Tournament Trail Q and A -- Kenna James Part IKenna James speaks to to Card Player about travelling and the spiritual side of poker |
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One name well-known to the poker community is Kenna James. The Chicago born pro with a great heart and passion for poker and music has some great plans for both himself and the international circuit for the coming year. In part I of this interview, James speaks to to Card Player about travelling, the spiritual side of poker, and what he’s been getting up to recently.
Rebecca McAdam: How was your first experience of the Irish Poker Championship?
Kenna James: Ireland was cold and cloudy but the people were warm and generous. Ironically, elsewhere the opposite can be true — the weather can be nice and warm but the people are cold and distant. I grew up in Chicago where that was the case, the elements were harsh — the windy city they call it. You go to the States, and you can’t find a better city than Chicago, it’s full of Irish.
RM: It was Padraig Parkinson who encouraged you to come to the event...
KJ: Yes. He invited me a long time ago. He’s a wonderful representative... I’m almost tearing up talking about it. Just everything from the generosity to the charities. Next time I come, I hope to go to Dublin and spend some time there, meet the people, and see more of the country.
RM: Where else do you like to travel to?
KJ: Well I’ve been fortunate enough in this business to travel the world many times over. I loved Amsterdam and Australia, I’ve even been to Russia... Spain, Italy, and South America.
RM: Did you play in many of the European tournaments?
KJ: I have. I started my career in Amsterdam in ’97, making the first international final table for me there. That was even before the EPT. I was playing in Vienna, and in Baden. Not so much in the last few years, but this year I’m going to play a lot more of the EPTs, and spend some time in Europe.
RM: Because it’s not all about the tournaments really is it? It’s about the people, the place, and the culture...
KJ: It really is, and that’s the challenge though, to get out of the hotel you’re in.
RM: Are you playing much poker these days, or is it mainly tournament directing and organising?
KJ: Yeah, well I teach for the World Poker Tour boot camps, I commentate sometimes for television, and play, and take a 
lot of time off, which I took. I’m going to be playing a lot this year, I’ll play some cash games, but mostly tournaments.
RM: Do you play online?
KJ: A little bit. I’m going to be playing a lot more online this year. With the economy being the way it is, I think we may have to satellite into more events, so you can play smaller events online and satellite into even the EPT tournaments. So, I’ll be doing those, and looking forward to getting into a lot of events that way.
RM: What kind of games do you play?
KJ: Well, I’ve been playing 12 years, so I’ve played them all. Everything from razz, to stud, and high-low, to Omaha. I’m not as big of an Omaha fan as the Europeans, which is a big game to them — it’s not my best game. I try to stick to what I know. I love limit hold’em too, which is a lost game. But they say no-limit’s the cadillac of poker, and it really is. I love it, it’s a great game.
RM: What are your interests outside of poker?
KJ: I love music. As a matter of fact, they let me sing a new song I just put out at the Irish Poker Championship, it’s called “Dream this Dream”.
RM: Do you write and record your own music?
KJ: Yeah. So, I’m going to be doing some more music, and I’d like to get into producing films and television. I have a lot of varied interests. There’s so much to do in life, and that’s what I’m into to — a lot of spirituality, discovering what life is all about. That’s a hell of a journey, you know? People don’t see poker as very spiritual. I see it as you’re making a decision every two minutes. You can tell a lot about a person by the decisions they make, and you can learn a lot about yourself, if you have the courage to look at yourself.
RM: I never looked at poker that way really...
KJ: It’s hard to see, it’s covered up by a lot of other things. People think it’s a game of them against everybody else, I’ve always seen it as a game of me against myself. Usually you’ll find the mistake if you look at yourself, it’s either your discipline, your patience, your understanding of your opponent, being in a hand you shouldn’t have been in, losing control of your emotions ... there’s so much. All those things are all in your posession and you give them away, and usually as a result the game finds your weakness and exposes it, and you end up going broke. Most people blame the dealer, the cards, or the other person, but it’s really within yourself, and if you can really look at it that way, you can really learn about yourself, and prove your discipline, your patience, your understanding of other people, and your empathy to feel what your opponent is feeling so you can get a read whether they are weak or strong.
RM: Some people are just probably not quite there yet...
KJ: This game came from the smoky back-rooms , it wasn’t about that in those days, it was more about winning at all costs, even if it meant cheating. The game has now got so much more integrity, and stands for a lot more in the spirit of competitiveness and honour — at least the game I’ve grown up to learn and love.
RM: That’s what’s coming up more frequently now. A lot of people are emphasising the importance of respect for each other and the game. I think poker players are maturing in general...
KJ: That’s a wonderful observation, because that’s the beautiful thing about this game, it has evolved. On the surface the game is very simple, but underneath, it’s very complex, there are so many layers. That’s exactly right, this game is evolving, the players are evolving, what worked yesterday isn’t working today, and I know that better than anybody because I’ve had great success and over the last couple of years some great failures. So I know the solutions are to look within and not without. That’s what I’m attempting to do.
RM: Does poker ever get in the way of your life, or impact greatly on areas of your life?
KJ: It has. It has become my life, by choice. When I say that I mean, where you put your time, energy, and focus.
RM: Would you change anything?
KJ: Well if I changed anything, I wouldn’t be who I am. But... (laughs) maybe I would! Certainly there are always regrets. You wish you would have known then what you do now. But life will always be like that. What’s to say a flower is better once it’s blossomed than when it’s growing... and I’m certainly growing, and trying not to look to the blossoming yet.
Check back here tomorrow for part II of this Tournament Trail Q and A with Kenna James.
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