Doug Carli: King of the WSOP (Circuit)

When the poker world envisions the player with the most World Series of Poker (WSOP) cashes, most people immediately visualize 13-time WSOP bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth. Heading into the 2014 WSOP, the Poker Brat has exactly 100 WSOP cashes in bracelet events, leading this specific category. Hellmuth’s nearest competitor is Erik Seidel, who has 81 bracelet related WSOP cashes.

However, this statistic only takes into account WSOP bracelet events. Since 2005, the WSOP has awarded rings for its year-round tour: the WSOP Circuit (WSOPC). If the statistics include these ring events, most would be surprised that Hellmuth no longer tops the list. A former minor league baseball pitcher/outfiedler and Ohio native, Doug Carli holds the honor with 113 cashes (as of April 15, 2014), which includes an incredible 84 WSOPC cashes including two Circuit rings, along with 29 summer cashes.

To put this in perspective, the next closest in total WSOP cashes is Hellmuth with 100, then Men Nguyen with 91. As for only WSOPC cashes, the next closest player to Carli is Mark Smith, who has half of Carli’s cashes with 42, then followed by Rex Clinkscales with 40.

Over the past decade, the 58-year-old poker player has been the most prolific and consistent casher on the WSOPC. However, prior to 2005, Carli gave up poker for a few years.

At the end of the 20th century before retiring and playing poker across the country, Carli balanced playing minor league baseball, working at his own stock brokerage branch, and playing part-time poker in local home games.

As a pitcher and outfielder, Carli developed his competitive spirit, playing on a class A independent minor league team for over 15 years, in one of which he was named MVP of the league. While a few major leaguers came through the league (for example, Yankee captain Thurman Munson) every now and then, for the most part, the players were wannabes and dreamers.

In addition to playing the national pastime, Carli owned a stock brokerage branch. When the Internet bubble exploded, Carli fortunately had a few stocks go ballistic and he was even able to retire early.

However, throughout these years, another constant in his life was poker. He would play two to three times a week and during down times in his business, poker was often the only profitable source of income. After he retired, he no longer needed to earn money so he stopped playing poker for a few years. However, in 2005, Carli caught the poker tournament bug and has become the King of the WSOPC.

Today, you can find Carli travelling the WSOPC with his lovely wife Karen, who helps make all of his travel arrangements, calling her his “road manager.”

I recently sat down with Carli to talk about his current career.

Bernard Lee: How did you start playing poker?

Doug Carli: My father used to play with me and so did my older brother. They used to take my milk money. I have been playing poker since I was six or seven years old. I have always played poker, including during college as I came out of school without any loans thanks to the foreign exchange students with limitless bankrolls.

BL: Today, you travel across the country with your wife, playing the WSOPC events. However, why do you both drive to most locations?

DC: A few years ago, I got tired of missing the connecting flights, so we just decided to drive everywhere. You get to see a lot more of the country this way. Poker gives us our destination and then we mix pleasure with the poker. My wife and I met in high school and we fortunately still enjoy each other’s company. We still get along well and haven’t gotten tired of each other yet.

BL: Do you consider yourself a full-time player?

DC: I never know how to answer that question because it is not a full-time vocation for me. I play poker because I truly enjoy it, but I take less risk than others and don’t need to make money playing.

BL: Why do you feel you have had such great success on the WSOP Circuit?

DC: I’m the definition of a true grinder. I see a lot of players who lose half of their stack and even though they still have 20 to 30 big blinds, they just give the rest of their chips away. I just can’t do that. I guess I’m just pretty stubborn. I have never given up in a tournament. I’m very patient, and will always give a fair effort. Even some of the good players, when they get tired, end up not giving a full effort at the end.

BL: Today, many consider no-limit hold’em a young man’s game. However, you continue to have success versus youngsters more than half your age. What is your primary strategy for success playing the WSOPC events?

DC: To me, the most important thing is image. A lot of times, I try to set a weak image early to confuse my younger opponents so I can take advantage of them later. Many young players have such a set stereotype of older players. If you are rarely mixing it up at all early, then when the blinds and antes become more meaningful, you can take more liberties and take advantage of your image.

BL: Do you have any unusual moves that confuse your younger opponents?

DC: I always vary my raise amounts. I never know what I’m going to raise. I think it would be almost impossible to get a read on me based on bet size because I don’t even know what I’m going to raise. Sometime I even min-raise just to mix it up but usually I make it anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 times the big blind. However, there is no rhyme or reason each time.

BL: You are one of the most prolific players on the WSOPC. Yet, I don’t see you playing in the big buy-in events such as the World Poker Tour. Why don’t you buy into these events?

DC: My wife and I really enjoy our time and retired life. The only way for us to blow our bankroll is to play big buy-in events. I’m too risk averse to play these high buy-in tournaments. Overall, I’m a super bankroll nit. I never want to go back to work again. Even in these smaller buy-in reentry events, I will not reenter. My logic is if I’m not good enough to do it on the one entry, I punish myself and do not reenter. Fortunately, based on our financial situation, I’m not out here playing, trying to make a living. I’m out to have fun and play leisurely. I never want to put myself or my wife in a position to work again. ♠

Bernard Lee is a poker columnist for ESPN.com, author of “The Final Table, Volume I and II” and radio host of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show,” which can be found on RoundersRadio.com or via podcast on iTunes. Lee has over $2 million in career earnings and is also a team member of RunGoodGear.com. Follow Bernard Lee on Twitter: @BernardLeePoker or visit him at www.BernardLeePoker.com.