PokerNews Cup and 2016 EPT Barcelona Trip Report

In August, I was covering two live events and both pretty much highlighted the difference and uniqueness of rather small tournaments and big festivals, as well as the problems and challenges that come along with it. At the end of the blog entry, I will also include the stats of my fitness watch tracker with regards to steps and kilometers walked while on duty. Now if only I could stop the kilos from going back up while cooking at home ...

PokerNews Cup in Rozvadov

The PokerNews Cup returned to the King's Casino in Rozvadov and the €250 Main Event was scheduled with four starting days, one reentry per flight and a guarantee of whopping €200,000. The last two Day 1s overlapped, which made things a bit more complicated with regards to updates, but ultimately they turned out to have a strong field each and smashed the guarantee by quite some.

With such a rather low buy-in, it's somewhat inevitable that you won't know many players right away. Some familiar faces from other circuits make for a base to start with, and fortunately the casino ensured that all players would go to their tables with a copy of the entry ticket in order to identify them.

By the time the last three tables were reached, all remaining participants were known and that obviously helped a lot for the live reporting. Since only Day 2 and Day 3 were scheduled in order to determine a winner, all Day 1s and Day 2 ran pretty long, but that is nothing uncommon anymore for smaller festivals and one gets used to it. Also, if you missed one elimination there was no big drama about it, while at big events this may become an issue.

The final table played fast and furious at the start, then slowed down a lot as it does often when a live stream is available. Even though the first-place payout of just over €44,000 may not sound much for a professional poker player, it can be quite important for a recreational. No deal was made in heads-up, and the underdog in chips emerged victorious and screamed out his joy after the last hand - that's what poker is and should all be about: Having fun at the table, showing emotions, and not being boring.

Pros:
- Less pressure due to more relaxed atmosphere
- Many participants appreciate the reporting
- Free buffet and soft drinks available to the participants

Cons:
- Big fields with barely any known players
- Players tend to get rid of the media tickets or prefer nicknames
- There really isn't much else one can do in Rozvadov

PokerNews Cup summary

Number of days: 5
Number of steps: 38,830
Distance walked: 31.85km
Weight change: -1.2 kilos

2016 EPT Barcelona

The stark contrast going from the small festival at a big casino in a middle of nowhere to a big festival spread across two tournament rooms in a big tourist city such as Barcelona was a given right away. The hotel was a good 20-minute walk away from the venue and there were small corner shops open 24/7 every other street. This year I didn't run into any trouble with pickpockets, while some players and dealers did have the misfortune.

One year ago, the festival at the Casino Barcelona already smashed many records in terms of participation, as well as players getting their seats quite delayed as alternates. The latter wasn't as much of a problem this time around, except for maybe the €1,100 Estrellas Main Event. However, it was inevitable not to notice, that the venue was very close to their max capacity and that had some negative impact on the Satellite and cash game waiting lists.

A few days before the start of the festival, PokerStars announced that the Main Events will be paying out the top 20% of the field and the initial €10,000 High Roller paid as much as 23% much to the disguise of many pros. The money in the €1,100 Estrellas Main Event and €2,200 High Roller was reached early on Day 2 and the early starting times of 10am didn't necessarily find much love in general.

Whether or not that trend will continue remains to be seen, as PokerStars and the EPT should have received plenty of feedback from the pros and recreational players alike. They even reverted the payout back to 15% for the €50,000 Super High Roller and the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller, further giving all participants a questionnaire to fill out with regards to their preference. Since those events include the option to reenter, I cannot imagine many votes towards keeping a payout of the top 20%.

For the first time in many years, the EPT Main Event reached the money at the end of Day 2 and a minimum cash ensured a net profit of €330 compared to the buy-in of €5,300. This may or may not keep more players sticking around on the circuit, but only Satellite and online package winners can really be "happy" about that kind of return after putting in quite some effort in the tournament. It was also the first time that I have seen a "lunch break" being introduced for a live poker event, and from a personal point I'd have preferred to have a dinner break instead on those few days when it happened.

