Q & A with Shortstack

Ste05

Well as a little treat with this being a Wednesday, Mike has agreed to be thrown down the Well, so have fun lads:

1: Do you get much time to actually play Poker anymore or is all your time taken up running the various Poker businesses you have going?

2: Presuming you do still play a bit, what levels do you play and what games do you play, PLO, NLHE, LHE? MTT, STT, Cash?

I'm sure there's loads of other things that will come to me, but for now, I'll just open up the thread before you change your mind.

Usual rules apply to questioners and questionee.

LuckyLloyd

This post has been deleted.

gosplan

1: Do you play live much, if so where?

2: What's your best poker result, either long term or in a single game or tourney.

Lafortezza

What's the worst thing about working with DeVore? You can make a list if needed.

peeko

who in your opinion is the best player that frequents boards?

Shortstack

Ste05 wrote:

1: Do you get much time to actually play Poker anymore or is all your time taken up running the various Poker businesses you have going?

I try and play when I can but it tends to be in short bursts. We recently moved into an office so my worktime has become more regulated which allows me a bit more time to play recently.

My cash play has suffered online because of this over the last year but I am getting the rythym back now. Tournament wise it is a bit like riding a bike and I still find myself doing ok when I have time to play one.

The new club in Drogheda is a 3 minutewalk from my house so I have been getting down to play some of the tournament there but onlya 3rd place out of 4 tournaments so far.

Ste05 wrote:

2: Presuming you do still play a bit, what levels do you play and what games do you play, PLO, NLHE, LHE? MTT, STT, Cash?

Most of my bankroll was either put into business or used to live off whilst we got them off the ground so I am not playing anywhere near a high as before.

At the moment I am going through a cycle of shortstacking 2/4 NLH/PLO upwards and then losing it back when playing fullstacked without the proper roll. If I had the patience to keep shortstacking I would be back playing 10/20 on a regular basis.

Shortstack

LuckyLloyd wrote:

Mike, hope you are well.

Can you explain the reasoning behind your refusal to do deals in tournaments under any circumstances? Even considering the fact that the variance reachest it's highest point as the jumps between pay placings become greater?

have a feeling this will be a good thread.

If the right situation comes up I will do a deal, most likely if I am very shortstacked and someone offers something I would be stupid to refuse.

If I have made the final table that means I am playing well and I feel that if I am playing my best then no one has a great edge over me and more often than not I have an edge over them. Even when it gets crapshooty most players make a lot of mistakes that reduce their edge. I am going to be playing poker for a long time to come so any card based variance will probably even out.

Shortstack

gosplan wrote:

1: Do you play live much, if so where?

Not as much a I would like. Mostly in Drogheda now the club hs opened, I used to go to Dublin and play the Fitz when I had chance which as not often this last year or so.

gosplan wrote:

2: What's your best poker result, either long term or in a single game or tourney.

Cash was last year when I won over $12k in a day online whilst in Monte Carlo.

One of the first live tournaments I played was a satellite for the World Pot Limit championships in the Merrion nearly 3 years ago. The field was full of name players and I overcame my starry-eyedness to do a 3 way deal with Lucy Rokach and Tom Hanlon and take home €4200. This was the first time I had played a pot limit tournament and I think the second tournament I had played in a casino. I have won others and gone deep in bigger ones but this one I enjoyed the most.

Shortstack

lafortezza wrote:

What's the worst thing about working with DeVore? You can make a list if needed.

I find the hardest thing to do is keep him on one topic for more than 2 mins



He probably has a bigger list about me.

Shortstack

peeko wrote:

who in your opinion is the best player that frequents boards?

Omaha cash is definately Halibut2.
NL Cash - Too hard to judge.

Tournaments players it is very close. Hectorjelly probably. When doing live updates or playing I have seen everybody play hands badly bar him.

BigCityBanker

How fearful are you of losing your impending HU game against me?

il add more questions later.

Shortstack

BigCityBanker wrote:

How fearful are you of losing your impending HU game against me?

il add more questions later.

Quaking in my boots.

califano

1.) In your opinion who are the best 3 local players in Drogheda that play your tournaments?.

2.) We know how you got involved in the poker business with DeVore, how did you first get involved in the poker business with Brian Lannon?.

3.) Does the 'Heineken Man' play poker anymore and if not what what hapenned to him?.

4.) Did you ever have to eject a player from a poker table and if so what were the circumstances?.

