Interview with forum member 7Letters
Not Pictured PERSONAL RELATED QUESTIONS:
Q: Care to share any family related info with THF (have any kids? a spouse? etc.)? A: Thanks for the questions Cowboy. I was rather suprised when asked if I'd like to do this but it's all fun, here goes...
I live with the lovely THF member 'Eucalypta'. Highly perceptive, intelligent and fortunately for me, she's tolerant. Altogether there are 5 children in the family. Two adult boys have left home. Two girls at home 15 and 8, my son is 5. (I forget names easily so I gave them numbers) Our 15 year old (very 15 years old
) She likes music/drama/graphic design. She is quick-witted and comical. She is fun to be with. 8 year old, petite, girly and sensitive and loving. Lovely natured, extremely chatty. Budding gymnast. Son, 5 years old, he's funny and he's bright. I'm hoping soon that he'll spot my poker mistakes. When he'd just turned 4 years old, he came to me and said "Daddy, look..I have put my garden toys in sequential order of size" I knew I was in trouble.
1 Large German Shepherd. He understand outs.
I grew up on the North West coast of England with a great Mum, Dad, Brother
and Dog(that was in the days before dog leads were invented..oh we used to
go through 30 or 40 dogs a year back then) We lost our real ladder early in life and grew up with a step-ladder. My brother is close in age, he's 19 months older. We were always very competitive. In the end he started going bald before me ..so I think I'm winning now.
Childhood and school days were happy days. Adult life is just sometimes
a little trickier.
Q: What is your Profession? Have you had any other professions prior to your current one? A: I currently work in Pattern Imprinted Concrete. My work is a bit on and off and weather permitting. I have periods when I'm unemployed.
I left school at 16 and worked for 7 years or so in industry as an Instrument Technician (construction and maintenance of Electrical, Electronic, Pneumatic and Fluidic Control Systems) Studied at college on day release and completed a 3 year apprenticeship at a large chemical plant. I was in my mid 20s and the work bored me to tears - literally.
I changed tack, started a small sportwear/equipment retail business and also began freelancing as a cartoonist. The published work wasn't financially very
lucrative but it was a buzz to see my work in print. In my late 20's I decided to do things properly. Went to art college and at 30 attended university full-time. A 3-year course and I gained a First Class BA Honours Degree in Graphic Design (Illustration)That allowed me to find part-time work at university as tutor of illustration, whilst freelancing from home. A few years down the line it was difficult to make ends meet in Illustration and I took to working in concrete when the offer came along. Haven't given up the art career but it's been in limbo for quite some time.
Q: Do you have any other hobbies besides poker? A: I love drawing/painting and love looking at other peoples artwork. I kept my hand in and offered regular advice and critiques to amateur artists online. I play guitar. I enjoy going to live gigs. I like sports and enjoyed playing football a couple of times a week (the spherical ball) Got a knee injury and ankle injury; nothing too serious and they got better over time but I drifted out of football as a hobby. I miss that but my son has just started playing each Saturday. That should be fun.
Q: Whats your favorite book or movie? A: I like a lot of the 40s/50s Film Noir/Gangster Movies. Billy Wilders 'Double Indemnity' is one of my favourite films. Love those shadows and the script is great.
I've always tended to read non-fiction/biographies more than fiction. Can't think of a favourite but some enjoyable reads recently include: 'George Cohen, My Autobiography' (ex Pro Footballer) and 'Who ate all the Pies? The Life and Times Of Mick Quinn' (ex Pro Footballer) Actually, I don't seem to read books as often these days.
Q: What are your pet peeves? A: I'm fairly tolerant on the whole I think. I don't like people who.... ...no wait...I don't like people
Q: Your worst fear? A: 1. Spiders plotting against me.
2. Kaartkeizer winning the sunday league.
Q: Whats your biggest goal in life? A: I intend to be Cherly Tweedy's Siamese twin. I don't think we'd need medical intervention. I'm sure I could form some kind of permanent physical attachment.
Really, I'm not much a goal setting person. I do have a goal to eventually read the poker books I've purchased.
Q: Take us through a day in the life for you: A: It differs so much. A day at work is different everytime. A day off work is always different. Mix in kids, family and friends
and it can be all over the place. I always try to fit at least some poker into most days. It itches a bit when I can't.
Q: Explain what a perfect day would be like in your eyes: A: No. You explain what a perfect day would be like in your knees first.
POKER RELATED QUESTIONS:
Q: What is your biggest poker cash or accomplishment? A: I'm still waiting for a big cash worth showing off about (and I will show off) All sites included, I've cashed in around 1 in every 3 or 4 mtts, which is ok...but I need to start making final tables more regularly. I only play small stakes but I'm well in profit after about 3 years
playing online and for 2.5 years of those I knew next to nothing about NL holdem. Through experience of playing, reading the THF forums and taking advice from helpful members, I've learned some now. I can learn more.
Off topic a bit but..the strange thing is, I won more often and hit FT's when I was a completely uneducated donkey. I played extremely aggressive at SnGs;tightish but bordering on loose. I was definitely loose-aggressive around the bubble and ITM. My game's changed. I know more now but the dangers are more apparent and I'm not as successful as I was...yet...I'm hoping I can add those two 7's together get more success.
I don't really like studying poker in books but considering the amount of time
I spend playing poker (which I always think I will cut down on) I should maybe make an effort to read a little more than I have done so far. I'm thinking of taking a little break from poker, a good time to read up I guess. How serious do I want to be about Poker? I'm not sure.
Q: Do you have a poker Nickname? A: No
Q: Are you more of a tournament player or ring games? What buy-in/stakes do you play at? A: I prefer tournaments. I like MTTs but they take time and energy. Right now I'm losing too many sngs and then I get my money back at cash games. I'm trying to stay within my bankroll rules. Usually do.
Q: Do you play competitively or for recreation? How much time per week do you spend on poker? A: Recreation. Online poker is fun and mentally stimulating. I spend too much time playing poker. I'd estimate 3 hours playing time a day, sometimes more. It's too easy to sit down and logon.
Obviously the THF league is competitive but it's also great fun. I suspect that sometimes, not always, I alter my game too much at THF games. I know that the players around me are probably better than most players I'll meet at small buyin sngs or my cash games. Also there's always the slight fear of doing something silly and looking foolish. Anybody else have that feeling? Maybe I'm making excuses for not winning often enough lol
Q: Do you have a favorite poker pro? If so, why are they your favorite? A: I like Devilfish. He's an entertaining and colourful character, he's from the North of England, born in my Dad's home town, He's one of the best PL Omaha players in the world and probably the best and certainly the most well known poker player we've had over here.
Q: Breifly explain how you got into poker (Possibly include age, influences, and location) A: Cards were always a family thing and especially at Christmas get-togethers. A drop-leaf table almost as big as the room, lots of banter, laughs. I loved it. From teenage years onwards, with mates usually but on occasion more serious/unfriendly games with aquaintences, I regularly played 5 card stud but mostly 3 card brag (3 card was a big game over here then) Not big stakes but any money I had in my pocket. I've always liked cards - the deck itself. I like card tricks too.
Online..a few years ago a friend told me he played at Paradise Poker. I'd
never played Hold Em and I gave it a go.
Interview continued in the post below:
Weekly Member Interview: 7Letters 
There's Bsquad, who I think is good but I haven't seen him play so often and he isn't around so much these days. ScottishBen I don't see playing often either but I've seen him make some great plays at times. We know Fink is good but again I don't see him play so I can't include him in my list. 
Asteroids
...especially Mars