There were four major events to be covered, and German wunderkind Fedor "CrownUpGuy" Holz did what he knows best by winning the initial €50,000 Super High Roller in impressive fashion. Next up, there was the choice between going mental in the huge Day 1b field of the Main Event or eventually pulling an all nighter in the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller the next day. I will likely always opt for the latter, because it helps to know a lot of the players from the years on the live reporting circuit.

As of Day 4 of the Main Event, the reporting teams split up to cover the final €10,000 High Roller as well and especially the restart of the Main Event turned out to be quite hectic. The back-and-forth running at least helped to reach the daily goals on my tracking app, while the final day saw a very long final table of the last seven and 36 players return for the High Roller.

While not all tables were being used anymore, and the new events were played as Turbo anyways, the High Roller took place in the far corner of the main tournament room. Down to the last nine, two other final tables were moved to the tables right nearby and one of them turned out to be very disturbing with a very loud rail during ongoing deal and "who gets to keep the trophy" negotiations. After some 15 minutes, the table was moved away further, while one mistake during that time may have cost €100,000 in equity.

It did have one big advantage though - at least for us live reporters: We could set up nearby for the final day and didn't need to run back and forth to the media room in order to maintain more thorough updates when it matters the most.

All in all, the EPT Barcelona was a crazy and frantic as I remembered from two sears ago. It was nice to see many familiar faces again and catch up briefly while running back to the tables. Except for one day, I was able to work out in the morning before heading to the casino - this should always be a priority of mine whenever possible. And improving my Spanish. Mierda.

2016 EPT Barcelona summary

Number of days: 11 (incl travel days)
Number of steps:140,775
Distance walked: 115.46km
Weight change: -2.0 kilos

What is up next? September will mainly focus on sorting out a few personal things back at home before the WSOP Circuit kicks off at the end of the month in Berlin. And the EPT will be calling again at the end of October on Malta prior to a semi-morning-vacation-ish experience at the WSOP Circuit on Sint Maarten. By then, I shall hopefully have lost a few more kilos and regained a more balanced physical shape - fingers crossed!

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The Art and Insanity of Poker Live Reporting

It has become quite common for a lot of poker players to take live reporting at bigger events as a given and then complain about the lack of updates or mistakes in it. There even used to exist a running gag that “bloggers” do this job, because they are not good enough at playing poker themselves. Below I'd like to give my own perspective about what we do as live event reporters and maybe that will change the point of view for some.

For approximately five and a half years, I have been working at live poker events. This somewhat corresponds with my education, as I studied business and languages at a business school in Germany. I may not be able to type with ten fingers, as attempted to bring upon me by my teachers back then, but the project management part fits quite nicely. Furthermore, I actively use all the languages taught, some more and some less frequently, and the business aspect in poker is also quite important.

Now, if I was supposed to explain my teachers what I am doing for a living, many would rise their eye brows and others would simply shrug. Same applies for family members as well. It's a very uncommon kind of job, you cannot really learn the art of poker live reporting in any school. Most of us are actually thrown into cold water and it soon becomes obvious who can adapt quickly and who cannot.

A certain enthusiasm for the card game does come in handy, though, and it also helps to play poker to a certain degree in order to know all the game types, expressions and terms in question. For me, it is important to enjoy the experience and I don't mind the pressure to deliver while coping with often unpredictable scenarios and strange working hours. After all, without the joy and excitement, it would just be work and that appears rather boring.

So what does it take to be a live event reporter and what tasks does one have to deal with? First of all, preparation is the key. It helps to arrive well in time before an event starts and check out the venue, get in touch with local staff and take a closer look at the schedule and structure. Such key details should then be mentioned in the introduction every day. Once the event gets underway, the time has come to look through the field of players and see if you recognize anyone.

Only a few tournaments have in fact a media tracking system in place, many still don't. As a participant in the event, if you are asked for the name or more details, please don't come up with something fake because that seems like a genius idea in that very moment. After all, many poker players also want to be reported on when they are doing well or in case of losing in very unfortunate fashion.