Shortstack

rounders123 wrote:

1.) In your opinion who are the best 3 local players in Drogheda that play your tournaments?.

John Lavin - Results speak for themselves.
Niall Murphy is very hard to play against for most people.

There are a lot of other players who if they learnt when to change gears could be very good.

rounders123 wrote:

2.) We know how you got involved in the poker business with DeVore, how did you first get involved in the poker business with Brian Lannon?.

Brian had a shop next door my old games shop. As a result of the smoking ban most conversations at the doorway whilst smoking revolved around poker and Green Joker Poker was born from this.

rounders123 wrote:

3.) Does the 'Heineken Man' play poker anymore and if not what what hapenned to him?.

Not seen him for ages. Many rumours, none substantiated.

rounders123 wrote:

4.) Did you ever have to eject a player from a poker table and if so what were the circumstances?.

I have not but Tom did in my absence for persistent abuse about a ruling. He is back playing with us now after realising he was in the wrong.

smurph

What do you think of people comments about the standard of poker in Drogheda ie. "Drogheda players are the value etc., etc.,, (it annoys me and im a Dub)

Do you think the increase in price of your monthly games has resulted in the decrease in numbers (I think it's a great game and should be pushed more)

What do you think of the standard of the Irish Poker.

Who is the funniest character (Besides Niall "The Poet" Murphy) that you've played cards with.

Which do you prefer live or online?

Does you other half play cards?

How did you get into playing Cards

Was there any particular player that was an influence in your style of play?

Will you ever ever go back to Scarborough?

Does it give you nightmares?

Thanks.

El Stuntman

did you have a 'professional life' before poker?

if yes, what was this?

also if yes, would you make more money if you had continued in that professional life than you do currently? what percentage of income drop is it worth to be your own boss and not have to take guff from corporate knob jockeys?

Shortstack

smurph wrote:

What do you think of people comments about the standard of poker in Drogheda ie. "Drogheda players are the value etc., etc.,, (it annoys me and im a Dub)

They may have been the value once but I think the standard has improved dramatically over the last year or so. There are bad players everywhere, our freerolls used to make sure that some of the local bad players got in.

The players that have stayed on the scene in Drogheda do consistently well for the most part. They do not necessarily get the resect they deserve and they probably get chips easier because of it.

smurph wrote:

Do you think the increase in price of your monthly games has resulted in the decrease in numbers (I think it's a great game and should be pushed more)

There are many reasons, one is that itis not in Dublin. The others are that there is so much more on nowadays poker wise. Also us stopping doing freerolls and giving away tickets in the Thursday game made for a drop n numbers.

I expect numbers to go back up now it is on a Saturday and in the club rather than hotel.

We probably have relied on reputation rather than advertising too much.

smurph wrote:

What do you think of the standard of the Irish Poker.

Most of the players I see do not even have a grasp of the basic fundementals of the game, this is also the case with tournament players all over the world. Therefore it is not much different. The passion for the game sets it apart from the rest of the world. The better players in Ireland tend to be very good which is why we see some great results for such a small population.

Aso the best players you don't hear so much about as they stick to cash which is more profitable and less vaiance in the long term.

smurph wrote:

Who is the funniest character (Besides Niall "The Poet" Murphy) that you've played cards with.

Sean Fagan is the best craic to have at a table.

smurph wrote:

Which do you prefer live or online?

I like live for the social aspect. I don't like the time needed to play live. I prefer online for making money apart from the chance of a big score in the bigger live tournaments.

smurph wrote:

Does you other half play cards?

Not very often, she did final table a stars boards tournie playing on my account PWning Daithio and MrPillowtalk.

smurph wrote:

How did you get into playing Cards

I used to play a lot of gin/whist type games as a kid and was also very good at cribbage which I used to play in pubs for money in my teens. Until 3 years ago I had never played poker, I did not even know the rules. Sean Paul Fagan who I dealt with in business mentioned poker one day when I was collecting an order and I googled it, downloaded Freeserve Poker and won a cheap MTT!

smurph wrote:

Was there any particular player that was an influence in your style of play?

Not really, my style changes depending on my table. It should not change by by mood or size of game but it does.

smurph wrote:

Will you ever ever go back to Scarborough?

lol.

smurph wrote:

Does it give you nightmares?

I thought the whole thing was hilarious. Do you still have nightmares?

