Poker School student Evgeny ("Zeniok30") has been improving his results over the course of his education. After several good MTT victories in the past, he didn't hesitate when he heard about the MTT camp near Trakai, and hasn't regretted it.
Within days of the start of the camp, he was able to put what he had learned into practice and win the 888poker Room Eclipse Series. Yevgeny then won $3,254 and a ticket to the Tournament of Champions!
But that wasn't the end of it, as the ticket turned into another huge win - he finished second among all the champions and won a $2,200 travel package to London.
"PokerioMokykla.com decided to interview Zeniok30 to find out more about his successful run in the game, his experience at the MTT Camp and his plans for the future.
- You participated in the Poker School MTT Camp. You have expressed a strong desire to be a part of it in the past, was it easy to find the time?
- I took part in the MTT camp because it was a dream of mine and I made it happen. I learned as much in one week as I did in six months at poker school. Living with poker professionals, I saw the game itself through a different prism. Since I am a working person and poker is just a hobby for me, it wasn't very easy to combine the camp and work. But when you have a goal, a desire, everything is possible.
- During the camp and shortly afterwards, you had some great achievements. Tell us what you won, what were the emotions, how did you manage to keep playing well and make the right decisions? What are your plans for the future?
- During the camp, we studied intensively. We had to adjust our game and perception to what the coaches were explaining, so naturally the results didn't come in the first few days of the camp. The hardest part was to learn how to keep a strict discipline during the game, but it finally bore fruit. On Thursday evening, when I was choosing tournaments for my regular session, I chose the deep-structured (I feel best in these tournaments), 30$ Eclipse Series tournament in the 888poker room.
It's a slightly bigger buy-in tournament than I usually play, but the bankroll allowed me to play it. I also wanted to test myself and the knowledge I gained at my camp at a slightly higher level. When we had four consecutive days of camp, reviewing so many tournaments, more complicated hands, and analysing different technical elements, I didn't even notice how I ended up on the double table. Here the game changed a little bit, the opponents became more aggressive, but I kept my discipline, and in difficult pots I listened to the coaches' advice. At the final table, I got top-notch poker advice from Gytis "Peledazmogis" and David "ddaubar". I practically made it to heads-up with almost no show-down. After winning the tournament, I breathed a sigh of relief because all the work and effort paid off. With my main prize I got a ticket to the Tournament of Champions, where all the winners of that series fought.
I only opened one tournament that night and I concentrated on that. I really wanted to test myself against the best, so I didn't want to distract myself. I remembered again what I had learnt at poker camp and with the discipline of the game, I reached the final table. It didn't even turn out to be that easyJ I didn't seem to have an easy time getting to heads-up either. When we were down to two, I felt my opponent was playing me. I made some mini mistakes and one big mistake that cost me my tournament life. So there is room for improvement and the goal is to improve my knowledge in one-on-one play. And my plans and goals are to reach the highest level in the limits I play and beat them.
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- You've had wins before. So how much has the Poker School Camp contributed to the latter?
- Almost all of my wins (except one) have come after I joined the poker school. The learning format of a poker school is different from a poker camp in that you learn on your own at a school. You watch a video, you draw some conclusions, then you play and you don't know if you did it right or not. In a poker camp it's different, you have to show the tournaments you've played, the hands you've played, and you have to point fingers at what you're doing wrong, and you have to prove it not only with words, but also with apps, so you just have to remember and not repeat your mistakes. At the same time, you learn how to work with the help programmes. I changed my mind about a lot of things at the poker camp, I had a different perception of the game, and I had more confidence in myself. I don't think about winning, you just sit down, concentrate and try to play your A game and the results really come.
- In a previous interview, you mentioned that you get a lot of support from your other half. How has she reacted to these achievements?
- Probably every poker player has had to deal with the fact that their hobby or job is not understood by the people around them, relatives, parents, etc. I am lucky and my other half shares my hobby and supports me. Without this support I would not be able to do anything, because poker takes a lot of time to play successfully. In the MTT format that I play, the sessions are long. As soon as I heard about the camp, I asked my wife what she thought about it. I was stunned by her answer, and she said that I should definitely go. She congratulated me on my recent achievements, and I want to prepare a surprise or a romantic dinner for her.
- Don't you think poker could already be a full-time occupation and livelihood for you?
- When I joined the poker school and got my first results, my first thoughts were about becoming a full-time player in the future. These thoughts became stronger and stronger after each big win. Strangely enough, during the poker camp, my rose-tinted glasses fell off. I saw and realised, first of all, that I wasn't ready for this responsible step. And secondly, how hard and time-consuming it is. So, I will wait a little longer after I have thought it over, and if it happens that winning becomes almost a daily routine and my main job prevents me from earning more money from poker, then I will come back to it and think it over again.
You can read the previous interview with Evgeny by clicking on the link below:
Our students: a Zeniok30 member who might quit his job for the MTT camp
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