As the day progresses, a live event reporter is expected to update general information such as the number of entries, the prize pool and payouts. This also includes big stacks and, if possible, how they got there, as well as keeping track of players that were previously mentioned within the updates. Towards the end of the day, this becomes increasingly important, as it comes in handy to know who has the most chips.

Most hosts expect a short and precise recap of the daily action and, depending on the number of entries and survivors, the full chip counts and available seat draw going forward. It isn't the time to get witty, as that fits way better to specific tournament highlights, but the recap will ideally be enough to summarize what happened and may even be used as news article.

This sounds rather easy thus far, am I right? Well, there is more to it. The interaction with the participants plays a big role and in most stages of a tournament, it becomes increasingly important to be very selective and time-efficient about what to include in the updates. If there is more than one live event reporter in charge for the coverage, the tasks of getting hands, highlights, quotes and the atmosphere in general can be split up. Apart from the breaks, there won't be much time to relax and check your Facebook for the latest funny pictures without possibly missing some crucial action at the tables.

All that being said, there are a few aspects that make the job in itself very appealing for me personally.

• Completing challenges.
• The interaction with players.
• The opportunity to travel.
• Improving as writer and photographer.
• Making sure I can pay my bills.

Every tournament is a challenge and I tend to be a competitive person. Not everyone is used to shifts of 12-16 hours per day and a poker event can quickly become physically and mentally tiring. Keeping up the balance and focus under such circumstances is exactly that, a challenge. You may work at a location you have never been to before. There are no media cards and you barely know anyone. Take a deep breathe, ask the floor for some notables and take a closer look at all tables.

Be prepared to make yourself look like a fool when asking for a name or other details. And then go with the flow, that's it really. The way you approach the players will determine your success. It usually helps to be friendly and smile, ask in a calm manner. The more you get to know the players, the easier it will be to track them throughout the event and they may very well provide details relevant to the updates. Some of them may even become more than just a source of information, they will greet you at a different tournament and have a friendly chat to reduce the stress level.

Of course it would be foolish not to mention the chance to travel and the excitement that comes along. Back in school, it was already a big thing to travel with your class to London or Paris for a few days. Over the last few years, I was very fortunate to explore far more exotic destinations, for which I am very thankful. There are some empty spots to be filled still, while favorite cities and countries have been established such as Australia and Canada.

As far as the writing is concerned, I am no magician or poet with words like the staff of the PokerStars Blog. But seeing them in action and being able to interact provides the chance to see their point of view, learn and constantly question the own quality. Without practice, it is unlikely to improve after all. I am also no Joe Giron (WSOP and WPT lead photographer) or Neil Stoddart (EPT lead photographer), nor any of the other talented people that take pictures for a living. Again, I have a lot to learn, and the chance to combine and exercise my passions of poker, writing and photography are crucial for the entire experience.

Last but not least, the monetary aspect is also important. While the players in the poker events I cover are not guaranteed to make profit, I more or less know the salary in advance already. Depending on the own performance and impression, it opens further doors and certain bills require to be paid, especially when being self-employed. Some hosts are more reliable than others and it becomes increasingly difficult to get enough work when poker sites and live event operators are trying to cut down their expenses.

If you happen to see a live event reporter or photographer at the next poker tournament you participate in, be nice to him or her. Most of them will even accept kind donations in the form of (healthy) drinks such as coffee, tea, juices or smoothies to feed their inner child.

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2016 WSOP Trip Report

For more than five years, I have been traveling the international poker circuit as a blogger and also partly as a photographer. This usually comes with plenty of stereotypic pictures of planes, casino views and breakfast buffets, but recently the according trip report has been missing and it is about time to catch up on those again more frequently.

One year ago I tried to get a deal to work at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) as a live event reporter, but ultimately didn't hear back for a month before then being told that their team was already full. As consolation, I was fortunate enough to travel to Asia twice for other tournaments, and worked the European pendant in Berlin later that year.

