WSOP Q and A -- Steve Sung

Event No.4 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em) at the 2009 World Series of Poker drew a field of 6,012 entrants, and the man left standing at the end of the four-day event was a player who had been close numerous times to a no-limit hold’em title. Steve Sung happened to capture his first major tournament victory in the largest non-main event field in the history of poker. The road to the bracelet was blockaded by a minefield of amateurs, but the young professional player stayed on his game, especially at the final table, where he had to battle back from a short stack.

Card Player caught up with Sung in the Amazon Room right after his bracelet ceremony, and he talked about the confidence he had through the final table, as well as how his bracelet could be the first of many.

Brian Pempus: What was your mindset going into this huge field?

Steve Sung: It was very overwhelming. It is like any other tournament, though with a lot of players. You go in there and hope for the best.

BP: How did you feel going into the final table second in chips?

SS: I felt pretty confident, but I knew there were a couple opponents who could really hurt me, Dan Heimiller and the gentlemen in seat four.

BP: You won the majority of confrontations versus Dan Heimiller, what were you thinking in those situations?

SS: I felt like I had to play poker, and whatever I felt [in those situations] I had to go with it.

BP: What were your thoughts and strategy when you became short-stacked at the final and had to build your chips back up again?

SS: My strategy was to wait for a good hand. My image was so bad at the time, they were thinking I was a big bluffer. So, I was going to wait for a big hand and try to double up and get back in the game.

BP: In the one hand where James Matz went all in on you with bottom pair, what did you put him on when you called him with K-J?

SS: I put him on a pair of tens or a J-9 for a straight draw. I felt like I could get him off the hand. It got me heads up. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

BP: What does your first bracelet mean to you?

SS: I feel like the monkey is off my back. I feel like I could go for another one.

BP: On the final hand, what were you thinking when he reraised you?

SS: I really felt like he was very strong and he would call my all in on that hand.

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