Shortstack

El Stuntman wrote:

did you have a 'professional life' before poker?

if yes, what was this?

also if yes, would you make more money if you had continued in that professional life than you do currently? what percentage of income drop is it worth to be your own boss and not have to take guff from corporate knob jockeys?

Brief life history:

Dropped out of college on 18th Birthday to start work in a pub, was assiatant manager within 6 months and spent the next 3 years as a relief manager for a chain of pubs in the South West of England.

When I got fed up of the social inconvenience of working in the pub industry I tried college again, too easily bored by study I worked in various jobs before starting in Dixons as a salesman. Ended up being a Manager for nearly 10 years before quitting to start business selling computer games.

Business was going bad after Drogheda starting getting big and the superstores opened, it was eating my bankroll so dumped them while could and concentrating fully on GJP & Antes Up now.

You can make more money running your own business than working for someone but only if you work hard, take risks and don't mind losing it all through no fault of your own. At the moment I probably make about the same as I did when I was last working with Dixons but obviously when you all start playing on GJP I will be loaded

El Stuntman

Shortstack wrote:

When I got fed up of the social inconvenience of working in the pub industry

the irony of it all

thanks Mike, good answer

smurph

Shortstack wrote:

I thought the whole thing was hilarious. Do you still have nightmares?

My psychiatrist says that it has brought back some vent up emotions from my childhood holidays spent in Butlins, and my fear of bunk beds....
but im almost over it........:D

BigCityBanker

Have you ever considered that you are actually playing bad rather than running awful?

If you had to give your bankroll to somebody to play for you - who would it be? Please name 3 alternates.

Please name the 3 people whom if you were forced to give your bankroll to you would choose to set fire to your money rather than entrust them with it?

What is your favourite flavour of Ben & Jerrys?

What is the biggest game you have played? cash + mtt?

What is your biggest regret in your poker playing career thus far?

What makes you uncomfortable at the poker table? Another specific player having position on you? Stack sizes? etc..

Shortstack

BigCityBanker wrote:

Have you ever considered that you are actually playing bad rather than running awful?

Sometimes I don't play good, I stop if that is the case online and in live cash games. Live in a tournament is different and can lead to blow ups.

BigCityBanker wrote:

If you had to give your bankroll to somebody to play for you - who would it be? Please name 3 alternates.

Halibut2

Alternates:
Ocallagh
Paul Foltyn
Jen Mason

BigCityBanker wrote:

Please name the 3 people whom if you were forced to give your bankroll to you would choose to set fire to your money rather than entrust them with it?

Mike Matusow
Jennifer Tilly
Ron Jeremy

BigCityBanker wrote:

What is your favourite flavour of Ben & Jerrys?

Cookie Dough

BigCityBanker wrote:

What is the biggest game you have played? cash + mtt?

Cash $25/$50
MTT - WPT Pokerstars carribean adventure $8000

BigCityBanker wrote:

What is your biggest regret in your poker playing career thus far?

None yet. Not playing the WSOP main event will be if I never make it.

BigCityBanker wrote:

What makes you uncomfortable at the poker table? Another specific player having position on you? Stack sizes? etc..

I have never felt uncomfortable because of who is at my table, you just adjust accordingly. Obviously I feel better having a large stack rather than a short one. Bad chairs do the trick though.

BigCityBanker

Any truth in the rumors that you are to take a break from poker due to a recent crushing defeat in a HU game?

Shortstack

BigCityBanker wrote:

Any truth in the rumors that you are to take a break from poker due to a recent crushing defeat in a HU game?

Quite possibly, the shame of it all..... especially since you never even gave me any bad beats

Jayminator

Jen Mason your 3rd alternate... Im disgusted. Thats it Mike I aint attending ur birthday bash in Vegas

cooker3

Nice opportunity to advertise your site now.

Why should I choose Green Joker poker over my current favourite sites Stars and Full tilt?

Shortstack

cooker3 wrote:

Nice opportunity to advertise your site now.

Why should I choose Green Joker poker over my current favourite sites Stars and Full tilt?

I'll answer this in PM, this is not a free advertising thread.

Shortstack

Questions from Solksjear via email

1. Does it worry your other half that Devore appears to hero worship
you?

I thought everyone hero worships me so what's new here?

2. Do you feel guilty about all those poor gamblers, gambling away the
childrens education on your poker site.

I feel their money is better spent on our site, they would gamle somewhere anyway

3. If you won a WSOP bracelet, would you wear it out when you are
playing poker. (would you buy a necklace to match)

I doubt I would wear it often, I may buy a thong to match for special occasions

4. Are you a fan of mustard or indeed any similar foul tasting relish..

Actually I love mustard and cannot eat a roast dinner without it. Colmans PWNS!