Fast forward to Spring 2016, when I was contacted about the summer and working the WSOP for the full seven weeks. After some consideration and negotiation, an agreement was reached and the usual hunt for affordable and reasonable flight tickets was next on the agenda. In previous years, I was typically booked on US Airways and they are on my top five most-disliked list of airlines.

However, since they merged with American Airlines, I obviously ended up on the very same flights with stopover in Philadelphia. Much to their credit, the service was actually pretty decent and their assistance via social media (Twitter) highly appreciated, the mobile app for the iPad also very sophisticated.

Since I don't have a driver's license, the accommodation tends to be a tricky question when not arranged by the host and the Extended Stay about ten minutes away from the Rio's was the only reasonable choice, albeit more expensive and cutting into my earnings. At least, it offers some free coffee in the morning and the option to wash your clothes for only a few dollars. A supermarket is also in walking distance, though I'd definitely recommend to just walk outside in the early morning or after 8 p.m. due to the Las Vegas heat.

I am not going to bore you with the details of how all the events I covered went on, for obvious reasons. The main focus should be on the players and the media politely stands behind the table and makes sure to get as much information out as possible. Instead, below are some positive and negative highlights.

Highlights of the trip:

• Getting to work the full series and especially the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha and $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship.
• The money bubble of the Main Event, it simply always has a special flair.
• Watching some players that you know for years from smaller events take a shot at WSOP glory.

Biggest letdowns of the trip:

• Infrequent fitness schedule, it definitely had an big influence on my work performance.
• Too many minor and stupid mistakes, some often very repetitive and annoying.
• Catching a virus and not being able to work the last few days of the Main Event.

While most other events all over the world mostly include No-Limit Hold'em for their flagship tournaments, the WSOP provides a wide variety of poker variants and I highly appreciated the opportunity to get more practice at covering some of them live. My personal favorites are Seven Card Stud and Pot-Limit Omaha, which took most of my schedule for the first month. I also got to help out in H.O.R.S.E and in a 2 to 7 Triple Draw event.

In hindsight, it has been yet another important learning experience and I realize how far I still have to go in order to improve further. Especially with such a long duration, this endurance challenge will put your body and mind to the test. Not recognizing some well-known players after being away from the U.S. for almost two years was another consistent pet peeve of mine.

No matter how often you have been to Las Vegas before as a tourist or for work, it always appears so different to the normal life and I try to not get carried away. Whether or not I will be back there next year, I cannot say right now, as the next events are only a few weeks away and I want to get back in an acceptable physical and mental shape again until then.

Also, for what it's worth, apart from the initial group meeting I didn't play a single hand of live poker and will stick to that strategy. It was nice to see some familiar faces again after quite some time and make them smile, mainly via German chocolate.

As much as I sometimes “dislike” my middle of nowhere back home, being able to grab your bike and dive into the green nature within half an hour can be very relaxing. It is important to keep a certain balance, especially when the work itself includes such a strange niche market in the eye of the public.

Seat open!

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T'was the year 2012 (almost)

Warning: This entry contains more than one paragraph and no pictures nor poems.
 

It was a year with many ups and downs, I didn't get to attend as many EPT's for work and had to skip the WSOP but saw a new record attendance at the same time in Madrid for our Deepstack Festival to make up for it. Online I barely played any poker and made about 1,200 USD, the profit went straight into new equipment for my part time job and hobby.

Many new and old friends showed up during the live events on the circuit and I also published several articles in print media with four of them being included in the upcoming Poker Blatt as of January 2nd. The most important improvement though was a more healthy lifestyle and regular visits to the gym as well as biking. Final result:

- 12.5 kilos lost

- no coffee for 8 months

- no alcohol for 8 1/2 months

- a by far better inner balance

Whereas I never had much alcohol, the coffee withdrawal was pretty insane in the first week but after that the urge to have a cup got smaller and smaller. I wanted to get rid of an addiction and now consider myself "clean", though I am still far away from where I want to be.

