A Poker Life - Tyron Krost

Tyron Krost had graduated from the University of New South Wales just a few months before the 2010 Aussie Millions began. He had majored in commerce and science and had begun working in his parents’ furniture business following graduation. Despite previous cashes at the World Series of Poker, including a 249th-place finish in the main event in 2008 that earned him $35,383, Krost had tired of poker after graduation and decided to play less due to his full-time job.

That was until a Sunday afternoon rolled around and fate had its heart set on Krost playing in a $700 buy-in satellite on PartyPoker for a seat in the 2010 Aussie Millions main event. “I spoke to a friend 30 minutes before it started, asking if he wanted to see a movie. He said, ‘No, just play the satellite.’ I asked another friend to go for a beer, but he turned me down, too, so it was lucky that I played and won a seat,” said Krost of the satellite that he almost didn’t enter. “I was looking for something else to do.”

The 24-year-old native of the Sydney area was one of 746 players in the record field of the 2010 Aussie Millions main event, and when the tournament ended, he was the champion, beating a tough final table that included professionals Annette Obrestad and Sorel Mizzi. Krost took home $2 million AUD in prize money for the win.

“I’ve never had an out-of-body experience like I had when the turn and river were being dealt. Everything was in slow motion,” said Krost of the final hand in the tournament. It was a life-changing victory. Newspapers and television news shows quickly ran with the story across Australia, and he was crowned a wunderkind overnight. Australia had its own Chris Moneymaker in the little-known amateur who hit it big and became an instant millionaire.

The Australian media said that his prize money topped the earnings of tennis professionals like Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, who were also in town at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open. This was ironic, considering that Krost had played tennis competitively up until his university days. He admits that the win and the first couple of days after the biggest achievement in his life were a blur.

Card Player caught up with Krost at the 2011 Aussie Millions main event. Spending just one year on the road appeared to have given him the confidence and poise that come with a lifetime of experience. Read on to discover how Krost learned the game, the path he took to his greatest triumph, and how he has adapted to his new lifestyle.

Learning the Game With Matchstick Men

Krost started playing poker in five-card draw games with friends during his last year in high school, where matchsticks were often used as chips. He moved to limit cash games and eventually deposited $50 into an online account.

“I started with limit hold’em, playing $1-$2 and $2-$4, and eventually worked my way up to $10-$20. Then, I switched to tournaments, and played just them from then on,” said Krost. He built his bankroll with his first substantial tournament victory, in a $22 online multitable event.

After that, he was hooked, and a trip to Vegas was soon in the cards. In addition to the aforementioned WSOP main-event cash, he scored one other cash during his trip to the 2008 WSOP. He finished 193rd in a $1,500 no-limit hold’em event, for $3,153.

That trip to Vegas left a lasting impression on Krost, even after he has traveled the world to play poker. “Australia definitely has some good tournaments, but you can’t beat Vegas as a poker destination. I like all of the tournaments in Europe, like London in September, but Vegas is the best,” said Krost.

As his time at the university came to an end, his free time shriveled up as the pressures of the real world settled in, and he turned away from the hobby that had been profitable for him. Poker had been fun for a while, but it didn’t really look like a career opportunity at that point. “I was playing a lot, but last year, I’d had enough of the game and didn’t want to play as much. I experienced some bad downswings, so I withdrew my money, finished university, and took a six-month break from poker,” said Krost. That was until that $700 satellite one Sunday afternoon.

An Out-of-Body Experience Leads to a New Lifestyle

When he was asked about the biggest way that his life has changed since his win in the Aussie Millions main event, Krost responded, “I didn’t plan on traveling and playing in all of the big tournaments around the world last year.” He laughed as he responded with an exuberance that befits a person who can’t believe his good fortune of leading a life that others dream about living.

He has had five cashes since venturing out onto the worldwide tournament circuit. He finished seventh in the World Poker Tour Spanish Championship in Barcelona last May, and another trip to Vegas soon followed for the WSOP. He cashed twice once again, recording his highest WSOP finish ever in a $2,500 limit/no-limit hold’em event (36th place) and his second main-event cash, a 726th-place finish in the second-largest poker tournament of all time.

In the latter stages of 2010, Krost turned his attention back to the Asia/Pacific arena, and he scored two cashes on PokerStars-sponsored tours in the region. He finished 16th in the Melbourne main event during season two of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour, and added a 29th-place finish in the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final in Sydney this past December.

Throughout it all, Krost has been learning to deal with the added attention that he has received, and to focus on improving his poker game. “I know that my live game has improved. I get recognized a lot more, so I have to adapt to that. On average, people try to bluff me a lot more. They call me down a lot lighter than they used to, so I have to adapt to that. I think that my live game has improved a hell of a lot this past year, just picking up on tells,” he said.

He also offered this advice to any players who follow in his footsteps and feel the pressure of a deep run in a major tournament

early in their careers: “I think it’s pretty easy to get swept up in the moment. You look up at the screens and see a lot of big prizes. And especially later in the tournament, there is a lot of action going on around you. You just need to focus on your table and your hands. You need not let the situation get the best of you,” said Krost.

Outside of poker, he still has an interest in tennis. “I was reasonably good, but I kind of gave it away once I finished school,” he said. He still tries to play whenever he can find a court on the road. And when he is home, he tries to enjoy the beaches that have made his town famous. “The beach culture in Sydney is probably the main thing. When you’re growing up, you spend all of your holidays and weekends at the beach,” said Krost.

His parents have been supportive throughout his career, but he expected nothing different in that regard. “They’ve been very supportive with everything I’ve done in my life,” said Krost.

He thinks that poker will be a big part of his future, but he keeps an open mind, as well. “I definitely want to keep playing poker for the foreseeable future, especially tournaments, because I really like playing in them. I’ve got other interests, too, and might want to start a business in the future,” he said.

Only time will tell how long this Aussie youth will decide to keep traveling the world in search of another huge poker score. He has a good head on his shoulders, as well as gracious manners. Although he busted out of the 2011 Aussie Millions main event short of the money, he did stick around long enough to make an appearance at the final table to wish the players good luck as they attempted to become the next Tyron Krost. ♠