Generation Next -- Ryan Hall

Bright lights. Sin City. Big money. The game of poker can be a temptress that seduces many young poker players away from the security of an education and a 9-to-5 corporate existence. Some win, some lose. Results rarely matter. In the end, it’s all about living your life to the fullest, pursuing your dreams, and doing it your own way. But Canadian native Ryan Hall can’t live in Vegas, travel the circuit, or play a ton of tournaments a week. He can’t leave school or ditch classes very easily, because he’s the one teaching them.

As a married, 32-year-old high-school geography teacher, Hall pursues his poker dreams as a weekend warrior. He doesn’t own a World Series of Poker bracelet or a World Poker Tour title — yet — but he does have more than $1.2 million in career tournament cashes. And he gives a huge amount of credit to his day job for his poker success.

“I’m very patient and even-tempered,” said Hall. “When you are working with kids who don’t want to be in school or tend to misbehave, you have to be. The way not to handle those situations is to fly off the hook. And I don’t have the problem that a lot of players have with tilt. Sure, I get angry, but I never let it affect my poker game.”

Since spring break of this year, Hall has cashed for more than $200,000, including a second-place finish in the $215 PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up event, for $94,278, and a win in a $55 rebuy event, for $41,724. The one element missing on his poker resume is significant cashes in live events, which he hopes to rectify in the near future.

“Perhaps after my wife and I have a child, I will take a leave of absence from teaching and travel the circuit for two years,” said Hall. “I do plan to travel with my wife to Europe this summer and play in a number of EPT events. We’ll see how it goes.”

Card Player caught up with Hall as he was finishing up school and final exams, and preparing to travel to Las Vegas for the WSOP main event.

Craig Tapscott: What does it feel like to be the old guy battling those young whippersnappers online?

Ryan Hall: (Laughing) If I had had the skills and the access to the money that I have now when I was 18, it would have been a lot more fun. So, I’m a bit envious.

CT: Do you have any sage wisdom for the youngsters?

RH: Well, the unfortunate thing for many young players is that they might not realize that they should be putting a lot of their winnings away. They should invest it or put the money in a savings account, instead of buying that big-baller watch or fancy car. What happens is, they go on a downswing and get themselves in trouble.

CT: How do you keep up with these young players who play tons of tournaments a week?

RH: I watch a fair number of training videos, read a lot of forum posts, and spend a lot of time just thinking about the game. But my best asset is having an open mind. Many of the younger players tend to think they’re God’s gift to the game. That’s the worst thing you can do. I am always open to ideas from better players. I think that helps me to improve my game at the same pace as someone who is able to play more than I do.

CT: What is the key attribute that you think a player must possess in order to have long-term success in the game?

RH: Bankroll management, by a mile. I know a few guys who are taking shots, and their rolls [bankrolls] can’t handle it. They are almost surely going to go broke, even though they are good players. You can have a $200,000 downswing when playing for high stakes online, no problem, and be a winning player. Not many online players have the bankroll to withstand that.

CT: Any other advice?

RH: By all means, don’t be afraid to pick up a backer. I think it’s a really good idea for many people. Then, the variance doesn’t hurt as much. If you lose $8,000 on a bad Sunday, it doesn’t sting as much when you go to bed that night. Quite frankly, those are the kinds of days that make you want to quit poker. Backers can help you improve your game, by reviewing hands and offering good financial advice. Backers are keeping a lot of players afloat. I think a lot of people would be surprised at just how many players are actually being backed.

CT: Let’s not let people get the wrong idea, as I know that you have a huge amount of respect for many of the younger players.

RH: Of course. There are many talented young players out there, online and live. When I sit down at a live table, the last thing that I want to see is a 19-year-old with a hoodie and headphones on.