Generation Next -- Allen Bari

Frequently in poker you will find clusters of players — not just friends who travel together or know each other through the circuit. The better known pro is the nucleus of the group and surrounding him or her are up and coming young players and potential stars of the felt. In these kind of relationships, the “core” player financially aids a lot of the group’s poker endeavours, and is there to lend support through the highs and lows of the game. One such cluster is the teriffic trio — Jason Mercier and his sidekicks Dan O’Brien and Allen Bari — a good mix of poker prowess, fun, and friendship. Bari has been appearing on the European felt more frequently and after a successful World Series of Poker including 14th place in the prestigious $50,000 Players Championship, it was about time he was formally introduced to Card Player readers this side of the pond.

Rebecca McAdam: Can you tell me about yourself? How did you get into poker?

Allen Bari: I grew up playing poker. I played part-time while I was working in finance in Manhattan, and then in December of 2007 I got laid off. It was just before the market went to shit, and I got a really good severance package. Three weeks after I started playing full-time I won a tournament online for about $50,000 and then a month later I won a tournament at the Venetian for $96,000. Then I won a World Series circuit event for like $72,000 and I got eighth in the $10,000 Foxwoods tournament. And I had a really good 2008, I think I finished 22nd in the Card Player Player of the Year that year. It was kind of disappointing, I was hoping to make top 10, I didn’t do very well in the last few months of it. I had this tournament where I finished fifth and if I had of got first in it, I would have been in the top 10, so it was pretty disappointing.

But I had a really good 2008, I had good backers who were happy with me so I continued to get backed for tournaments, and I played cash games on my own on the side to make money. Live tournaments would be my main game though. I travel almost entirely for live tournaments.

RM: You came into the game quite late, in regards to the fact it was easier to make money in the past, so what was it about you that you found it quite easy to make money coming in so late?

AB: I have a lot more experience than a lot of people, especially live, I grew up playing live poker. In college I played 10-12 hours of live poker a week. I guess I’m just very comfortable at the table and I’m very, very good at reading people (physically) which people don’t really give credit to, especially the young online kids, they think it’s a joke. When I used to play in these underground games in college there was this one guy who would crush the bigger game that was going on, and he would just stare at people and read them non-stop. He taught me how much merit there was in reading people physically.

RM: Would you go more with that than say the mathematics of the game?

AB: No I think I’m a blend of everything, for example, when someone looks uncomfortable in a small to medium pot, it usually means they’re bluffing, because if it’s a really big pot, they can look uncomfortable because they have such a big hand, and such a strong hand that they want to get paid off. That I guess is kind of like math, and it also has to do with the line that the person took in the hand, the way they played it.

RM: You started playing live, but when you went online, did you find that you had to change your game?

AB: Yeah because when I play cash games I limp a lot and you can’t really limp a lot in online tournaments. So I had to play a lot more preflop than I do live because there is a lot more three-betting, four-betting, and five-betting online, so I had to adjust to that but I think I adjusted pretty well because I think I’m good at reading people, not even just physically, but what their mindset is and how they’re going to react to certain things.

RM: When did you get involved with Jason and Dan?

AB: Jason started backing me online about a year and a half ago, and then six months later I left my old backers and started getting backed by him because my old backers weren’t putting me in bigger buy-ins. They were really great and everything but I wanted to play some high roller events and stuff like that.

RM: He can also give you more exposure as well.

AB: Yeah exactly. Actually I think that was before he got his PokerStars deal but he’s great for that too and he has connections and stuff, so overall it was a really good decision. He has been one of my best friends for two years, so it was good to combine the two.

RM: We’re starting to see you travelling with them on the European circuit now as well.

AB: Yeah, last San Remo and Monte Carlo were the first European stops I took, and then I went to European Poker Tour Villamoura. I then went to San Remo and Monte Carlo again. I didn’t go to PCA with them, I chose Australia for the Aussie Millions by myself. But yeah, I’ve started to travel a lot more because the European tournaments are a lot softer.

RM: We’re going to see you this season on the EPT then?

AB: Yeah, I’m definitely going to London. I think I’m going to go to Barcelona because Carter Phillips is also one of my close friends and he loves it there and he’s like a God there supposedly — well, that’s what he says.

RM: Where do you actually live?

AB: I live in New Jersey, just outside of Manhattan, but I’m never home, I spend like two months there. I think I’m going to start going to Florida because Jason has a condo there and the cash games are going to be sick.

RM: Your family and friends must have thought you were mad going from a steady financial job to taking a shot at poker?

AB: Yeah it’s a little bit of jealousy and anger that I get to do what I want, I get to travel. My mom is very old fashioned so she has mixed feelings, she’s happy for me but also “maybe get back in to finance if you can” (smiles).

RM: Would you?

AB: No, not finance. I don’t plan on stopping playing poker I love it. I have a gift I think.