Cord Garcia: Circuit Grind Leads to Colossal Victory

To kick off the opening weekend of the 2015 World Series of Poker (WSOP), The Colossus event made its inaugural debut. Since its announcement earlier this year that the prize pool would be a guaranteed $10 million, players from all around the world anticipated playing in this massive event. The WSOP management was prepared to host over 24,000 entries. In the end, 22,374 entries (with 14,284 unique players) paid the $565 entry fee. The champion would not only receive the coveted gold bracelet, but also $638,880.

After five grueling days on the felt, 25-year-old Cord Garcia outlasted the largest field in poker history. Amazingly, this event was his first WSOP cash. However, this young poker pro is far from a newbie in the world of tournament poker.

Beginning in the 2011-2012 WSOP Circuit season, the Houston native became a self-professed nomad, grinding on the WSOP Circuit from stop to stop for the next three years. During his travels from 2011-2014, he cashed in 13 events, earning more than $160,000. Making six final tables, Garcia captured his first WSOP Circuit ring in September of 2012 in a $365 no-limit hold’em event in Bossier City, Louisiana. Additionally, he made two WSOP Circuit main event final tables in 2013, finishing fifth in Council Bluffs, Iowa (May) and third back in Bossier City (November), and finished seventh at the Winstar River Poker Series main event in August of 2012.

I sat down with Garcia right after his recent WSOP Colossus victory to discuss his road to the bracelet.

Bernard Lee: Congratulations on winning the inaugural Colossus event. When you received the bracelet, how did you feel?

Cord Garcia: I almost cried. I always knew it was attainable, but it is so hard to win a tournament. It’s truly surreal, but it’s slowly starting to sink in. Every day I wake up and realize how big of a feat I have actually accomplished. I feel satisfied for the first time in my career, but at the same time, I have tasted a huge chunk of success and I obviously want much more.

Bernard Lee: How did you get started in poker tournaments?

Cord Garcia: After high school, I played poker around Houston and online. I decided to take some classes at Blinn College, but was really playing poker online. I decided to take a leave of absence after I won a pretty big tournament online and this was just before Black Friday.

Bernard Lee: Unfortunately for you, Black Friday hits. How did this change your plans?

Cord Garcia: When Black Friday happened, I used it as an excuse to play more live poker rather than leave the country to play online. I had played in some live tournaments prior because in Oklahoma you only have to be 18 to play. I really liked playing live, so I was excited to turn 21 and play on the WSOP Circuit.

Bernard Lee: Do you feel that your numerous experiences playing on the WSOP Circuit helped you at the Colossus final table?

Cord Garcia: Absolutely. Getting deep in a lot of tournaments definitely helped me. While I was playing on the Circuit, I could see that I was doing the right things, but there were still some things that I had to get better at. Experience was a huge thing, having patience was another, and also making huge folds instead of just taking a “standard line.”

Bernard Lee: This past year, you took a break from playing the Circuit. What did you do?

Cord Garcia: Most of my career I have been travelling from spot to spot. I never had a home base where I can play cash every day and play multiple tournaments every week. So after three years, I was getting a little burnt out travelling. So I chose LA and started to get settled in.

Bernard Lee: Over the years, who are the players that you discuss poker with or turn to for advice?

Cord Garcia: Ben Reason and I been have close for a while, as we lived together in Houston before we both went nomad travelling the circuit. Recently, I have gotten close with David (ODB) Baker, who has a ton of experience. I really respect his feel for the live game, which he has played for so many years. We have gone over a lot of hand histories and he has worked with me on my patience and also to value my stack and tournament equity. Ray Henson, who finished third in Colossus, and I are also close.
Also, Jonathan Hilton, who won the 2013 WSOP National Championship. I played that tournament with him, and it was really special to be there. He almost didn’t show up, as his mother was very sick at the time. Watching him win the bracelet gave me a ton of inspiration and motivation for that summer.

Bernard Lee: Although you have had numerous cashes on the WSOP Circuit, I am surprised that this is your first WSOP cash in Vegas. How many bracelet events have you played before this?

Cord Garcia: I think I have played between 15 to 25 events. Last summer, I bricked all ten events.

Bernard Lee: Does this drought begin to weigh heavy on you mind?

Cord Garcia: I was definitely feeling the pressure. I had never even made a Day 2 before. But last year, I was fortunate that I won a tournament at the Wynn right before the main event for $70,000. However, I felt really snake bit by some of the bracelet events. If someone asked me if I would I rather have a $70,000 win or a $40,000 ninth-place finish and get in the Thunderdome (the ESPN main stage), I’m trading for it every time to be able to touch the felt on the Thunderdome table.

Bernard Lee: How did you change your thought process for Colossus?

Cord Garcia: I think too much of my career I have been thinking I was closer than I really was. I needed to not get too excited and thinking that I was going to win the tournament. For Colossus, I wasn’t so focused on getting to the end. Just setting small goals like, “Get through this orbit or level.”

Bernard Lee: You flew your mom out on the second to last day of Colossus. How important was it to have her there and was there any pressure to not get eliminated?

Cord Garcia: She has been nothing but supportive my entire career and always believed in me. Anytime I went to her for fuel for motivation, she gave it to me. I don’t know if she knows she was doing that or if she was just being herself. This was the first time she saw me play poker live.

As for her flying out, I warned her that I could bust this tournament before she got there. However, I also was not going to punt my stack before my mom showed up. Once she got there, I was battling and winning pots, it felt like icing on the cake. Now I can focus and try to close this tourney out.

Bernard Lee: Do you have any plans for the money? Do you plan on taking shots at some bigger buy-in tournaments?

Cord Garcia: I plan on taking a good chunk of money out of poker. I haven’t had life money during my career, so I plan to put some into savings and make some non-gambling investments that are more solid for my future.

Also, I feel that this strategy will keep me hungry to rebuild. For this approach, I’m going to use it for motivation to act like I’m hungrier. ♠

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 iTunes. Lee has over $2 million in career earnings, winning six titles. Lee is a team member of RunGoodGear.com and also spokesperson for specialty travel company, Blaycation. Follow Bernard Lee on Twitter or Instagram: @BernardLeePoker or visit him at www.BernardLeePoker.com