WSOP November Nine Q and A -- James AkenheadAkenhead Talks about the Wild Ride he took to the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table |
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James Akenhead heads into the World Series of Poker November Nine with the shortest stack left in play. The young professional player from England went through a rocky ride just to make the final table, and now that he has made it, his experience and talent will help keep him calm when cards get back into the air in November. The 26-year-old made his first splash at the World Series of Poker when he finished in second place to Grant Hinkle in a $1,500 no-limit hold’em event that attracted 3,929 players in 2008. That made it the largest non-main-event field in history at the time, so Akenhead is no stranger to the pressure that comes along with making a final table after outlasting thousands of opponents.
Card Player caught up with Akenhead at the Rio, and he spoke about the wild ride that brought him to the final table, as well as the wild ride that awaits him this fall leading up to November. Check out the interview below and be sure to read through his November Nine profile before the final table begins.
Ryan Lucchesi: The final day held a wide range of swings for you as action played down to the November Nine. How were you able to keep calm during all of the chaos?
James Akenhead: I was down to 3 million at one point, but I kept my cool. I got lucky a few times, but you have to, at this point.
RL: How much did the experience of finishing in second place in the largest preliminary no-limit hold’em event at the 2008 WSOP help you in during the late stages of the main event?
JA: It definitely helped. Last year, I was a bit nervous heading into the final, but now I’ve had this many chips before, and even though I’m playing for quite a bit more money, the experience from last year has definitely helped.
RL: How many times have you had to change gears during this tournament when the swings have taken your stack from a large one to a small one?
JA: I started day 5 and lost three-quarters of my chips in a short period of time, and the same thing has happened today. It’s been up-and-down, really a bit of a roller coaster. I ran kings into aces the first hand of day 8. I got the 3 million up to 12 million after that hand, and then I was back down to 3 million. Then 3 million back up to 5 million. I couldn’t tell what was going to happen next.
RL: What was your strategy during the final play-down stretch to the final table? You were low on chips, and there was a lot on the line with the added exposure you would receive by making the final table. Did that factor into your decision-making process at all?
JA: The blinds were 120,000-240,000 and I had 22-23 big blinds. With that kind of stack, I wasn’t going to reach too much, unless Phil Ivey played a pot, because he was quite short. I didn’t want to stick it in with nothing, so I was looking for good spots with a big hand. The extra considerations didn’t play into my mind too much, sponsor-wise, coverage-wise, that wasn’t a concern of mine. I had my eyes on two things, winning the tournament’s prize money, and that bracelet.
RL: What does your appearance in the November Nine mean for the poker scene in London and all of England?
JA: Look at the population of scale when you compare America and England. There are a lot of good players, young players, who have begun to head over from England, and they have posted good results. I think this year especially we have really shown America what we are capable of. I just think there are a lot of good players from England. Everyone is going mad over it back home with me making the final table.
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