This Poker Life Part II: Christopher BrammerYoung UK Poker Pro Brammer Discusses Vegas, Beginner Mistakes, And Future Dreams |
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Credit: Neil Stoddart
If you missed part I yesterday, check it out now.
Rebecca McAdam: What has been the best event you’ve gone to so far?
Chris Brammer: Vegas definitely; I’ve been twice now, so much fun.
RM: More about the fun than the poker?
CB: Nah, the poker is fun too, I probably enjoy live tournaments more than online, so having these big tournaments every day for two months is amazing.
RM: What would your advice be to a player going over to Vegas for the first time?
CB: Take twice as much money as you’re planning on taking, play the satellites, pre-register for any WSOP event at like 3 a.m. the night before or a couple days before too; the queues can be ridiculous and it’s very tilting when they shut you out for two levels or something too.
RM: The fields on those events are usually so massive, do you have to play them differently than you would, say, a GUKPT, or something like that?
CB: Well you get a faster early few levels, so you can’t really afford to wait around like you can in a GUKPT but everybody is in the same boat, so just make some hands and play them fast and get paid!
RM: How would you describe your style?
CB: Can I get away with saying tight/aggressive? [Laughs] I’d definitely be loose/aggressive but I wish I could be called TAG, so maybe I could get away with some things more.
RM: Why don’t you mix it up?
CB: I think people who know me or of me definitely think I’m way looser than what I actually am.
RM: Caught with your hand in the cookie jar a lot?
CB: [Laughs] I try telling people we all get dealt the same cards — I just like the look of them better.
RM: I like that! Do you go with your gut much or would you be more like the rational kind?
CB: I used to be quite a gut-read person, which is another way of saying guessing… I shudder to think how bad I was not so long ago, but now I definitely try to think more rationally.
RM: What were the main mistakes you were making?
CB: I guess just putting people on specific hands rather than ranges. Also just trying to bet people off their hands by repping [representing] whatever came rather than representing something throughout the whole hand.
Credit: Mickey May.
CB: Winning UKIPT leader board last year was something that made me proud I guess.
RM: Do you do better live or online then?
CB: Not sure, I guess live, but both have been bit below expectation. I’ve come closer to live success, and when live usually takes a few days and has higher exposure it feels more important. My Dad calls me Colin Montgomery because every time he watches I’m the nearly man [laughs].
RM: What do you think you have to change about your game to get to the next level?
CB: Live, I have to remember that everyone is much tighter and nitty, and therefore they always have it [smiles]. Online I guess I have to concentrate 100 percent and run good.
RM: So what are your poker goals then?
CB: In January I decided I wanted to win every single daily tournament on Full Tilt and PokerStars during the year, which are just the tournaments I play every day (it’s around 30 tournaments or something), and the Pocket Fives leader board thing. I want to get to top 5 for UK, top for Hampshire, top 100 in the world etc.!
RM: Do you have other interests to make sure you don’t get caught up too much in just poker?
CB: I’m quite caught up in it, lost contact with most of my non-poker friends etc., which is quite bad, but by now most of my friends have gotten the poker bug.
RM: Are there any young unknowns you know that we should be looking out for?
CB: I’m not sure who’s unknown but Tom MacDonald and Matt Perrins are two of the most impressive players I’ve played. Craig McCorkell came ninth at the EPT Grand Final last year, I talk to him every day, he’s a great player.
RM: Do you see yourself in poker for a long time?
CB: Yeah I hope to be, maybe I’ll change my mind but right now I love it.