5. If you won the lotto would you look on it as bankroll or would you
cease gambling

At least 20% would become my bankroll

6. Name 5 good albums..(apart from Boyzone and Westlife...)

Devil without a cause - Kid Rock
Let there be rock - AC/DC
Appetite for destruction - Guns & Roses
Electric - The Cult
Dark Side of the moon - Pink Floyd

7. Your rankings list. Is it elitist? ( set at200+) How credible can
this list be when the same old players will play the same old events and
the guys who play lesser levels and succeed at these events may not even
make your list.

A line needs to be drawn somewhere. It also hard enough getting results for the events we do include. There needs to be some kind of standard to a ranking event. There are plenty of events that qualify.

8. If I were to give you 500 Euros would you buy a custard pie in Vegas
, tell Phill Hmt. He is a poker god and then slam it into his face. (or
failing that kick Bishop Brennan up the arse)

Make it 5k and its a deal

Last Question...

9. Beer Bellies. do you think there is a quick fix?

Why would you fix something that is not broken?

Goodluck2me

mike from before wrote:

6. Name 5 good albums..(apart from Boyzone and Westlife...)
......Let there be rock - AC/DC

Is ACDC the same ACDC?

Shortstack

goodluck2me wrote:

Is ACDC the same ACDC?

Different album obv.

DeVore

Hero Worship?! Him?!!?! We fight like a 40 years married couple half the time!

1. When are you going to make me some money when I back you rather then the other way around?

2. Worst thing about Vegas?

3. Best memory from traveling for reports/tournies.

DeV.

insafehands

I don't usually ask questions, rather read, but I'd be very interested in your answers to these, although I realise that they are perhaps slightly inappropriate (PM if that helps).

1. What sort of turnover/profit does GJP have?

2. When did you start the site and what sort of growth have you seen?

3. Is it an attractive business? How much risk is involved?

4. How many people work for GJP?

5. What % of people using GJP are Irish?

6. What sort of capital was required to set-up the site?

Shortstack

DeVore wrote:

Hero Worship?! Him?!!?! We fight like a 40 years married couple half the time!

1. When are you going to make me some money when I back you rather then the other way around?

When you starting taking a %

2. Worst thing about Vegas?

The coffee & Leaving

3. Best memory from traveling for reports/tournies.

The first WSOP has to be up there, such an introduction to this updating malarkey. Last year it had some great moments also.

Barcelona is always good craic and the bar at The Irish Open and IPC playing notes poker til god knows what time is hig on the list also

DeV.

..................................................

Shortstack

insafehands wrote:

I don't usually ask questions, rather read, but I'd be very interested in your answers to these, although I realise that they are perhaps slightly inappropriate (PM if that helps).

1. What sort of turnover/profit does GJP have?

Growing

2. When did you start the site and what sort of growth have you seen?

It went live just about a year ago, the growth has been better than expected

3. Is it an attractive business? How much risk is involved?

It allows more freedom than most but you need to know your market and have good contacts. Throwing money at it is not enough. the risk depends on what you are giving up.

4. How many people work for GJP?

There are two full time employees. Myself and Brian Lannon. All the online support and financial stuff is handled by Bluesq so it leaves us free to plan and provide direct service for those that need it. Very little is contracted out, we do all the site design, leaflets etc - The site is in need of a proffessional makeover which is happening soon. Tom does some updates as well as being a director and various other boardsters have worked for us on stuff.

5. What % of people using GJP are Irish?

95%ish, we are getting more from abroad recently as the good word spreads

6. What sort of capital was required to set-up the site?

It was more a case of the money needed to survive through the early stages (which we are still in just about). You will only get a site if a network believes you can bring in players

.

peeko

Does there be much traffic on the Antesup forum?

Hows the GJP OSP thing going for you guys?

Shortstack

peeko wrote:

Does there be much traffic on the Antesup forum?

It only really kicks off when we are doing a live update, then we get more traffic than most poker sites. The forum was not meant to replace this one just to give us the opportunity for feedback. The main site gets good traffic for the niche market that it covers

Hows the GJP OSP thing going for you guys?

We broke even, it gave a few people a chance and the ones that were successful are still playing. It needed more time to manage properly than we could allow, it may be re-incarnated at a later date.

