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Interview med Mark Teltscher
Torsdag, 14. Feb 2008, kl. 3:26 | Kommentarer: (2)
Bønding tog en snak med Mark Teltscher - om poker, Marks sejre og opskriften på at vinde en stor turnering.
Thank you so much for participating in this interview for 1623poker.com. You became quite well known to Danish poker players after you played Sander Lylloff heads-up in the 2007 EPT Barcelona. But let’s start with the beginning, can you tell us a few words about yourself and where you come from?
I was born and raised in London. I went through the English school system, which gave me a solid background. I have always enjoyed gambling, and my first passion for games came when my dad taught me bridge. Later I moved on to backgammon, which is a game I still enjoy playing a lot.
When did you start playing poker?
My first tournament was the London Exchange tournament ($10k buy-in ) in March 2005. I knew the rules of the game before this tournament but had no previous experience. I kind of just jumped into the game, but I knew I would have good chance of acquiring some basic skills fast, since I already had a gambling background.
2005 became a big year in your tournament career. Tell us about your win in the London EPT in September and the 5k Diamond Event at the Bellagio.
Well, because I had only played one major event prior to winning the EPT, some people assumed it was a fluke, so winning the 5k Bellagio helped cement my previous win and secured me as a real contender in tournaments. As I played both tournaments, I would discuss my hands with a lot of players, and at the final table at Bellagio, I kept asking TheGrinder (Michael Mizrachi) how he would play different hands. Talking and discussing hands and setups with a lot of different people has really been beneficial for my poker career.
You have had some great success in tournaments for having played only three years. Why do you think that is?
In truth, close to three years of playing tournaments is not enough to give a reliable average of a person’s expected value. My strengths are being able to extract the most from the weaker players and reading the game. With this I mean that I can tell when I should be playing aggressively or tight. I can also read my opponents well. Another strength is that I play the game purely for fun and therefore am not under any money pressure while some professionals play badly at critical moments.
In September 2007 you ended heads-up against Sander Lylloff in the EPT Barcelona, tells us a little about that experience.
Of course it was a pleasure to play heads-up against my roommate (at the tournament) and old pal from the backgammon circuit. Looking back on the heads-up it feels very surreal. In reality I played my best game and of course I allowed him to hedge as it was a lot of money for Sander. I have to admit though that is still hurts a little, that I didn’t become the first two-time EPT winner, since I got so close, it would have been nice to be the first to get 2 titles.
Do you prefer cash games vs. tournaments, live vs. online?
I do not play poker to win money so I see no reason to play cash games unless my opponents are all World class in which case I thrive on the challenge. I love that there is an end to a tournament and someone is crowned champion! I prefer live to online as I can read the players and the game much more easily.
So live tournaments is for sure my preference.
Thank you so much for participating in this interview Mark. Before I let you go, can you give our readers a few tricks or tips on how to win a big tournament?
If you want to win poker tournaments you must first understand that poker is a mathematical game so you need to know the odds and be able to calculate them. Second, you need to practice a lot as this will give you the ability to be able to read your opponents. And finally, you need to have a fine balance between winning with good cards and winning because your opponents have bad ones.