The goals for the upcoming year are not really "that" ambitious:

- staying healthy, regular workouts, losing a few more kilos

- getting better at writing and photography

- more hope and personal happiness

- more work and live events

End of January will already mark the first highlight once again and hopefully we will get more than 500 runners for the Mega Poker Series Vienna, an affordable Buy-In of 700+70€ as well as 77,000 Chips starting stack should make for plenty of room to play poker. Being in charge of the reporting, press, website updates and some interviews + pictures for fun should keep me busy ... and with some luck I am heading to Deauville for the EPT straight after that.

In February there is also a WPT National in Brussels as well as the GSOP live and WPT in Vienna whereas for March the EPT London will be calling. The live circuit schedule is loaded until the World Series and hopefully I can return to Sin City for work this summer. Besides that I only really need 1-2 more lenses for the new camera and lots of practice to reach a quality that somewhat satisfies me.

For Pokerspace I have had to wait a long time with the final decision not being in my hands but hopefully that will see severe changes in the upcoming months as well. In general we want to thrive more to quality and value, but this obviously needs the support of all members and less bickering on the tables and within the blog section. Whereas some feel overly attracted by drama, I can't see much sense in wasting my time with it and will just clean up without asking many questions.

More details will become available as soon as I have the permission to do so, in the meanwhile I hope to see a healthy competition in the Pokerspace Races and Indy Leagues for January because we worked hard to extend those deals. The monthly preview for the first month of 2013 will follow on Monday, until then feel free to check out the Calendar and pre-register for your favorite games.

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Somebody That I Used To Know

Many will recognize the title due to the song of Gotye feat. Kimbra, though this is not supposed to be a song review or a rant about anyone else but me instead. I was lazy, I ate way too much and unhealthy and I didn't feel well at all. Ironically the wakeup call came after a weight loss deal with a friend (I should know better than to make deals with beautiful women ... but then again I am a guy) and even though the first week was tough, the desire for the old bad habits got less and less.

Even though I have never been drinking much alcohol, I still worshipped a decent bottle of wine now and then and 7 months without any alcohol at all would have seemed surreal a year ago. Now coffee is another story and to a certain degree I replaced one addiction with another by drinking hot chocolate or tea instead. But going from 2-3 cups per day to zero and over almost 7 months would have rather triggered the assumption that I had been abducted by aliens to change that drastically.

In fact I could have a coffee any time if I wanted to, I don't have to force myself to deny it but at the same time the urge to depend on it aint there anymore either. In general I feel my balance has become better, even though I still get angry over trivial stuff for no reason ... and I am stubborn by default which I blame my father for since my little half sister is exactly the same. Fortunately he also seemed to have passed over the dedication to work my ass off and do my job ... .

As far as poker is concerned, I mainly played HU SNG and tournaments before and now barely ever do so and either focus on speed poker versions or Seven Card Stud (both Hi and Hi Lo). Considering that I have by far less time to actually play, it is probably just the logical compromise and I cannot say that the excitement to hit the tables is as big as before. It turned into some part time fun to refresh your mind, the monetary aspect has little influence but I still hate to lose.

Onto the positive changes ... I eat by far more healthy and whenever I go for groceries, I skip all junk food by default and check for salads, fruits and juices. Right now I jump between 13 to 15 kilos weight loss since I started working out in May, the little imbalance lately is mainly due to an illness and a twisted ankle as of today. Writing has become more important as six articles made it to print media since and hopefully another one is on its way soon.

The general work load has also increased, which does not necessarily reflect in the income and the pay per hour would rather indicate that I am a stupid workaholic instead. Of course it's not as bad, but I would lie if I'd have to say I am thoroughly happy with the progress of 2012 due to several incidents that make my job more complicated than it should be. The luck with that certain species from Venus remains the same or worse, at least job-wise 2013 may kick off with a little reward if plans come together.

For 2012, three live event coverages remain (two at Prague and one at Dortmund) and I shall be back "home" (wherever that might be) just before Christmas ... hopefully I have made up my mind by then as well about which new stupidly expensive camera I want to buy. Oh well, first world problems imho ... it could be by far worse and I appreciate the many opportunities to take pictures of beautiful women during the events as well. So long ... happy donking and best of luck on and off the felt.
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