.

ArmaniJeanss

Any thoughts on when/if UIGEA will be repealed?

Any idea how many MAUI $5 Jackpot games are ran on iPoker per week....they seem to start about every 50 seconds at peak time, and have killed the action at 'normal' $5 and $10 STT level.

Who designed the colour scheme on the original GJP Tribeca client, I played on 7 or 8 Tribeca clients over the years and GJP was the only one that made me violently sick.

Any good at snooker or pool ? (I've always had a theory that the thought process in these games is very much like poker, hence the statistically high number of snooker players who have got decent results at poker).

Shortstack

ArmaniJeanss wrote:

Any thoughts on when/if UIGEA will be repealed?

I'd like to think it would be repealed or some exceptions made for games that include some element of skill. I am not an avid follower of politics, although I should be considering the impact it can have on our business. We have never taken US players so have not seen a decline in business due to the UIGEA. Obviously it can only be good for business if it is repealed or exceptions made.

Any idea how many MAUI $5 Jackpot games are ran on iPoker per week....they seem to start about every 50 seconds at peak time, and have killed the action at 'normal' $5 and $10 STT level.

A lot! I don't have access to actual figures but the nature of the game is appealing to the majority of casual players and I think they attract a good few sharks due to the fish in them.

Who designed the colour scheme on the original GJP Tribeca client, I played on 7 or 8 Tribeca clients over the years and GJP was the only one that made me violently sick.

Tribeca, we changed a few things from the original proposal. Your reaction is the first of its kind that I have heard. The odd person thought the joker was a bit spooky. Each to their own I suppose. We had a lot of people say they preferred it to their old skin.

Any good at snooker or pool ? (I've always had a theory that the thought process in these games is very much like poker, hence the statistically high number of snooker players who have got decent results at poker).

I used to play a lot of pool when I worked in the pub industry but have maybe played twice a year at most in the last 14 years so very rusty. I captained a good few teams but only at pub level. I made the regional finals of a UK pub individual league once..

.

RoundTower

It's the first hand of the world series of poker main event. You are in the big blind. The first guy goes all in. Then the next guy goes all in. Then everyone else on your table goes all in. Then you look around and it turns out everyone else in the whole tournament has gone all in.

You look down and find aces, do you call?

Shortstack

RoundTower wrote:

It's the first hand of the world series of poker main event. You are in the big blind. The first guy goes all in. Then the next guy goes all in. Then everyone else on your table goes all in. Then you look around and it turns out everyone else in the whole tournament has gone all in.

You look down and find aces, do you call?

With 200bbs left and most likely more than 3/4 of the field gone after the hand I would fold as I am more likely to lose than win against 9 players. This is probaly wrong in an EV sense but I am getting old and may not play the tournament enough for it to balance out if I call and lose .

nicnicnic

if you were invited to two party's in Vegas on July the fifth one involving a load of Irish poker players out on the lash the other being the crypologic party in the playboy penthouse which party would you pick

BigCityBanker

nicnicnic wrote:

if you were invited to two party's in Vegas on July the fifth one involving a load of Irish poker players out on the lash the other being the crypologic party in the playboy penthouse which party would you pick

are these mutually exclusive events?

Shortstack

nicnicnic wrote:

if you were invited to two party's in Vegas on July the fifth one involving a load of Irish poker players out on the lash the other being the crypologic party in the playboy penthouse which party would you pick

What chance have you got in the penthouse? Do you really want a week of pent up frustration as you play the biggest event of your life?

nicnicnic

BigCityBanker wrote:

are these mutually exclusive events?

don't know but could be fun if 20 of us just arrive

Shortstack wrote:

What chance have you got in the penthouse? Do you really want a week of pent up frustration as you play the biggest event of your life?

they might just find that Waterford brogue very attractive, we live in hope

Shortstack

nicnicnic wrote:

don't know but could be fun if 20 of us just arrive




they might just find that Waterford brogue very attractive, we live in hope

Well get us all on the list then

DeVore

Mike, I have invites for us

DeV.

Jayminator

I would go to the party with the 20 Irish lads. Its not everyday Mike hits 40... Quote ''erm 36'' and I think its very selfish nic to suggest such a thing and you should be ashamed of yourself.............. i.e My wife is coming to Vegas but leaves on the morning of the 6th so ya know what my answer needs to be.

Can they put it off for a day just for me???????????