losing. Medic credits the success he has experienced at closing out his competition to this all-or-nothing attitude. "The main thing with the basketball background that I have, and what any athlete has, is getting that winner's mentality. Whenever I played basketball, it was all about the win," he said. "Second place, third place, none of that matters; you've got to go for the win."